August 2017 can just go away

I dreaded stepping on the scale this morning.  I knew I had to do it if I was going to keep myself accountable long term to my monthly check ins.  I was perhaps surprised to find my weight had not changed.  I certainly did not expect to see the number down after the failure my August turned out to be.  I was full of ambition when I started into August and somehow it all crumbled as the month went on.  A couple of my measurements are also up which was expected, but I'm pleased that the majority did not change.

August has been rough; not only from a activity standpoint, but from a stress standpoint.  I know that when my stress is the highest and things in my personal life feel they are falling apart, this is the time I should go for walks the most.  Unfortunately, I'm not good yet at forcing the issue with myself during these times.  I'm also not good at wanting to be outside when it's hot.  August came in like a lion with hot, humid temperatures and fortunately looks to be going out like a lamb.  The temps have been more than reasonable, but even so, my motivation has not kicked in.  These are the trying moments that will push the issue of how much I want this new life.  Even when a month is bad and the motivation I had before is brittle, will I continue to press on?

I have decided there are several steps I need to take now to get back on track:

Step 1:  Vacation-work has been challenging and I need a break.  It has been months since I got an extended period of time off and I know this has played into my attitude about life in general.  In a week I will be in NC filling my days with walking around and site seeing.  If I continue to eat well, my vacation can actually be a kick start to doing things right when I get home too.

Step 2:  I don't know why I have put off an appointment with my endocrinologist.  I have good things to share with her about what I'm doing for myself and she will want to help me get back on the medications I need to make a real difference.  Plus, since my surgery in May, my deductible has been met, so the visit and medication for the rest of the year should be covered, so this won't play into my stress over financial matters.

Step 3:  Continuing to cook for myself and woman at work seems to be helping financially with food and keeping me on track eating like I should.  Knowing I have a commitment to her to cook healthy food keeps me committed to healthy food for myself.  I have successfully managed to keep on track with food for months now, so I see that as a trend that will continue.  Now I have to step it up one more level and work on eliminating the few unhealthy trends I am keeping too like ice cream every night and candy at work daily.

Step 4:  Getting back to my daily walking routine.  Despite the August set back, I did walk a loop around my office building at one point and compared the time to what I walked in the past.  I proudly noted that my time was faster by quite a bit.  My back and legs also continue to not hurt me like they did when I first started.  I know that change has happened even if it's not as apparent right now.

I set the goals I did because they don't take into account the amount of weight I am losing.  My goals are based on feeling better and being more active.  I know that if I continue to focus on those things, the other things like weight, losing inches, and controlling my PCOS will fall into line on their own.  So I'm putting August 2017 behind me.  I will literally never see the month again.  It's time to focus on September and my favorite season, fall which will be perfect for beautiful walks and bike rides in the foliage.