Monday’s my normal day for reporting to the masses — or rather, more accurately, be accountable to myself.  Yesterday was Monday.  I have to get back in the mindset that Mondays and Fridays are my posting days.  It needs to be part of my routine, and I’ve gotten away from that.

I’d like to talk about routine for a bit, because at least to me, being set in a routine takes a lot of the work and challenge out of an eating and exercise plan.  Summer is extremely tough for me to keep a standard routine; my husband is a teacher, and I work from home, so during the summer, he’s home and more often than not, he disrupts my routine.  That’s not just a diet routine; that’s everything! I really like routine, and by summer’s end, I routinely struggle with staying on plan.  I think in part that’s what I’ve been experiencing for the past few weeks.

Yesterday was the first day of school.  I have my days to myself, again, and I can decide what I’m going to do, and when I’ll do it.  I don’t have to wonder if I should eat breakfast early because I won’t be exercising until later in the day; I know, without question, that when hubby leaves for work, I’m at the gym.  Period.  And then I come home from the gym and make myself breakfast.  (Cardio often bothers my stomach, so I usually don’t eat before exercising.)

I know what and when I’m having breakfast and lunch.  The guesswork is taken out of the mix.  I already have those things planned, and I know the plan won’t change.

When I have a routine, I’m more successful.  It’s an old cliche, but it’s true, at least for me: Failing to plan is planning to fail.  Routine also gives me mental strength, because I know I’m accomplishing the things I set out to do.  When my plans are interrupted and my goals aren’t achieved, it wears me down mentally.  I find myself floundering and at risk of just not functioning well at all.  Routine is discipline, and routine builds me up mentally.  I’m glad to have routine back, even though it’s just Day 2.

In fact, I think at one point I mentioned that four factors need to be in place for me to successfully lose: exercise, correct eating, water, and adequate rest.  I think I’m going to add routine to that, because routine really does matter.