I read Nancy Howard’s blog, EXCUSES GIVE US PERMISSION TO FAIL, and as I promised in my comment, I copied her blog to save to my computer and inserted my own excuses / permissions to fail that did indeed lead to “failure” (NAY! Setbacks that I have learned from!) this week:

1. Lunch w/ a friend from 1:00 -5:00 on Monday! It was great; I had not eaten much at all and had a great time with my friend! Then I ate way too much for supper and afterward! I COULDA had a great day! Instead, I blew it with SELF-INDULGENCE, thinking I could have a free-for-all with my calorie allotment the rest of the evening! LESSON: SHOULDA eaten a healthy meal to end the day and been happy for the satisfaction of emotional hunger’s being more than satisfied with friendship (instead of celebrating with so much food)!

2. Merry Maids on Tuesday. I resent their TIME at my house when I want to be alone. LESSON: SHOULDA been more THANKFUL for the work they do that I cannot do! SHOULDA been more flexible with “my time!” SHOULDA remembered that time is not mine! SHOULDA not eaten out of frustration because my schedule had been interrupted.

3. Dinner at Chili’s on Wednesday. What a menu to choose something low-calorie / healthy from! However, I COULDA had a salad! I COULDA eaten HALF of the burger and fries! I made a wrong choice. I made several wrong choices from the time I did not eat enough at lunch and left home hungry. I chose to eat a package of crackers before I got out of our subdivision. My next wrong choice was at Starbucks. I ordered vanilla scones for my granddaughter (Yeah!) and ate one before I arrived at the traffic light! By the time I ordered dinner, I had already eaten two things I “SHOULDA not” eaten. That was NO REASON! It was a very poor excuse to order poorly at Chili’s. I SHOULDA remembered Beth’s words and ORDERED SMALL! It COULDA been done! I COULDA rescued the day! LESSON: I need to remember that NOW IS THE TIME TO order small / eat right, no matter what wrong choices I have made earlier!

4. Another excuse I’ve used all week is my sleep deprivation which has been due to several different things, some avoidable, some not. I’ve learned that sleep deprivation is a major trigger for my overeating. I COULDA gotten more sleep! LESSON: Be disciplined about getting to bed before 11:00PM!

I’m paying for my “excuses” with a gain today. My heart COULD be singing with the excitement of success and the self-respect that is a result of self-discipline / self-control. It SHOULDA been! LESSON: FOCUS more on my goals; make a VISION STATEMENT; LEARN from these mistakes and don’t make them again! Remember that SMALL THINGS DONE CONSISTENTLY LEAD TO BIG CHANGES! Give myself CREDIT for doing some things right, e.g., thinking on these things and determining to learn from my mistakes and keep heading toward my goals. This is the time in my efforts to change my lifestyle that I usually decide I’m destined to be fat. That is a lie I am not going to accept anymore! I am working to see myself as a thin, healthy, energetic old woman! I am also determined to drink MORE WATER – even if it does seem that it WOULD be more efficient to pour it straight into the toilet!