Advantages of Self Reflection Soon After a New Year Begins

I struggled with the title of this post a little bit…it was either advantages of self -reflection after a new year begins or the disadvantages of a grab & go lifestyle.  Stick with me and I will explain.  Last weekend, I was facing a very busy week ahead, according to my calendar.  I would be working my professional day job every day, and attending appointments and special events afterwards, only to head home each night to work on the blog.  I warned my husband that I would be a whirlwind of activity all week.  Alas, my body had other plans.  I have been sick since last Sunday, and still on-the-mend (though back at work) Needless to say, the calendar blew up!

The advantage of being forced to sit still resulted in some time of self- reflection which can be a very good thing if you do it with a healthy mindset and not allow depression or defeat to set in.  I do my best to always learn from my mistakes or setbacks and to give them permission to set me a path forward.  So, let’s divide the advantages of self-reflection into two posts:  one on health and one on appearance.

Overall, I am seeing how I have allowed a very busy, grab & go lifestyle to affect me in many areas.  Busyness is great and fun, as long as, it is not detrimental to the whole person.  I did begin a purposeful healthy eating plan on January 1, which has mostly been a low carb-based way of eating.  I did not join the Atkins Diet, though I have used some of their products.  But, the grab & go part of me was leaning heavily on processed foods and still eating out too much.  I was losing weight this way, but still not really convinced it was the best way to good health. After spending time with my daughter, who recently joined Weight Watchers, she introduced me to the app and I was fascinated with all I could do with it.  I have been on WW for two weeks and I am losing weight.

But, the self-reflection exercise this week showed me that I must slow down and give time to really important things:

  1. Cook more
  2. Plan meals on the weekends
  3. Eat cleaner – more fresh veggies and fruits
  4. Utilize all the great recipes that have flooded the market from WW participants.
  5. Take the time to make sure this transitions to a lifestyle and not. just an app -based diet
  6. Not use excuses like sickness to take me off the plan.

Around this, I was back to exercising in January, though I just missed a whole week, sick in bed. Self-reflection reminds me to not get defeated by a sickness or blip in the schedule but keep on keeping on.  I remember Weight Watchers from my past, that if I messed up, but got right back on the plan, I still lost the weight.  It was a steady, slower more attainable weight loss program.  So here I am again and will let you know how it goes.

When an athletic team is losing a game, the coach usually calls them over, makes adjustments, and sends them back in, hopefully, for a win.  That is what I am doing…not waiting until next year to adjust but making adjustments now!  I hope to get back with you soon about all that I am learning as I go through self-reflection on my style going forward.  I haven’t really shaken things up for fifteen years…and I think it is past time!!

Has anyone else done a little self-evaluation since the first of the year?  Or perhaps re-evaluated some new year’s resolutions.

Please share!  I will have more later.

KEEP SMILING!!

10 Comments

  1. This is a great post Pam! I’m glad you are recovering, being so busy I know it’s really difficult when setbacks come. Sometimes that is exactly what we need, however. This gave you the opportunity to sit back and focus on important areas in your life, and good came from it. I have embarked on a new lifestyle this year also. Fitness and healthy eating have been and are still priorities as I learn new habits. I am also focusing on my spiritual well-being at the same time. I thought my fitness progress was slow (I felt stronger and have increased weights at the gym, but still felt it was very slow going). This week I have been house sitting for family and they actually own a scale (I have not invited one into my home!). I bravely got on theirs yesterday, and sure enough, I’ve lost weight. I looked in the mirror long and hard, and efforts are paying off. Reflection that you talk about here is not something I have consciously done, but you point out the importance of it and I agree. We need to reflect and plan in order for our changes to stick. It’s not a means to an end, it’s a new way of living, eating and being. Pretty exciting stuff. I will take more time to reflect on goals and assess. Thank you for the encouragement and an important post!!

  2. You know, Karen…you are right! It is pretty exciting stuff! Keep up the good work!

  3. Love this post! I admit that I have not stalled, but never really began all my resolutions to eat better, move more and have a better attitude! I did, however, start last weekend seriously evaluating my health and well-being and started putting a plan together. This post was the boost I needed to hear that it’s never too late to make good choices and the digressions are not failures, just little blips on my progression. The one thing I have started to do is track my food intake. Wow! That was eye opening! I was consuming lots more calories than I had realized. I have started really paying attention and adjusting my food choices. I did the old WW many years ago with the paper tracker and it worked then. I’m using the same concepts from that original plan I used all those years ago and am already starting to see some success! Adding exercise is next, for which I plan to start with walking. I have 5 lb weights at home and have been using them for my arms.
    I am still considering if a FitBit would be helpful. Since it’s kind of a big investment, I want to make sure it’s not just another gadget that ends up in a drawer…. but, since I have a birthday coming up, I might just put it on my wish list!!
    Thank you, Pam, for making me feel good about what I’m finally doing and showing me whenever I begin, it’s a good time to start!

  4. You are so welcome, Linda! I think the FitBit would be a perfect birthday gift!!

  5. This is a wonder self reflection message. I too hope you are feeling better, back to,normal. Staying healthy and fit are my goals, not losing weight. I’m about ten pounds heavier than I once was, but I exercise, walk, move! My last PCP appt showed my BP down and other numbers are good. My next goal is to keep any kidney stones away by drinking a lot if water with lemon, ginger ale, tea with lemon or lemonade. I also squeeze lots if lemon on veggies, fish, in my salad. Health is everything!

  6. My husband and I have had great results with Weight Watchers. He lost 25 pounds in a 6 month period and I trimmed off 10. In addition to WW recipes I like to use the Skinnytaste recipes by Gina Homolka, who has a couple of cook books and a skinnytaste blog which sends free recipes that are easily printed. All of her recipes feature the calorie count and the WW points. I have had fun learning new recipes that have acceptable point values. Also, I have a new Fitbit watch and like that it counts steps and alerts me that I have a text but a drawback is that when I bicycle or swim the exercise is not recorded.

  7. Hi Mary, thank you for that website!! I am going to look at it now. Depending on which FitBit you have, my husband says there is a way to record the other activity! You might look at your FitBit app on your phone for more info!! Thanks for sharing!!

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