the best-laid plans ...

I am a planner, to the core. I pick out my outfit the night before, book vacations six months in advance, etc. I just feel like everything goes more smoothly if I can prepare for it. I can usually go with the flow as long as nothing too far out of the ordinary happens, but I like to have a general idea of what's coming at me at all times.

This is particularly true when it comes to health and fitness stuff. My best weeks are ones where I can shop/do food prep on Sundays, and there are no obligations standing in the way of my regular workouts. Any added stress or changes to the schedule, and lord knows what's going to happen, despite the best of intentions. I've gotta to stick to my routine.

But shit happens, and life doesn't always go according to plan. Things are a little out of the ordinary for me right now, and I'm struggling to find a new routine that fits my current schedule and still helps me reach my goals. I freaked out initially and had a lot of thoughts like "Oh no, I'm going to go back to how I was. Whenever I get stressed out, I can't keep it together." It seems so easy to throw in the towel and go back to eating a box (a bag? a package, let's say) of Oreos because I'm hungry and stressed and they're delicious.

But after a few days (and more than a few Oreos, let's be real), I had an epiphany: I will only go back to how I was if I decide to do so. Yes, there are things in life that are out of my control. But how I react to them is totally up to me. So I'm trying to keep it together, despite my pattern of falling apart. Yes, I'm stressed and hungry and not in the mood to eat my usual healthy snacks. So maybe I should have an apple to curb my sweet tooth and take some deep breaths. And remember that what I want now should not take precedence over what I want most.

Workouts are easier than food, because my body seems to crave exercise after doing it regularly for a while. If I take a few days off, I'm stiff and lethargic. So I'm trying to get it in wherever I can – walking on my lunch break, doing pushups during commercials, and going hard when I do get to the gym. Making whatever I can do count, basically.

I'm also trying to strike a balance between not caring at all and caring so much that it stresses me out. I'm sure I will have slip-ups (see Oreo incident above), but I'm trying not to dwell on my indiscretions. I just have to take it day by day and do my best. Do y'all have any tips for staying on track when things get crazy?