Falling Into Place

I love fall - it's my favorite season and I always equate it with starting over. I don't seem to have ever ridded myself of that student mentality. Fall can also be a challenge because it's the start of the holiday season and all the scheduling and eating that's involved with it. Now October does start off with my birthday. While the world doesn't revolve around me (no matter how much I think it should), October always seems to be the kickoff for a lot of get-togethers for celebrating. Here's the breakdown for this year:
- Weekend 1: My birthday weekend with a day of brunching and dining with friends
- Weekend 2: Friends' wedding weekend celebrating their 10th anniversary with festivities (and probably some yummy RennFest food)
- Weekend 3: Mother-in-law's birthday dinner (her birthday is just a few days after mine, but our schedules make it difficult to get together any sooner. This is a joint celebration, so two dinners in one)
- Weekend 4: Friend's birthday probably with a fun dinner out somewhere
- Weekend 5: Mom's birthday with a trip to visit my parents so I can celebrate with Mom

Then there's November with another friend's birthday, Grandpa's birthday, Thanksgiving, and a going-away party. And December is filled with holiday gatherings, including our infamous Gingerbread Party and all the baking and preparation That go into it.

Another aspect of fall is the extra layering of clothes. I love to bundle up in sweaters and scarves. When this happens, I'm also hiding any of the weight gain that goes along with the season. I know my weight has crept up a little during that 3-month window just with everything that's going on.

So what am I going to do this year? To start, I'm focusing on staying on plan during the week. Even if I'm not exercising because of busy schedules, I know I can plan my meals and eat clean. I think each weekend will be limited to one gathering, and that's going to be my cheat. On weekends where that's not feasible, I'll try to keep both cheat meals as clean as possible given the options available to me. Even with going to my parents' house, I may prep all my meals except dinner and bring along the cooler. My parents generally eat healthy and I'm sure they'd have clean foods on hand, but it may just be easier to bring all my own stuff than try to take over their kitchen.

I think my main goals are to enjoy the company of others and to maintain rather than regain. Each January, my weight seems to creep back up to the 165 range. If I can keep it in the 150 range, I'll be happy. If I can reclaim the 140s, that's a bonus. I want to have a good balance between caring for myself (physically and emotionally), enjoying the company of others, and taking care of the things that are important to me.

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