I've noticed over time that it is common
to feel that Life gets in the way of one's Goals
and keeps us from reaching them.

Life is full of unexpected events.
Some of them are pleasant, and some are not.

Weekends, Holidays, Vacations, Celebration Events
happen for us all.

Everyone experiences Crisis Situations.
Things like health problems, financial problems,
relationship problems, family problems,
We go through changes in our environment, our homes, our jobs,
our daily routines.

Sometimes a crisis involves us on a personal and physical level,
other times it involves us emotionally because
it is happening to the others we care for.

The Point is, that even in such difficult times,
it is up to each of us to keep our ultimate goals in mind.
If weight-loss or maintaining weight-loss is an important goal for us,
then we need to work to keep our eating behavior off a roller-coaster
in these Life Situations.  
  We need to work to stay steadfast,
and learn not to use these "unusual" times
as "Exceptions" which give us permission to eat in a manner that won't  
keep us directed toward our goals.

Right now I'm experiencing a small and very minor "life crisis".
The hot water pipes under the concrete foundation of my house broke,
and early next week, all of the hot and cold water plumbing
will be re-routed through my attic
and down my walls to my sinks, tubs, toilets etc.

We have been living with only cold water for the past week,
and in a couple of days we will have to leave our home
and stay in a nearby hotel for several days while the work goes on.
Our 10 year old moody cat....who has never left my house and yard
(except for brief visits to the vet) will be coming with us.

Upon our return it will be up to me to deal with contractors who will
be repairing our walls. This will also involve painting walls,
as well as a strip on the front of my house
from the water source to the ceiling,
and new wallpaper in both bathrooms,

 I am very fond of my home. I've owed this house for 37 years,
I raised my children in it, and I'm finding this emotionally difficult,
as well as being a big time nuisance.
This is also a large and unexpected expense, although
I am fortunate enough to have homeowners insurance
that will pay about half of it.

So, this is one of the times that I could use to justify
Life getting in the way of my eating goals.
However, I am working very hard to keep from doing this.
Although there are routine things my situation keeps me from doing,
there are other things I can do to balance that.

I am working to avoid that mentality of throwing the baby out with the bath water.
that natural tendency that many of us have to say,
"oh well, I'll just eat what I want and deal with it later".
If I dent my car, I don't ram it into that obstacle over and over again.
But that is the kind of thinking we dieters often justify.

 So it goes. 
Maybe I'll be offline here a few days,
and maybe I won't.
But for certain, I'm going to be working really hard
toward eating behavior that will help me
toward my ongoing goal of maintaining my current weight.  

DietHobby has active for 7 months now,
and as one can see by the archives,
during that time I’ve posted a great many articles.

Now that DietHobby is established,
I’ve decided to experiment
with a more irregular posting schedule.
My plan is to post new articles several times a week,
but not necessarily every day.

Those who’ve registered at DietHobby have the option
of receiving e-mail notices telling them
when a new Blog or News article is posted,
and if they’ve made a comment on an article,
they also receive a notice of additional comments on that article.

So, registered users who allow notification will know when I’ve posted.
Those users who haven’t registered will still see frequent posts when they check in,
and if they don’t see a new post, they can go to the Archives
and pick one of the many past articles to read.

I receive an e-mail every time someone makes a comment,
so please continue to make comments on any current or past article.

This is just one more experiment in my life of ongoing experiments.
My plan is to give myself more flexibility in my posting schedule,
and I want viewers who come here daily to know about that plan.

Sometimes I will post daily, and sometimes I will post less frequently.
This doesn't mean I'm ill, or away, or depressed or binging.
It just means that, at that moment, I need to spend my time another way.

I'm still going to be here,
and I hope you will be too. 

Gratitude is feeling or showing
an appreciation of kindness, of Thankfulness.

It is a way of recognizing
the importance of a source of pleasure.

Gratitude is an emotion that
expresses appreciation for what one has.
It is currently receiving a great deal of attention
as a facet of positive psychology.
Gratitude is what gets poured 
into the glass to make it half full.

Studies show that gratitude
not only can be deliberately cultivated
but can increase levels of well-being and happiness
among those who do cultivate it.

In addition, grateful thinking
-- and especially expression of it to others –
is associated with increased levels
of energy, optimism, and empathy.

I am grateful to each one of you who participates here
by reading or commenting or watching a video.

 Thank You.

For those who are following my “Ask Grandma” videos
click to see my latest one: “ School Bullies & Mending Relationships”
which is located in DietHobby under RESOURCES, Videos, Ask Grandma.

The Fall season has started here in Central California.
The weather is getting cooler,
Days are getting shorter,
and the leaves are beginning to turn and fall from the trees.

Fall brings many changes,
but my commitment to maintain my weight loss isn't one of them.

I continue.

Minute by Minute
Hour by Hour
Day by Day
Week by Week
Month by Month

Some would say,  "It should be easier
after consistently following this behavior
for a 7 year period.

Possibly it should be.
But it's not.
And That's Okay.

What is Burnout?

Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical
exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.

It happens when we feel overwhelmed
and unable to meet constant demands.
As the stress continues,
we begin to lose the interest or motivation
that led us to take on an activity in the first place.

Burnout reduces our productivity and saps our energy,
leaving us feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful.
Eventually, we may feel like we have nothing more to give.

Most of us have days when we feel bored,
overloaded, or unappreciated;
when what we do isn’t noticed or rewarded;
when it’s hard to drag ourselves out of bed.
But if one feels like this most of the time,
they might be experiencing burnout.

Symptoms of Burnout:

• Every day is a bad day.

• Caring about self, work, or home seems like a total waste of energy.

• One is exhausted all the time. Most of the day is spent on tasks 
             that we find either mind-numbingly dull or overwhelming.

• We feel like nothing we do makes a difference or is appreciated.

There is a difference between stress and burnout
Burnout may be the result of unrelenting stress,
but it isn’t the same as too much stress.

Stress, by and large, involves too much:
too many pressures that demand too much physically and mentally.
Stressed people can still imagine, though,
that if they can just get everything under control, they’ll feel better.

Burnout, on the other hand, is about not enough.
Being burned out means feeling empty,
devoid of motivation, and beyond caring.
People experiencing burnout often don’t see
any hope of positive change in their situations.

Excessive stress is like drowning in responsibilities,
while burnout is being all dried up.

Another difference between stress and burnout is that
while one is usually aware of being under a lot of stress,
one doesn't always notice burnout when it happens.

Stress vs. Burnout

Stress: Characterized by over engagement
Burnout: Characterized by disengagement

Stress: Emotions are over reactive
Burnout: Emotions are blunted

Stress: Produces urgency and hyperactivity
Burnout: Produces helplessness and hopelessness

Stress: Loss of energy
Burnout: Loss of motivation, ideals and hope

Stress: Leads to anxiety disorders
Burnout: Leads to detachment and depression

Stress: Primary damage is physical
Burnout: Primary damage is emotional

Stress: Could kill one prematurely
Burnout: Could make life seem not worth living.

Burnout recovery strategies

Slow down

When one has reached the end stage of burnout,
adjusting one’s attitude or looking after one’s health
isn’t going to solve the problem.
One must force oneself to slow down or take a break.
Cut back whatever commitments and activities possible.
Give oneself time to rest, reflect, and heal.

Get support

When one is burned out,
the natural tendency is to protect
what little energy one has left by isolating oneself.
But during difficult times,
friends and family are more important than ever.
Turn to loved ones for emotional support.
If loved ones are unavailable, use professional help.
Simply sharing feelings with another person
can relieve some of the burden.

Reevaluate goals and priorities

Burnout is an undeniable sign that something important in one’s life is not working.
Take time to think about hopes, goals, and dreams.
Is something being neglected that is truly important?
Burnout can be the chance to rediscover what really makes one happy
and to change one’s course accordingly.