I don't have much of a routine, these days. It was far more predictable back in the time I was working. Since I retired, six years ago, life has been more fun, less predictable, and more challenging, from a weight management standpoint.

I don't know what I am going to do today - heck, I don't know what I will be doing this morning. I am sure what I will eat for breakfast. Lunch, I will figure out when the time comes. Supper is too far over the horizon to consider. I get through all this by making smart choices (for the most part) through my day.

Lack of routine is my routine. So I am immune to interference, I guess.

Since I retired I have been trying to get into some basic routines. I don't seem to handle these events well these days, such as last night when we unexpectedly went out to dinner with DS at Outback. I find myself likely to say "screw it". In the end I think it is just frustration with how much of my life seems to be at the whim of my back or knee and I tend to overreact. At least that's what this morning's reflection on yesterday has gotten me. I need to remember to take a breath and ask myself a few questions before I do much damage.

I take the opportunistic approach, I have certain things that I do routinely everyday or so, but when my schedule does not allow optimal time to do it I modify and do them when I can. Or I may skip it altogether and adjust the next day. This approach reduces stress and beating myself up for something that is not worthy of either.

Thus far I have kept up my activity habit for nearly 16 years. During this time my father had a long illness and died, I went through a master's and doctoral program, and I made a career change.

The healthy eating habit did get out of whack during my father's illness and my schooling, but I did start WW when I still had a year left in my doctoral program and I lost 50 pounds over the course of 9 months. I've been tracking every day since June 2011.

Something pretty cataclysmic would have to occur to knock me out of either of these habits at this point.

ETA: I was just listening to an NPR podcast "survival of the richest" when driving to work so the doomsday scenarios and how the survivalists are preparing (for example condos in an old missile silo) are on my mind.

I generally don't have a lot of routines, but oddly enough find I do better losing weight once I have at least a rough outline of a routine. It takes me awhile to establish a rough outline, but once I do a hiccup every now and then doesn't keep me from veering off track. However, if I go a few weeks, all bets are off, and I have to start from scratch.

I had breast cancer last year, and immediately after my treatments, my mother had some health issues that required a lot of travel for me. I completely got away from mindful eating for more than a year and have found it really hard to get back in the groove. The past couple of weeks have felt like "Everything old is new again," from a weight loss standpoint, and that's given me renewed energy and desire for routine - - which is nice.

Emmie