Color-Coded, Craving-Free, and Counting Down

During the week, I have not been eating breakfast. As work starts at 7:00 a.m., I have to leave by 6:30 and usually wake up at 6:20 which gives me 10 minutes to look human, take the dog out, pack my lunch and get out the door.

Because I leave so early without eating, I end up having my lunch around 11:30 a.m. I tell you this to tell you that on Thursday, I had a nail appointment in Westerly after work.

Normally I have time after work to go home, let the dog out, and grab a snack before heading up 95. Not last Thursday. I got out late, got stuck in traffic and had to head right to Westerly. (Shout out to the parents for letting the dog out for me in a pinch!)

As I am sure you can all assume, by the time I got to Westerly, I was STARVING!

I made the decision to run into CVS to grab a snack. Did I cheat and have a candy bar? No ma’am! I bought a cheese stick labeled 1 oz and a bottle of water! Marked my protein and my cheese on my food sheet and stayed true to Program!

Although I can’t always plan every day and when spontaneous moments happen, I know I can make good choices, it is a great lead-in to another behavior modification technique!

“Planning is essential. It eliminates guesswork and last-minute preparation.”

As I finish my second week and journey into my third, I want to share two of my planning techniques that I use which not only helps keep me on Program but also helps with my daily life.

 Sticky Notes = Sanity

I love using sticky notes on my food sheet. Why? Because:

• I hate using white-out.

• Pens come in better colors than pencils.

• I also use my food sheet as a grocery list, and if I can't get an item, I’d rather not rewrite the whole thing.

  
  

With sticky notes, I only write directly on my sheet once I've eaten something. Every bite, taste, and lick. It keeps me honest.

Bonus: if I save them, I can reuse successful days from past weeks and stick them right onto a new sheet. It’s like building my own Thin’s In puzzle—custom pieces that work for me.

Here’s what my food sheet can look like during the planning phase:

Flowcharts = Focus

The second tool I love is my daily flowchart. Technically, a flowchart maps a process—but I use it to map out my evenings. It’s my version of WAIT on paper.

If you’ve ever been to Thin’s In, you probably know WAIT: “What Am I Thinking?”

Well, my flowchart answers that question before my feelings can derail my progress. It keeps me from turning to food when I’m bored, anxious, lonely, or tired. When I feel off-track, I HALT... and grab a sticky note or write a new flowchart.

Here’s today’s flow:

• Leave work at 4:00

• Stop & Shop (don’t forget the list!)

• Home by 4:30, put groceries away

• Drink 16 oz of water

• Change & take the dog for a 20-minute walk

• Load the washer

• Unload the dishwasher

• Make and eat dinner:

  2 oz ground beef + 1 oz cheese on salad with salsa and 4 tsp dressing

• Drink another 16oz of water

• Relax!

Simple? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely.

As a wise woman once told me (and probably told you too):

“You didn’t gain your weight in a day—you can’t expect to lose it in one.”

Progress takes patience—but also planning. Every pound lost reflects a series of small, intentional choices. For me, staying organized isn’t just helpful—it’s essential. Whether it’s sticky notes, flowcharts, or prepping for unexpected moments, planning ahead keeps me moving forward.

Another week down, another 2 pounds gone.

Total Lost: 11 pounds