What a couple of weeks it has been. My house was broken into, I have/had three presentations at school, and work has been a whirlwind.... and yet I was able to stay on track. Quite the accomplishment if I do say so myself. And, in all seriousness, I owe it to my weight loss journey and the tools I use to manage it.

Stress, chaos, and crowded calendars can make it easy to get off track. You tell yourself, "just this once; a small bite; I'll make up for it next time; I don't have time; convenient beats healthy right now...." Soon enough, bad habits are back and you don't realize just how bad until you study your food diary (you *are* keeping a food diary, yes?).

The truth is, my food diary is what saved me these past two weeks. It's a constant in my life, a steady, reliable part of what I do every day. Even when everything else seemed too unbearable - and there were quite a few hours of that feeling recently - my LBT and LIVESTRONG accounts and my Daily Plate were a source of comfort.

Unaffected by my personal drama, these electronic resources - and the friends I have made using them - were still there, ready, willing, and able to perform as intended and expected. They (animate and inanimate resources alike) kept me focused, reminded me of the things that I can control and helped to promote in me strength through use of that control.

Everyone has bad days during which they feel like they just can't do what is expected of them. This may be true when speaking of the expectations of others, but when it is your health, your weight loss journey, and your overall well-being... you can do it like no one else can do it. You have to, because no one else can do it for you.

Focus on that, and you can get through anything.