Ep #359: When You’re In an Adjustment Period

Welcome to the Weight Loss for Busy Physicians podcast. I'm your host, master certified life and weight loss coach, Katrina Ubell, M.D. This is the podcast where busy doctors like you come to learn how to lose weight for the last time by harnessing the power of your mind. If you're looking to overcome your stress, eating and exhaustion and move into freedom around food, you're in the right place. Well. Hello there, my friend. Welcome to today's episode. This is an episode that I'm excited to bring to you, because I think it's about something about a certain topic that I think is something that really trips us up a lot of the time.

I see it all the time in terms of throwing people off from the ways of eating that we're supporting them, the [00:01:00] other ways that they were supporting themselves in terms of maybe doing thought work or exercising, or doing stress relief activities or things like that. And what I'm talking about is when we go through adjustment periods. So I actually have had the idea to do this episode for a while now, because I currently am in an adjustment period, and it really has thrown me for a loop to a certain extent. I kept thinking, oh, let me get through the adjustment period and be on the other side of it before I record the podcast about it. And then I actually coached somebody in the weight loss or Doctors Only program on an adjustment period that she's in, and I shared why I think I'm going to do an episode about this.

[00:01:42] And she was like, oh, that would be great. And I thought, you know, maybe I should question my belief that I need to be through the adjustment period before I could offer something. I'll just be totally upfront with you and share with you where in the process I am as we go along and you know, you can see what it's like, you know, in real time to a certain extent. But I do really [00:02:00] have some great steps for you today on how to approach an adjustment period. And adjustment periods can really just be any time in your life where things change. I kind of think of it as, you know, you had a period of time in your life where things were going well and then something changed and what was working before isn't working anymore.

It can't work anymore, won't work anymore. It was just not a possibility anymore. And so maybe no matter how much you want to still do it that old way, it's just not available as an option. And so now you're in an adjustment period. So what do we do? What I think happens a lot is, you know, we're trucking along cooking along. Things are good. Then we hit that little speed bump. We're in an adjustment period. And what we often end up doing obviously not intentionally, but what ends up happening is we end up just kind of like tossing everything out the window.

[00:02:55] So maybe you were like, yeah, like eating this way has been great, and my body feels [00:03:00] great and my sleep's good and my stress is at a good level and all these things are awesome. And then the things that were supporting you and doing that you can't do anymore for whatever reason, like for instance, say you got an injury or say, you know, suddenly it's just a lot more complicated to create that food, or there's just other demands on your time, and you're not able to devote as much of that time to those supportive activities. So then what do you do?

Rather than just like it all falling apart? And then, you know, we gain all the weight back or whatever, and we have to start from scratch again. Like, could there be another way? So what the story is for me, like what I have been dealing with is that I felt like the last I mean, really from May until October. Was just such a great time in my life in a lot of ways, in terms of the days being really long, where I live in Wisconsin, you know, I live pretty north, so that means that we have really nice long [00:04:00] days in the summer. Of course, there's a trade off too, that I'll get to that in a minute. Really nice long days, really getting outside a lot to be out in nature.

[00:04:10] I was able to exercise in ways that was just feeling so good, and my body was like noticing progress and I was feeling stronger. It was really fulfilling some goals that I had. I've been reading more about the menopause transition and how important muscle mass is for women, and it's really working on strength and like just doing all this stuff that was making me feel really, really good and just feeling like I had such a good system in place, like it was all just cooking along and working really well. So then what happened is in the end of September, I went to France and I think I mentioned in a previous episode, maybe a couple of weeks ago, I can't quite remember how I sort of got stuck in France then.

So I went there with my husband for our wedding anniversary, and the day before we were supposed to come back, my husband was diagnosed with Covid and definitely was quite symptomatic, not [00:05:00] feeling great at all, definitely, you know, coughing, sneezing, you know, blowing his nose all over the place and stuff. And so we realized, you know what? We have to stay longer. This is this is not going to work. And then three days later I got Covid too. So then I wasn't feeling great and we were dealing with all of that. So we basically ended up staying almost an additional full week. So we were there almost two weeks.

[00:05:22] So that was a good trip, even despite the Covid we had. But there was sort of like a chain reaction of events that happened while we were away. So I've never taken a two week vacation before. So this was kind of an interesting experience. One week you come back and you're like feeling like you're picking right back up where you left off two weeks. And I was just like, oh, the world has moved on. Like somehow it felt like we missed a lot. And because we missed, you know, two weeks of our kids schooling, like we never would have planned on taking a two week vacation in the middle of kids school and all of that stuff.

Like, we just wouldn't have thought of that. So there were just a lot [00:06:00] of things that were unanticipated, a lot of digging out to do in terms of paperwork and forms and, you know, meetings and just stuff for family stuff when we got back. So there was already a bit of a backlog there, decisions to be made about things. But then also what happened while we were away was that we actually lost some of the household help that we had quite unexpectedly. And so I definitely had, you know, someone who was helping me with cleaning, helping me with laundry and some food prep and like things like that. So I definitely was, you know, very, very privileged and blessed to be able to have that help.

[00:06:34] And that ended unexpectedly. And so over the course of time, really, just like, you know, a couple of weeks, I actually realized for myself that I did not want to replace that help. And I totally could. Completely could. And it's not like a martyr thing where I'm like, no, I should be able to do it myself. It's not that at all. It's that I really do believe that it's the best choice for our family right now. But it does mean that we [00:07:00] are now responsible for all that stuff. So not like we can't do it. I mean, I totally know how to do all of those things. Can do them all. In fact, I think it's actually it has been and continues to be and will continue to be, I believe, something really, really good for our family and for our kids as well. I've already been seeing some changes in their behavior.

There's nothing like having to really deep clean your own bathroom to realize, oh, maybe I want to be a little more careful in there with my behaviors. Talk about natural consequences. Right? So there's, you know, more responsibilities from that standpoint, then this just happens to be a pretty busy time of year. I think that's the case for a lot of people. You know, just more holidays. We have a big birthday in our family. As I record this, my oldest son is turning 18 and two days, which is really kind of crazy.

[00:07:48] We have more kid activities. We have some new kid activities this year, so kind of just learning about what that's going to look like, what our lives are going to be like, trying to sort things out, plan for things, lots of adjustments [00:08:00] there. And then we've got the whole senior in high school stuff going on, which I guess I just didn't anticipate that it was going to be kind of as very time intensive as it appears to be. I swear I've never been to more meetings, more parent meetings for this child's activities than I have this year. I do not understand it, but there's a lot of meetings, a lot of things to do.

And then of course college applications as well, which of course are not my applications, but I am involved with helping to edit and helping sometimes, you know, it's like we're 12 words over. Okay. Let me help you to figure out where you can cut something. You know, so helping with that. So that has really been demanding on time. Very different than in the summer when my kids did not have all those activities. Right. And then all that was happening and I was, you know, really working on my mindset. Which I'll get to very soon. I'll talk to you about that. But then the time change came and that really hit me hard. It was. I mean, obviously I've been around a long time.

[00:08:58] I've gone through the time change [00:09:00] many, many, many, many times, dozens and dozens of times in my life. Right. And this year I was like, I do not like this. This is not working for me. I do not like these shorter days because, you know, it's for me a lot easier to get up early and take a walk outside and get that exercise in. It's actually, for me, an amazing way for me to start my day. It makes me feel so good. I get out in nature often, listen to something that's really, like inspiring to me or really uplifting. It just is such a great way to start the day. And guess what? When it's pitch black outside, you cannot be walking in the pitch black by yourself in nature. Like, I mean, theoretically, I guess you could, but I'm not going to be doing that.

So a lot of things that were very supportive to me are just no longer an option. Like I can walk in those nature areas, but I need to do them in a much more limited time span during the day when I'm typically doing other things like working. So, you know, [00:10:00] that is not available anymore. It was really not liking it. It was kind of funny watching myself really kind of have a little bit of like a tantrum over it where it's just like, no, I don't like this. As though that would change the Earth's axis, you know what I mean? That's cute.

[00:10:16] Katrina. You know, you just resist that all you want. It's actually going to keep getting worse for many more weeks before it gets better. So I quickly noticed, okay, wow, you have had a lot of changes and just a lot of demands, a lot of responsibilities in a relatively short period of time. And that's when I just decided, like, you need to stop. I was telling myself, you need to stop thinking that you're going to be able to continue doing life the way you were doing it before you left for France, because it's just not a possibility. Like, I can exercise early in the morning, but it has to be in my basement, in my workout room, like it's not going to be outside in the ways that I totally love it.

And my whole routine where I actually prefer to get [00:11:00] up and then walk my dog first. And that's how I kind of warm up to the day and wake up and then go and exercise. Like that's just not on the table unless I want to take him out in the pitch black, which doesn't accomplish the same thing for me. I don't feel the same if I walk him super early in the dark. So I had a lot of like trying to figure out how I could make the old way work with the new responsibilities and the new kind of time changes and things like that, and light and dark cycles.

[00:11:28] And finally, I just had to realize, you know what? Like, that's not really a thing that works for this half of the year. And then I was really bummed about that for a little while. Like, no, but I really liked it and I wanted it to work. And then I realized, okay, well, maybe this is one of those things where I have like two sort of ways that I like to do things, and like half the year I do it this one way and then half the year there's another way that I do it, and I just don't know what that way is like.

Could it be possible that there's another way of getting [00:12:00] all the stuff done, exercising, you know, doing whatever, all the things that support me that I really like getting enough sleep and all that stuff that works when it's wintertime and when the days are shorter. And I started realizing, yeah, I bet you there's possibly a way. And then I started realizing, you know what? It could be also possible that the longer day version is really your preference, and you may not like the shorter day version as much, but let's see if we can just find a way, like just a way that works. Like let's just find something. And I really started telling myself, you know what? You're just in an adjustment period right now. That's what's happening right now. I was telling myself, I'm just figuring out another way that works.

[00:12:41] And that was really, really beneficial. So I'm going to tell you the three steps that I want to encourage you to take when you're in an adjustment period. I'll tell you those now and kind of tell you how I'm working them right now, because I'm still in the midst of working this out. I'm not quite yet figured out exactly [00:13:00] how this is going to work. I'm still figuring out there's some new variables, some new things that I just am not clear on, like some new kid activities like, you know, 30 minute drive one way for a two hour practice.

So probably doesn't make sense to drive home. But then who's taking and, you know, figuring out carpool. Like there's still there's some factors out there still that I just have not figured out. And I want to just be clear, like, this is not just for people who have like busy, you know, home life with kids and stuff. There can be so many times where we're in an adjustment period and maybe all of a sudden, like a family member or a loved one friend has fallen ill and you need to go and support them in different ways. We've had, you know, all kinds of things happen with our clients in our program, where we've coached them through, you know, different, really devastating things happening, you know, house burning down, unexpected death of a family member and then needing to take over the care of someone unexpectedly.

[00:13:54] Like, there's so many different things that can happen to us that it's just like, inevitable. I mean, it can [00:14:00] be even good stuff, like, you have a baby, you got to deal with that kind of stuff. Or maybe you fall ill yourself and you have something that you're working on, or you have an injury or you need to get surgery or something like that. So, like, there's so many times in our lives where something that's actually overall positive, it still can kind of create a need for adjustment. So there's three steps to take. The first is mindset and thinking. So spending time on mindset and thinking. The second is ideating and innovating.

The third step is taking action and experimenting. So let me take you through all of those. So the first I kind of alluded to already, the first is mindset and thinking, you know, I could totally recognize that I was just in complete resistance. It was actually really kind of funny. I was like amused with myself of how much I was resisting the days getting shorter. Like, I was literally like, I do not like this. No, as though that's going to do anything ever. No it's not. And I was thinking like, why is this year so much worse? I mean, so many years it's been dark. I can't [00:15:00] I mean, the number of days in my life where I went to work in the dark and left in the dark.

[00:15:04] I mean, so many people have that, like, why this year? Is it so much worse? I think it's just clinging to the old way. No, but I liked it the other way, and I don't want it to be different. You know, it's so funny, like how it's that kind of like toddler, you know, primitive brain that's just like, no, I don't want it like that. So I noticed the resistance and then I realized, okay, resistance is futile here. Like, it's literally it's not going to make the days longer. This is how it's going to go and it's going to keep doing this newsflash every year.

So I can figure out a solution this year, and then maybe I can leverage that again next year and the year after that. Or I can sit here and pout and be sad and not, you know, make myself any further along. So I decided, okay mindset and thinking, I have to think about this in a different way so that I can create some results that I want.

So like I said, thoughts that I specifically decided to think and reminded myself of again and again. I'm in an adjustment period. I'm [00:16:00] figuring this out. I'm figuring out another way that works. Certainly there are so many ways that will work, and all I have to do is find one way. It's totally possible that there's a way for me to get all the things that I want, maybe in ways that are different than what my preference is, or what I had expected or hoped for, but still be able to accomplish what I want to get done and do it in a way that helps me.

[00:16:25] Right? So, so important that we get our minds straight. First, how are we thinking? Are we in a solutions focused place if we're just problem focused? Which is what I was just talking about, how much I didn't like, how it was, all the problems that were with it. The solutions are not going to show up. So we have to be in the solutions focused place so that our brain can even help us. Which leads to the second step, which is ideate and innovate.

So what I quickly realized was, okay, I just need some new systems and processes, like if we're going to be cleaning our house, like everyone's going to help. And I just want to be clear, it's not like I'm cleaning the whole house by myself and [00:17:00] don't even have that big of a house. I mean, some people, it just it would be impossible to do that. We have a house that is used like every corner of our house is used family of our size. It's a good size house, but we are not living in a, you know, a huge mansion by any stretch of the imagination. But even so, like, it's a decent amount to clean.

[00:17:19] And the last time I had really been cleaning it a lot was during Covid. I remember thinking at that point, like, man, like I would rather have a smaller house. I think I have to clean this myself. But then now my kids are older and before back in Covid times, you know, the younger two really couldn't help that much. And now it's actually a really great opportunity for them to learn a lot of life lessons. And guess what? They are good at this. They seriously can get in there and scrub a toilet, and that is a good life lesson to learn. So I'm not saying that I'm never going to hire someone to help me.

The cleaning again in the future, but right now it just doesn't feel like the right thing for me. I'm really relishing having my space to myself. It's been something that [00:18:00] I didn't realize I needed until I didn't have it anymore. So if and when that changes, then I'll make a different decision. But for now, this is how we're doing it. So I've got buy in from the family. Everybody is helping and that's really good. But we did need some new systems and processes. How are we going to do this? Who knows how to do what are we going to do it like floor by floor? Are we going to do it like everyone does bathrooms first and then we come in and do this? Like, how are we going to get this done? We quickly realized like we needed a new mop.

[00:18:29] So I'm like, okay, cool, let me go find a cool new mop. I found this awesome great mop on Amazon. Loving that mop. Okay, great. So now we got that. You know, so just really figuring out a lot of details. And I will tell you something that really kind of took me by surprise. Really unexpected. Cleaning for me has been kind of doing for me something that cooking used to do for me or baking. So back in the day, I would definitely love to bake something. And I think there was something to be said for like, okay, [00:19:00] I'm going to make this thing.

It's kind of like chem lab. Like, I know that if I follow these instructions in 2 or 3 hours, I'm going to have this delicious thing that I can eat. I know it's going to work like barring some disaster, like it's going to work, and it's something that I can enjoy at the end of it and I can be proud of it. Definitely kind of scratch an itch for me. There was like, there's definitely something that helped me with doing that. And then of course I was eating it and reading it, which was good and was more of a problem. But what I have noticed now really took me by surprise, was that cleaning my home actually gives me a similar feeling where there's this real sense of pride, of look how good this looks like.

[00:19:41] I got in there and I got this place cleaned up and it looks awesome, and I can really feel proud of that. You know, we also realized that there were just a lot of like, kind of less frequent maintenance types of things that needed to be done that hadn't been getting done. So we've been doing a lot of just catching up on things [00:20:00] that should have been done for a while, haven't been done, and it feels really good. There's something about like maintaining your own stuff. I don't know, it's really been surprising for me, which is another reason why I'm not really willing to let it go.

Right now. I'm like, I think this is actually a really good thing for me and the whole family, right? But we needed to create some new systems and processes. And, I mean, we got our first cleaner when we were interns because when we got married, that was some advice that we got. And I think maybe one of my wedding showers, my bridal showers, I think they asked everybody to give, like their best marriage advice and the advice we got from a couple who are both doctors who were a couple years ahead of us. So we're like, finishing up residency was even when you think you can't afford it, get a cleaning service, it will save your marriage. And we're like, okay, so we did.

[00:20:48] And that's that's what we did back in those days. And so we've been enjoying that for the most part since then. So not like I don't know how to clean. I just hadn't really been doing it for a long time. We needed some new processes and [00:21:00] it's taken some time to do that. So reminding myself that I'm in an adjustment period has been good. I have to tell you, I found the best app to keep track of stuff. I'm totally obsessed with it and loving it. And you can even, like, set it up so that it shares with your other family members.

It's called I don't really know how to pronounce it. It's t o d y tothey kind of looks like to do or today, but doesn't not really. Don't really know how you say it. But anyway, it's a great, great app. It's free if you don't do the data syncing with other people. And if you do, it's like seven bucks. It's like really not like a lot. But anyway, I'm like loving this. So it takes a little bit of time to put all the stuff in there, but then it just takes the thinking, the decision making out of it. You just open it up and you're like, you know that thing you only need to do once a quarter? It just reminds you when it's getting closer and like, lets you know when you need to do it.

[00:21:45] It's so good. So that's an example of a new system and process. And you know, what we have realized is like, okay, this one child really knows how to clean that thing. This one doesn't okay. Child one train child two on how to do that and then show us. [00:22:00] And you know, so we've really just been like digging in on that, which I think takes more time. And eventually over time, everyone will be good at doing everything. And then of course, the cleaning will go faster and it'll be more efficient. And, you know, the younger ones are learning how to do their own laundry.

And that's an investment that's good for them and also takes a little bit of extra time coming up with some systems on that. Another part of that ideate and innovate step is getting some new creative ideas. I mean, that app is part of it, but also just thinking about different ways of doing things like what am I not taking advantage of? You know, like what are things that could maybe possibly help? Like just trying to rack your brain, like what could help with this? What could help with that? You know, what I realized was, okay, well, you know, there's there's some types of exercise that I was really loving outside, and I can't really do that as much. Maybe there's a different type of exercise inside that I haven't done so much that I could really enjoy as well.

[00:22:55] So that's been a fun thing to experiment with. So just coming up with some creative ideas, [00:23:00] like, could it be that I don't know all the ways already that this could work, or that I could succeed in doing this? Yeah, probably. So let's get creative. What else could I try? What else might work? Who else could help me with this? Right. And that's kind of a next part of this is getting help, like utilizing the supports that you have in your life. Now, of course, I could hire some people to help me, but they would also need management and training.

So it's a little bit different. But you know, my kids can help, like with, you know, cleaning. They've been helping with food prep more like it's definitely been like a family bonding experience. My husband I talked to him right away. I was like, look like I really have to feel like we are all in this and we're all helping out. And he's like, I'm in. I will do that. Okay. Awesome. And even, you know, asking my mom to help for a long time, we would have dinner at our house on Friday nights and my parents would come over and I basically was like, look, can we just come to your house? And she was like, sure. So now we get a meal that we don't have to make every Friday. We still get to see them. And that's just what's working [00:24:00] right now.

[00:24:00] So taking advantage of the help that you have, like, you know, I've been definitely asking more people for rides home for my kids. You know, it's like, hey, if you're already coming this way, would you mind bringing them home? And, you know, taking advantage of those people who can help me? A couple of weeks ago, my son got a flat tire in his car, and I told him I was like, you're going to need to find a ride to school. Like, you know, could I work it out so I could take him and the other kids to their different schools? Yes, I could, I did it for a while. I'm not doing it again. You're old enough. You can find a ride to school. And he did, right. So get help.

Utilize all the supports in your life for sure. Okay. Third step. So just a reminder first step mindset and thinking. Second step ideate and innovate. Third step take action and experiment. So what I noticed is that I just needed to just kind of try to figure out like, what is the first thing to figure out that if I get that figured out, that will be sort of like the cornerstone and everything will build on that, because I tried a few different things and that didn't seem to be moving the needle. So [00:25:00] what I realized was like, if I want to get myself up early in the pitch black, which is hard for me to exercise like, I just when it's so dark like that, I do not want to get up.

[00:25:10] It's very, very challenging for me. Then like I have to go to bed on time. Like it's even harder if I'm really tired. So number one, I have to be getting to bed on time so I can get up and have some semblance of, you know, feeling rested and ready to move forward. So I kind of realized, yeah, you know what? I think that is the thing to really focus on. So really working on getting myself to bed at a more reasonable hour, you know, just really prioritizing that has been really good. So that when it is time to get up early, my body is already in some state of being willing to wake up.

The other thing that was really interesting for me was like part of that idea and innovate step was I was just brainstorming, like, what are other ways? Like, how do people who live? You know, like in Svalbard, is that Sweden or Norway, like super, super north and stuff like, how do they do this? How do people who live [00:26:00] where it's like dark all the time, like how do they do this? It was really spending some time thinking about it, researching, reading about it, especially as daylight savings came to an end and stuff and people were talking about the light alarms, you know, it's like an alarm where it can make sounds if you want, but it also will just start making light gradually and add light to your room so you can wake up with that.

[00:26:23] And you know, what's so funny about that is I forgot I have one of those. I just had never really gotten into using it. Maybe that would help me in the morning to wake up more easily, because it would be like some light. At least it just wouldn't be so pitch black. So I've been experimenting with that and figuring out how I like that to work. And I do think it helps. I mean, does it make me want to bound out of bed immediately? No, but nothing does. So I think that that's probably just a me thing, but it really has been helping. It's like an incremental support that I really have enjoyed, you know, leveraging to help me to get out of bed sooner.

And [00:27:00] of course, when I get out of bed and I get that light, it does help me to wake up sooner. And when I wake up sooner, then maybe I don't need that early morning walk with a dog immediately to help me wake up like I'm already awake because I've gotten that light in my eyes. So then I can go downstairs and I'm more likely to be able to get in a good bit of exercise. By then. It has lightened up and I can walk the dog, which is still not my preference.

[00:27:21] I still prefer to do it the other way, but this is what's available now, right? So we just want to try some things. You know, that's the take action and experiment. And to be quite honest with you, this is a huge thing with weight loss as well. Like you just have to try some stuff and just experiment. Like, let me try this for a while and see what I think. I even thought for a while I was like, you know what? Before you just tell yourself like that nothing's going to work or like, you could do this, but that won't work. Or you could do this, but that won't work.

How about you just try all the different ideas for one week at a time, you know, and then just see what you think, like actually get some evidence first before just deciding it won't work, you know. And so that's been really helpful in figuring out [00:28:00] like, you know, this way actually is a little bit better for me. And I do enjoy this more. And then I just persistence. I just can only encourage you to just continue to be persistent. That's where I'm at right now. I'm just still persistent. Like we've got a birthday party coming up. We have Thanksgiving next week. We have so many things going on. We're going to be traveling. Then there's just it's a lot. It's it's a bit of a, you know, my head spinning a little bit stage of life.

[00:28:25] And that's okay. That doesn't mean that everything has to be thrown out the window. I can't support myself at all. I can't ever find time to exercise. I can't do anything. You know, like today is a prime example of like I'd planned. I'd gotten up early to exercise and then several things like that. There's no way I could have accounted for happened and unexpectedly had to take, you know, kids to school and the dog to the groomers. And like all these other things which ate up all my time to exercise. And then now I have work I have to do. So I'm doing those kinds of things. I'm not sure I'm going to have time to exercise tonight.

I might not be able to do it and then give myself some grace. You know what? I've [00:29:00] preferred to do it today. Yes. Was I mad when I wasn't able to do it earlier? If I'm honest, yes. I was not happy about it for a little while. And then I just realized, okay, well, you've done the best you can today, so it's nobody's fault. It just happened. Okay, so what can you do to support yourself? And we'll start over again tomorrow. So I think sometimes we have this idea that we have to figure it out immediately the first time, the right way. And if it doesn't work, then there's no solution.

[00:29:25] So just, you know, screw it all. And where's the ice cream? And it really doesn't have to be that way. So yeah, I'd really hoped that by now I would have had this completely sorted. And I could be like, look, it's so amazing and I'm so happy. And I figured it all out. Yeah, I'm not there yet. I am not there yet. But I'm figuring it out. I'm still figuring it out. And I'm also actually open to the idea that until next spring, I might continue to be in a state of figuring it out, even after, you know, the holidays and stuff.

The first two months of the year are very busy for us with ski season, ski racing and stuff, and my daughter is going [00:30:00] to be doing our first like club team sport, which we haven't done before. That's a new thing for us, so we're trying to kind of figure out how that works. Just a lot of kind of new things and adjustments and we will figure it out. I just have to keep believing that, you know, there's going to be a solution. And it might even be that the right solution varies from week to week. But if I keep looking for solutions, and I still believe that there are solutions, there's ways to figure this out, then they will actually pop up as ideas for myself rather than just being like, totally sorry for myself. Self-pity stuck. Can't do it.

[00:30:35] So sad. Why does it have to be like this? You know what I mean? Because you know, I get stuck there too sometimes, but it feels terrible and I don't want to be stuck there. So that's what I suggest you do when you're in an adjustment period. Number one mindset and thinking that has saved me. I mean, it's easy for me and everybody, right? All of us humans for our thinking to go into the toilet. And I'm so grateful for this work, you know, [00:31:00] with coaching. And of course, I'm being coached on this too, just FYI, I'm still getting all bonded to just keeping my mindset and my thinking on track to help me to figure this out.

And number two, ideate and innovate. You have an incredibly amazing smart brain. Let it help you. Let it come up with solutions. Don't shut it down with every little idea. Maybe, you know, some people talk about like idea babies. Like maybe you're going to have like two ideas. Neither of them is that great. But together they'll create an idea baby, which is an even better idea than you wouldn't have thought of in the first place, right? So really thinking about taking what you have or what is maybe partially working and just innovating, trying to make it better. And then third, take action and experiment. Just try some stuff. You got to try some stuff. You can't just sit there and keep telling yourself it's not going to work.

[00:31:46] You know, let's just take some action and experiment. It feels better to be trying to figure it out than to just be sitting there, not figuring it out, stuck and feeling like there's no solution. So yeah, [00:32:00] we'll see. I mean, it'll be interesting to see what happens over the next several months. Maybe I'll give you a little update in the future, but when you're in an adjustment period, you got to give yourself some grace. You got to be gentle with yourself. Like sometimes the best laid plans. You know, today we had, like, some orange juice explode in the fridge, and that screwed everything up this morning.

Well, you know, what are you going to do that happens sometimes, you know. What are you going to do? We got to roll with it. We got to roll with it. All right, friend, well, if you're in an adjustment period, know that you're not alone. We're all figuring it out together. And if you're in a period where things are going really good right now, you just enjoy the heck out of that, okay? You just enjoy it. And you know that if and when at some point that's not working for you anymore, there are solutions. You can figure it out.

All right, friend, have a great rest of your week. Take care and I will talk to you next time. Bye. Ready to start making progress on your weight loss goals? For lots of free help, go to katrinaubellmd.com and click on Free Resources.