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It’s hard to believe. I’ve been doing so well with exercise and careful eating until recently. Just recently, I haven’t been happy with the way my clothes fit. I can normally pull the waist of my skirt from my tummy and see room. But not so much lately. I haven’t yet gone completely to the dogs, but I’m close enough to hear them barking.

I’ve decided to believe this discovery is good for me. Weight does not stay off by magic. And this is already September. It’s the time of the year when a lot of eating is about to begin. Next month will be Halloween celebrations, then November– Thanksgiving and football celebrations, then Christmas through New Year’s– more food, drinks, and holiday celebrations.

I’m determined to get my moves back. Instead of just saying I’m going to start exercising again, I have a written plan to get back to business. I’ve asked others who are doing well with their Fitbits and gym classes what they do to reignite themselves when they fall in a rut and have received so many good suggestions… I thought I would share.

How to Get Your “Moves” Back

1. Make a Goal, Everyone Says

To get that motivation started, you need something to work toward. Losing two or three pounds in a month is a great beginning. Aim low and start slow when you’re on a comeback. You can track your progress easily if you use a scale to weigh yourself. I don’t, so my goal is to see that my clothes start fitting looser and nothing fits close against my stomach. That is my goal.

2. Plan the Food You Will Eat This Month

For this, buy more vegetables and fruit than usual and stick with eating that. For me, it means getting rid of the box of Girl Scout mint cookies that I love and bought this spring that still sits in my pantry. Too bad I never ate any.

3. Commit to a Month of Exercising

The plan is to develop the habit of exercising once again. I used to feel when I woke up, my day didn’t start until I exercised. It was a habit. Sticking to a one-month commitment should kick start that old habit again.

4. Exercise at Least 3 Days a Week for One Hour a Day

If you can’t do a whole hour, 30 minutes will do. I used to do five days a week, 45 to 55 minutes at a time, so I’m starting slow. I also keep an exercise calendar that shows what exercise I do each day, and it has nothing new on it since March! I’ve been slacking for quite a while.

5. Start with the Exercise(s) You Like the Most and Go From There

For me, it’s walking. I used to walk three to four miles a day. Surely I can get two miles in easily.

6. Buy Some New Gym Clothes

Maybe just one brightly colored, fitted top will do. When I see cute gym outfits on other gym members that fit well, it inspires me. It feels good to look good.

7. Drink at Least a Liter of Water a Day

I actually like water a lot, so I’ve already stocked up the liter bottles.

8. Drink No Alcohol This Month, or Very Little

Very, very little. Maybe a couple of sips.

9. Make Sure to Get Enough Sleep

When you’re overly tired, you eat more, and when you’re up late you have more opportunities to eat.

10. Make Sure to Meditate

Those ten to fifteen minutes each morning will allow you to free your mind from stress and focus better. Practicing calm thoughts helps build fortitude.

I still have time to pull it together before the eating season begins, and now I have a plan to whip back into shape. What about you? When you take a break from exercising, how do you get your moves back?