It can happen to anyone. Everything is going along just fine, then out of the blue you’re 12 mini-snickers bars, a half dozen cookies, or half a pizza past where you want to be. That planned snack or random item turned into a downhill race without breaks. Discipline and control seemed to go completely out the window as long as there was one chip left in the bag!
Life can be a bit crazy sometimes and we all have different triggers. On occasion stress, hunger, or circumstances, can cause you to veer off track. Try to understand why it happened as this can possibly help you avoid (or at least minimize) a repeat. But the biggest key is putting it behind you and getting yourself back on track. You have to simply get back on the horse. You cannot continue to beat yourself up emotionally for something that you can no longer change. Seeing yourself as weak, or bad, or unworthy of success is not only untrue, it sets you up for more unwanted behavior. If you continue to feed yourself negative thoughts, sooner or later you will feel and believe those things and that can easily effect your actions. You may give up because you’ve told yourself that you can’t make it. You may stop pursuing your goals because you’ve told yourself that you’re not worth it. You are programing yourself for failure just because you haven’t succeeded yet.
It’s fine to be a little disappointed in your actions, but you are not a machine. You may have just needed a break, which is not uncommon. That one bad item, one bad meal, or even one bad day is not going to significantly effect your progress. But if you continue those actions, that’s when you could be in trouble. And the surest way to continue to stay off track is to beat yourself up for taking that initial misstep. Put it behind you and move on. You don’t cancel your cross country vacation because you had one flat tire along the way. Repair the damage and start back down the road. Once you’re there it will be just as you imagined.
In fitness, there is no such thing as linear progress. There will be stops and starts along the way. Some will be due to circumstances beyond your control. Some may be mistakes that you feel you’ve made. But it is all a part of the process. Stay positive, know that you are worth it, know that your goals have value, and if/when you happen to fall down, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep on going. No one can stop you but you!
Photographer: Terry Goodlad Model: Nicole Harrison
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