You know the drill. Monday comes and you’re filled with inspiration and motivation that this will be the week when the scale finally tips in your favor. You will work out every day. You will plan and pack every meal. Your workout will take priority over everything, and nothing will deter you from success.
But then what happens? Work is so stressful that the salad you ate is totally cancelled out by 12 stops at the community candy bowl. That workout you planned for is overridden by a meeting that turned into a client dinner. That friend you haven’t seen in months now wants to get together for some real talk over a couple bottles of wine. Or there’s been no time to eat that meal you packed because you haven’t sat down since you woke up, your stomach is violently growling and the Snicker’s bar in your kid’s backpack is literally shouting your name.
Immediately, you begin a downward spiral that leaves you self-sabotaging all week and reluctantly beginning again the following Monday. I’ll let you in on a little secret, we’ve all been there! Even I have found myself leaning toward life’s indulgences or giving into stress and over scheduled days. Doing this doesn’t mean that you’ve failed. It means that you’re human.
A sound diet plan is NOT black and white. Ask anyone who’s successfully lost 30, 50 or even 100 pounds and no matter what training program or diet they follow, they’ll all agree that it is a journey. To be successful with weight loss, you have to understand that it’s more about changing your lifestyle and adopting better habits than it is about being perfect all the time. Sometimes your body needs a break, and sometimes your sweet tooth will triumph. What is important to remember is that those little inconsistencies will not impact your long-term success if you stay on the course all the times in between. And to further, its better for your overall health.
So what do I mean by this? If you have a stressful day, take a moment and think about what will make you feel better. Is grabbing a burger and butt-diving onto the couch really what you need? If it is then do it! Just know that the next morning you have to get it together and get back on track. If the soccer game went over, it’s 9:00 pm and you’ve got a choice between a quick work out for yourself or actually feeding your kids, dinner will win that battle, but it doesn’t mean it won the war. Take the night and do with it what you need to and then get back to your goals tomorrow.
No matter how well you plan, life will always find a way to make things messy, so stop focusing on the negative. Trust me, an occasional splurge on a few extra calories or trading a night on the treadmill for a night spent making memories will not break your progress. Stay focused and committed to your long term goals. As long as the final destination stays the same, making a few stops along the way to enjoy the ride will only make your arrival that much sweeter!
