Hi all! Coach Mindy here!
Let's face it. Losing weight is hard. Sometimes are harder than other times because life is always changing. Family dynamics, our jobs, our social lives, emotions, deaths, divorce, moving, remodeling, school, ALL THE THINGS can affect our eating habits, our schedules, our income, our moods, and emotions. The important thing to remember is we are not perfect. Slip ups are going to happen. One of the first things you must do in order to recover is to realize and accept that slips and slides are part of this journey.
Recovering from a slip requires hard work. Changing our behavior is difficult and requires us to proceed with intention, but as we practice, it becomes easier. This is part of allowing ourselves some grace and allowing mistakes. It is how we learn.
Here is my simple 7 step formula to get you back on track.
1. Time it. Pick a time when you will refocus on getting back on track. This should be as soon as possible. Don't fall into the trap of "I'll start again next Monday". While a small slip won't derail your progress, a weeklong slide will!
2. Write it down. Put when you are planning to get back on track on your calendar. Whether it is in one hour, your next meal, or even tomorrow. Write it down and make it tangible.
3. Get Prepared. Do you need to go shopping for appropriate food? Do you need to meal plan? Meal prep? Pre-Track? Have foods pre-portioned?
4. Remove Triggers. Living in a mixed diet household has its challenges. Remove trigger foods from your sight. Place trigger foods in a special container with a note that reads your WHY. Clean out a special place for only your food. Keep your foods front and center in the refrigerator and freezer, pre-cut your vegetables for easy access. Pre-portion your snacks in smaller snack size bags or buy single serving items to discourage mindless eating.
5. Accountability. Tell someone close to you your intentions. This can be a friend, family member, a coach, or accountability buddy. Speak this into fruition.
6. Support. Find support from like-minded people. Join a support group like the Healthi Community and BE ACTIVE or reach out to your coach or an accountability buddy. EVERYONE has struggled with this. Even the Healthi coaches... everyone. Having people who empathize with your struggles is very empowering.
7. Show Yourself Grace. Being understanding to the fact that slip ups happen is essential to success. We are not designed to eat perfectly and there are going to be times where we go "off plan". The key part in being successful is allowing ourselves to shrug off our slips and get immediately back on track can help us from cognitive distortions such as ALL-OR-NOTHING thinking that causes us to think we have completely blown our day so we might as well eat the pint of ice cream in the freezer as well.
While going off plan is inevitable, getting back on track becomes easier and easier the more you practice. Stop reaching for perfection and all those little slips you are definitely going to encounter will not progress into a slide. You can do this, friends!
Happy Tracking!