When hopelessness sets in after an unhealthy meal, ice cream binge or missed workout, it's easy to think that one wrong move erased all progress. It's easy to think you're turning around, walking backward, to stay there. It's easy to think you haven't really changed -- your weight will all come back, you'll lose your strength, you'll overeat everyday.
You know what? That is the farthest from the truth.
There's not a single person in this world who hasn't in some way fallen short of their daily goals. We all have them, and we're all human. It's going to happen.
For some, it may happen more than others. Maybe you're just starting your journey toward a healthier lifestyle and "accidentally" ordered a dessert when you went out for salad with a friend.
So what? You ORDERED that salad, and you ate it. You chose healthy first. You don't and you won't eat dessert all the time, but as part of a lifestyle (permanent change), you'll eat dessert now and then. It's balance.
What matters is that you don't kick yourself when you're down (except for donkey kicks, those are okay!) and you don't let yourself eat desserts or white bread or drink soda EVERY day.
I've been busy moving still -- in the middle of a HUGE transition in life -- and sometimes these past few weeks, I've turned to some of my old favorite comfort foods (pizza and ice cream, for example). Each bite, I enjoyed only to leave the meal with a fear of going back to my old ways, gaining weight again, reversing my progress. Then I realized how silly I was. Yes, you shouldn't be PROUD of yourself for eating those potato chips, but SHAMING yourself can be just as damaging.
I realized that this time.
I realized I overate several days these past weeks. Yet, because it wasn't everyday, I didn't gain a single pound. Remember, over time 3,500 extra calories = 1 pound. It's an average over time. One bad day, won't bring back all the weight. It'll slow your progress down, yes, but not reverse it. Just don't overeat everyday.
I got sick for a day and had to miss a workout. Life happens. Sometimes your body needs rest. That rest day or two -- or even three if need be -- won't kill all your strength and muscle tone. It took MONTHS to get as strong as you are now, you won't lose that in one week.
I'm not writing this post as an excuse to have those days. None of us should want that miserable, sluggish and bloated feeling that comes with eating foods that harm your body. None of us should want to be lazy and miss workouts or not give our all to each workout we do, leaving us with no other choice but to remain still later in life. But negativity and hopelessness and shame when we do mess up can be just as damaging, and that's not good at all.
You've got to get back up after you fall down. You've got to realize yesterday is over and it does NOT have to define you. You've got to recognize your weakness and wake up fighting them harder than the day before.
It's where a "lifestyle" is different than a "diet." Diets end when you lose weight. Diets make you eat soup everyday for a month or allow cookies all day as long as the pounds fall off. That's not healthy. Healthy FOREVER should be your goal. Strong should be your goal. Not immediate results that disappear the moment you get them. Learn how to deal with a detour the healthy way -- maybe do a plank after you eat that cheeseburger to remind you how strong you are even on a bad day -- and get back on track as soon as possible. Don't stay in the ditch.
Most importantly, you have to realize that every day you wake up and TRY YOUR HARDEST, you're still moving forward.
Here are some thoughts I had on my "bad days" that lifted me up and gave me the push to keep going the next day:
Eating a bad meal is going to happen. Don't be proud of it. Don't give it the power to destroy you.
I am better than this. My body deserves better. I deserve better.
Eating healthy is a choice. I don't HAVE to do it. I WANT to do it.
It's a brain thing as much or more than it's a body thing. You've got to always be strengthening your mind to control the cravings and the urge to binge. Let each bad meal teach you where you went wrong, so it doesn't have to happen again.
Recognize your weaknesses, but don't let them blind you from your strengths.
Hope my musings can be of at least a little help motivating you today! After all, we're all in this together! :)
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