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I am sure you have heard the saying 2 steps forward and 1 step backwards? Well this is absolutely true with health and weight loss goals.
Picture the scene … there you are …. everything is going on track nicely, you are eating healthy salads and exercising every day (well sometimes anyway) and then then next day BOOM.
You are confronted at a social with a big platter of creamy chesses, alcohol and birthday cake, DAMN. So, you hook in, eat drink and be merry, as I would do, then afterwards you are ridiculed with shameful thoughts and guilt about yourself.
‘I just can’t stick with healthy eating ‘‘I will never lose weight’ BLA BLA BLA you know that speak, it is so SAME SAME belittling and very exhausting.
OR on this occasion you can tell yourself a brand-new story. One like ‘Embrace the moment, embrace the day’ ‘ I will just have a few little bites, enjoy, celebrate and tomorrow is a another new healthy day.
Give yourself a broken girlfriend and stop beating yourself up!!
There is a saying that goes, there is no elevator to success, you have to take the stairs! so how about on this occasion, you take the steps tomorrow and know that the steps are always there to be taken.
While this saying is true, what they don’t tell you is that while taking the stairs, you can trip and fall. You’ll get tired at times and It can take a little lot longer than you expected, the journey to the top can also be tough.
This is part and parcel of pursuing any worthy goal. Success is born of struggle and the two are inextricably linked, the gel that binds the two is failure.
Failure is a good thing, it is all matter of perspective, how we treat ourselves in the process and what we learn from it that matters.
Contrary to popular belief, failure is not the opposite of success, it is part of success. When you’re trying to be healthy, get fit and lose weight, it’s inevitable that sooner or later you’re going to slip up.
Make no mistake about it, you will fall, you will cave in to temptation and you’ll disappoint yourself every now and then. Knowing that this will happen will allow you to proactively work on your slip up instead of merely reacting to it in a way that hurts you.
Human beings are pattern running creatures, we rinse and repeat over and over until a point that we actually notice the pattern we are running and then we have an opportunity to change it if it is not working for us.
If you take notice, you will see how these patterns run in your life, the patterns in your behaviour will drive you to success or failure, but as I have said, both are a good thing if you want to reach the goal.
For example, if you stay up late at night watching TV, you may notice that you have cravings for sweet foods that are impossible to control because your hormones are acting up, sucks to be a woman right !!!
A quick fix to the problem could be going to bed earlier so that you avoid the cravings, stop that chocolate munching habit in its tracks before it turns up.
Another example might be that you start skipping your workout sessions after every ‘rest day’. (Who the hell invented ‘rest day ‘any way ?) For those who sink into this miss the workout pattern, it is best to keep exercising daily, you must keep momentum going.
Another example might be that you start skipping your workout sessions after every ‘rest day’. (Who the hell invented ‘rest day ‘any way ?) For those who sink into this miss the workout pattern, it is best to keep exercising daily, you must keep momentum going.
In my Pilates business the biggest drop out rate happens after someone has been on holiday, they have lost momentum, then it becomes a brain game to get back on track again. Just make this exercise habit so ingrained it is like brushing your teeth.
Ok so if you do have a rest day, just go for a 15 or 20-minute walk on the rest day, we are designed to move our bodies so this small action will keep you on track and give you feeling of accomplishment.
Keep watching your patterns and every time you slip up, correct the triggers so that your chances of making a mistake are lowered. Be alert and on guard, it is really interesting to watch yourself from the outside and be your own best friend, call yourself on your slack behaviours.
If you make a mistake, be cool, acknowledge it and make a pact with yourself that you do not repeat it again within two days. For example, if despite your best intentions, you were a bit slack and skipped a walk, workout or Pilates today, do NOT skip it tomorrow.
The moment a slip up occurs on two consecutive days, the chances of you spiralling into your old negative habits and shitty self-talk will sink in, and the same applies to your diet.
If you ate something you shouldn’t have eaten for lunch, do NOT give up on the entire day and binge eat uncontrollably. Carry on with your healthy food for dinner, or you make choose to skip dinner to reduce the impact of your crap food error.
This is one of the best tips I got from my dietician, it is ok to skip the odd meal, we just do not want to make it a ‘way’ of losing weight as we need the healthy sustenance and don’t want to lose muscle tone.
Do not let one slip up make you give up, keep going and strive to do better sister! When you’re out of your comfort zone, there will be challenges and it is normal to make a mistake every now and then, remember HUMAN !!
What matters is that you acknowledge the mistake, analyse why it happened and strive to do better, keep going without quitting, it is a journey of a lifetime so keep getting back in that bike.
A common mistake that people make is that they expect to be perfect and what is perfect anyway? Perfect is just an illusion we have created in our minds, usually from watching too much TV or looking at social media.
They want their diet, life, hair, man, job to be perfect, they never want to skip a workout, they expect weight loss daily. Well good luck with that one Wonder Woman, I am yet to meet THAT person.
These are unrealistic expectations, if you have these expectations you will constantly fall over, you be challenged at every turn when you are correcting your diet and getting more active.
Expecting to be 100 percent perfect all of the time and compliant is a sure-fire way to failure and it can be extremely stressful. Don’t aim for perfection, be kind and realistic with your health goals and expectations.
Even with 80 to 90 percent compliance, meaning; most; of the time you are working on your health and wellbeing, you will see some remarkable changes and results.
Follow these tips and remember that even slow progress is still progress. Your best teacher is your last mistake, be an A grade student in the game of life, learn the lesson and climb to even greater heights.
Here you cheer you on my friend
Stay strong, young & healthy
Sandra Leigh
💥 BUILDING STRONG HEALTHY PEOPLE, BUSINESSES & WORKPLACES FROM THE INSIDE OUT 💥
Sandra Leigh specialises in helping business owners, remote workers and workplaces build strong healthy habits from the inside out.
If you would like to find out more about how SANDRA LEIGH TRAINING can you help you, your business or workplace.
Please contact Sandra Leigh at
[email protected]
www.sandraleightraining.com.au
mob:0409 625 131