Good afternoon, contestants!
Not long ago, I heard an analogy about the typical weight loss patterns of most Americans. It's so brilliant - I had to share it with you.
Imagine that following a nutritional plan is like driving your car along a long, winding road. You just keep trucking along, trying to handle the twists and turns, temptations and struggles, until you reach your goal at the end. But since the road is long, it's almost certain that you'll get a flat tire (make a nutritional mistake) along the way.
However, instead of simply changing that flat tire (acknowledging your mistake) and continuing down the road, most Americans fall apart. They feel so guilty about "messing up" that they get out of the car and slash the remaining three tires - rendering themselves unable to continue down the winding road. In other words, they freak out about making a mistake - cheating on their plan - and they so quickly go back to their old habits even in the face of progress. They give up!
Why do so many people give up so easily? Why do they feel that they have to be perfect in order to reach their goals? Whey do they feel that one mistake, or even a few, will completely ruin their chance at success? Why do they react so dramatically over one flat tire?
While I could debate over all the reasons WHY individuals give up - fear, lack of self-confidence, guilt, feelings of failure, etc - I'd rather point out the fact that giving up because of a few mistakes is absolutely ridiculous!
Keep that in the back of your head when you become disappointed because of a nutritional slip-up. It's going to happen - there's no way around it. But YOU, a rational person with big goals, don't need to overreact and give up all the progress you've made. Making healthy choices in a world where there are so many temptations and so many memories of your old habits will always be difficult. You not only have to adopt new lifestyle changes for the rest of your life, but you also have to recognize that you're human and you will make mistakes. And there's no reason to give up on yourself, your health, and your goals simply because of one or two flat tires.
So, for future flat tires, try to avoid beating yourself up, overcompensating for your mistakes by over-exercising or starving yourself, or backtracking to unhealthy habits. Simply acknowledge the glitch in your plan - make mental notes of situations you want to avoid in the future - then get back on track. Simple as that.
Have a safe journey down your fat loss highway. And good luck with those flat tires!
P.S. - Watch this short, 1-minute video on YouTube about excuses. It's a good one - and you KNOW I hate excuses. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
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