There’s a saying that goes, “There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.”
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. It takes a lot longer, and the journey to the top is tough.
Yet, this is part and parcel of pursuing any goal. Success is born of struggle and the two are inextricably linked. The gel that binds the two is failure.
Contrary to popular belief, failure is not the opposite of success. It is part of success. When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s inevitable that sooner or later you’re going to slip up.
Make no mistake about it. You will err, 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 remedy your slip up instead of merely reacting to it dejectedly.
* Analyze the pattern
Almost always, you’ll notice patterns in your behavior. 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.
A quick fix to the problem will be going to bed earlier so that you avoid the cravings. Another example might be that you start skipping your workout sessions after every rest day.
For people who quickly sink into inertia, it’s best to exercise daily. On days when it’s your rest day, just go for a 15 or 20-minute walk. This small action will keep you on track.
Keep analyzing your patterns every time you slip up and correct the triggers so that your chances of making a mistake are lowered.
* Don’t repeat it again
If you make a mistake, acknowledge it… and do not repeat it again within two days. For example, if despite your best intentions, you were lazy and skipped a workout today, do NOT skip it tomorrow.
The moment a slip up occurs on two consecutive days, the chances of you spiraling into your old negative habits will sink in. 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 diet for dinner, or you make choose to skip dinner to reduce the impact of your dietary error.
* Slipping up does not mean giving up
Do not let one slip up make you give up. Keep going and strive to do better. When you’re out of your comfort zone, there will be challenges and it’s normal to make a mistake every now and then.
What matters is that you acknowledge the mistake, analyze why it happened and strive to do better. Keep going without quitting.
* Avoiding the curse of perfection
A common mistake that people make is that they expect to be perfect. They want their diet to be perfect. They never want to skip a workout. They expect weight loss daily and so on.
These are unrealistic expectations. You will be challenged at every turn when you’re correcting your diet and getting more active. Expecting to be 100 percent compliant can be extremely stressful.
Don’t aim for perfection. Even with 80 to 90 percent compliance, you’ll see remarkable changes and results. Allow yourself some leniency.
Follow these four tips and remember that even slow progress is still progress. Your best teacher is your last mistake. Learn the lesson and climb to greater heights.
Committed to your Success,
Valarie!!
Valarie's Wellness 