"I've already derailed myself, I'll just get back on track tomorrow..."
How many times do we say that to ourselves? It's amazing how little it takes to get you feeling like you're off track. Whether it's a Big Mac and fries or a candy bar, we psych ourselves into believing the day is shot. I've always found that for me, every time I said tomorrow, tomorrow became the following monday.
I work for a major corporation as a weight loss consultant. Oh boy, was I reluctant to admit that! I never even imagined it could actually be more difficult to follow a diet regimen when you're talking abot it all. day. long. And I get to know all of these people I see everyday personally, and I go on these journeys with them, and I give them the tools they need to make THEIR goals a reality. I think of all these men and women that I help, that've lost 30, 40, 50lbs and are still going, and I look back to the begin of their journey, and realize I've gained a pound since then. Why is the best advice we can give nearly impossible to take ourselves?
I find that having an event to push for is the good kind of pressure that seems to keep most people pushing, and on track. I'm trying to set myself up with a series of mini goals and significant dates to help me along the way.
So, what do you all think? Do you have a specific event coming that keeps you motivated?
I think you just have to rewrite that script as, "I'll get back on track starting now." Tomorrow is too far away!
I've realized that if I'm putting off a decision ("I'll start tomorrow") then I *don't* really believe in it yet. "I'll start tomorrow" means I haven't actually decided to change yet.
The day I started this whole change - I didn't plan it. I was still thinking (thinking for 10 years!) the day before. But for whatever reason, I woke up, and knew that was the day. It didn't matter that I hadn't planned and prepared. Sure, that meant I couldn't eat exactly the way I wanted too. But ... I *could* make the best decision at each meal with what was available/possible. And it was the commitment to make that decision at each meal, not the actual food, that meant I was "doing it." If I had said to myself, "Yay! I'm gonna do this. I'll plan and start tomorrow," I might still be planning.
I say this to myself all the time. Last week was bad, a lot of things happened to where I fell off the wagon, but Im jumping right back on.
and no special date is ever really coming up that keeps me motivated, but seeing myself naked reminds me i don't want to look lie this forever. And I have to change now.
I think the biggest difference this time has been not allowing myself to do that "start over tomorrow" or next week thing. If I mess up I start over now. And half the time I do better on the weeks I mess up because I'm so motivated to make up for it! As far as linking your goal to a date. That's never really worked for me. Because if I don't get it done by that date I get all depressed and EAT. And even if I do reach the goal it's like after that date I'm done. While I do give myself short-term challenges to jump start my weight loss. I know the overall change has to be for a lifetime
My 50th birthday is in Sept. I was suppose to get to a certain weight, but have been off my plan long enough to put back on 15 LBS! So I'm starting back on before I put any more weight back on.
I think you just have to rewrite that script as, "I'll get back on track starting now." Tomorrow is too far away!
I've realized that if I'm putting off a decision ("I'll start tomorrow") then I *don't* really believe in it yet. "I'll start tomorrow" means I haven't actually decided to change yet.
The day I started this whole change - I didn't plan it. I was still thinking (thinking for 10 years!) the day before. But for whatever reason, I woke up, and knew that was the day. It didn't matter that I hadn't planned and prepared. Sure, that meant I couldn't eat exactly the way I wanted too. But ... I *could* make the best decision at each meal with what was available/possible. And it was the commitment to make that decision at each meal, not the actual food, that meant I was "doing it." If I had said to myself, "Yay! I'm gonna do this. I'll plan and start tomorrow," I might still be planning.
I absolutely agree. And I'm always telling people that even if you make a not-so-great choice, it's ONE choice, you have to move on and keep going. I find that "tomorrow" is just a crutch, a reason to self-sabatoge. Even when you're unhappy with yourself, change is hard and it's scary. It's especially hard when you take that plunge, and you make a poor choice, and you feel like it says something about YOU. But every moment is a chance to stay on track, or, if you need to, get back on track!
I say this to myself all the time. Last week was bad, a lot of things happened to where I fell off the wagon, but Im jumping right back on.
and no special date is ever really coming up that keeps me motivated, but seeing myself naked reminds me i don't want to look lie this forever. And I have to change now.
I find that it really is all about the journey as opposed to the destination, because with every hardship we take on we learn to manage for next time, even if it means we fell of track a little this time. Without mistakes we'd never know how to make anything right!
And I totally get the naked thing- And I find that when I work out and I get home, before I shower I check myself out, and knowing that I took that time to do something good for my body makes me look at myself differently-even though there's no noticable change, I feel more confident!
I think Carla said it best on an episode of Scrubs..."I can look at myself naked for a whole 8 seconds before freaking out! And that's more than most women!"
I think the biggest difference this time has been not allowing myself to do that "start over tomorrow" or next week thing. If I mess up I start over now. And half the time I do better on the weeks I mess up because I'm so motivated to make up for it! As far as linking your goal to a date. That's never really worked for me. Because if I don't get it done by that date I get all depressed and EAT. And even if I do reach the goal it's like after that date I'm done. While I do give myself short-term challenges to jump start my weight loss. I know the overall change has to be for a lifetime
Sometimes it just takes a little guilt to make you that much better(old school Catholic-raised laides holla back). I know the difference between me the way I was and who I am growing into now is not to rely on crutches that hold me back in the long run.
I think planning dates for weight loss wok best for me because I am, by nature, a planner. If I'm depressed, give me something to plan, and I'm over it. I find having a schedule for myself at all times makes my life easier. I feel like by making small, managable, attainable goals, it's easier for me to stay on track, and if I do fall off, not wait until tomorrow to get back on. And the motivation of hitting those goals will keep me going. I thinkI need to start posting pictures so everyone can keep me accountable, too. Haha!
My 50th birthday is in Sept. I was suppose to get to a certain weight, but have been off my plan long enough to put back on 15 LBS! So I'm starting back on before I put any more weight back on.
What matters is that you're back on track now, because yesterday is gone forever! I did the same thing for my birthday earlier this year, I set an outrageous goal for myself, but in the long run decided that if I kept up with my regimen I would feel GOOD by my birthday and that would be enough. Sometimes the scale isn't what matters, but it's how you feel when you see yourself! As long as you keep up your routine and your goal is to feel good about yourself you can't go wrong-because there's no number to set you back if you don't hit it. You're going to do great, and I have a feeling your birthday is going to be fantastic, too!
I think that I have realized that during the use of the "I'll get back on track tomorrow" excuse, that I have given myself permission to eat like a greedy fool until tomorrow actually comes! I have stopped speaking it out loud altogether, but instead just get back on program with the next morsel that I do put into my mouth!
I am one of those dysfunctional perfectionists who does nothing rather than something slightly or flawedly. I'm learning that every small lurch forward counts, and together they add up to a greater whole than I would see if I waited until I thought I could do it perfectly from the start.
I'm also learning to focus on each individual good choice. Deciding what to eat right now is all that matters, because I can't change what I decided this morning and it's not time to make a decision this evening. All I can affect is right now, so that's all I'm going to worry about. Right now, it counts to have celery and banana instead of potato chips. Right now, it counts to take the stairs instead of the elevator.
And then when I look back at what my "tunnel vision" has accomplished, it's something the perfectionist part of me can be proud of.
I do that all the time... as a matter of fact I done that last night, while I was binging
What do we do with the weekends???? They are so hard... so many stuff going on, specially during the summer!!! I went to a Pig Out Fest and guess who ended up pigging out???
Well, my point is everytime we tell ourselves we are going to get back in track tomorrow it means we are up to no good... I’ll keep that in mind and next time I will say: I’ll start it NOW!!! Like someone mentioned above.
Girls, I feel like cr*p today
Someone said, I think it was even on this site, that if you don't start today a year from now you'll wish you had. They said it oh so much better than that! It was in reference to postings about wishing we would have started this long ago etc... Helpful to remember each day is a new day and a new chance to succeed!
For me, it's much more of a mental breakdown than "Screwed up today, I'll make tomorrow better." No, I have a bite of pie and I spend the next four hours counting and recounting all my calories, carbs, fats, and a proteins until I can accept that, no, I didn't actually ruin my entire life.
Doing something stupid like that just makes me imagine horrible numbers on the scale. It's pretty horrifying. Yet, I still eat the bite of pie with the rage of a starving dog. I'm ravenous in the kitchen.
So, I've never really been to this place you're describing, because I'd never eat the entire Big Mac. I'd have a bite and crash mentally. Haha. I sound so freaky.
I used to say that all the time. "Already messed up the day, may as well eat what I want now before I have to diet again tomorrow."
I have learned my lesson with this, ladies. The best advice someone gave me is... "if you go into these binges that last a day, instead of a meal, You will be set back for weeks... it is much easier to burn off an extra 500 calories from a bad meal than it is to burn off an extra 5000 calories from a day of eating EVERYTHING."
and the sad thing is, I have calculated one of my binging days and they have almost come up to 5000... :/
"I've already derailed myself, I'll just get back on track tomorrow..."
So I'm starting back on before I put any more weight back on.
It was in reference to postings about wishing we would have started this long ago etc... Helpful to remember each day is a new day and a new chance to succeed!
