All or Nothing! Do or Die! Either you're in or you're out!
Really? No. Nope. Stop it.
I'm going to get on my soapbox here. Today, I went out to lunch due to poor planning. I got something I thought was healthy (chicken mole platter) only to go back later and figure out that WOW, that was a really bad choice.
All or nothing is one of the biggest pitfalls in dieting. Beating yourself up because you went off plan, slept in instead of going to the gym or had one too many martinis with your friends. If you're like a typical dieter, beating yourself up turns into self-doubt (or self-hate) and you start saying things like, "Why do I even try?" "Who am I fooling? I'm never going to lose this weight." "I hate myself."
I'm here to tell you to cut it out.
This self-talk is not going to get you anywhere except unhappier, unhealthier and all out grumpy.
So how do we turn it around? How do you go from burying your face in a three layer cake to the treadmill? How do you NOT turn one mistake into a week of gluttony and depression?
Here's my advice:
1. Own it. Sticking your head in the sand is not going to work.
2. Figure out what went wrong. Was it a bad day? Did you forget to plan? Or is it something you've cut out of your diet entirely and now your binging on it?
3. Is there a way to avoid this in the future? How?
4. Do ONE healthy thing AFTER the slip up - THAT DAY if possible. This is going to put you back on track. Yes, I ate the whole bag but I got on the treadmill and I wasn't planning on doing that today or I drank all my water or I ate more vegetables for dinner or I journaled all the food and the feelings that went with them.
Try to remember that being super strict on yourself is like being a overbearing parent - one day you're going to act out. Give yourself a break every once in awhile. Figure out a strategy that works for you.
So what's your advice to other people who fall off the wagon?