Every day I send out a message to my clients called the Daily Motivator. In this daily message we discuss things related to keeping momentum going. One pattern I notice with clients is they love emailing me their food and exercise journals when things are perfect, but most of them will avoid me like the plague when they “mess up.” The ideas that follow might just help you avoid falling off or at least help you start the climb back to the wagon.
1. Admit that you are never going to be perfect. Who said you were going to have perfect meal after perfect meal on this journey? Nobody! Grow up and realize that all or nothing thinking is silly. Let’s say you take my advice and eat 5-6 meals a day to keep that metabolism raging. That’s 35-42 meal opportunities you have a week to get it right. One day you mess up and overeat on four of those meals. Stop, put your big girl panties back on and eat like somebody the next two meals. Sitting around eating more because you messed up doesn’t get you closer to your goal. You know what it does? It makes you fat, it makes you miserable, and it makes it tougher and tougher the longer you spiral into unhealthy fats and sugars.
2. Hit rock bottom. You heard me. You need to hit rock bottom. Take off your clothes (in private:)), look in the mirror, and hold a cheeseburger, Ho-Ho, 1/2 gallon of ice cream, whatever your vice is. Is that the picture you want to send to the world? Nope. Now, throw on your clothes, wipe away the tears, and start writing. I want you to write down every nasty thought, every single thing that comes to your mind about how being out of shape, out of control, and unhealthy makes you feel. Now, make a few copies and keep it tucked away in your purse, in your car, in your bra…all the places you need it.
This exercise sucks but you need it. You need to have a letter to yourself that will remind you of how awful poor eating and exercise choices makes you feel. When Jane stops by your desk saying, “Girl, we’re all going out for pizza and beer tonight after work you want to go?” What are you going to say? YES! I’ll skip my workout tonight because I want to have a good time. Right now I don’t care about my goals because I want a temporary fix of food and friends to make me feel good about myself.
Cut to tomorrow, you are on a message board sobbing because you didn’t workout, ate and drank too much, and gained four pounds. The next time Jane breezes by with the weekly invite (because it’s not like this is your last chance to party with the gang), get out your letter and read it. I bet you will say not this week. Maybe next week when I have worked it into my plan. That’s called being responsible for your health and your goals. Achieving your fat loss goals doesn’t mean you can’t ever have a good time again, but it certainly does mean you have to sacrifice. Losing fat isn’t easy and it takes planning and preparation. You want to eat good foods then you plan for them and you quit making snap, emotionally based decisions on when it comes to your eating.
3. Feel the elation. This is the opposite of the rock bottom letter. This is your “I”m feeling it and it’s wonderful” letter. All of us have those moments when we are so stinking proud of a milestone that we practically cry. It could be dropping 10% of your weight, completing your first 30 minute run, or wearing a size you haven’t seen since Rave hairspray was the only thing that would get your bangs to stand straight up. Write down your big milestone. Describe every feeling and emotion. Now, that letter gets stapled to your rock bottom letter. You have both sides of the coin to look at when temptation rears its ugly head.
I hope this helps and sounds as harsh as I wrote it. 
I have found that the best way to get people on the wagon is the cold, hard truth. Now, get fit and leave me those success stories!!!