Chapter 12 - Dealing with Slip Ups
It’s going to happen. Sooner or later it definitely is going to happen. “What’s going to happen?” you ask.
You’re going to slip-up on your diet and eat something you know you shouldn’t or you may not do a workout that you know you should.
It happens to almost all of us. How you proceed from a slip-up makes all the difference to whether you succeed in your weight loss journey or fail miserably.
Let’s look at slipping up with your diet first. When you go on a weight loss journey, it usually involves eating less than you’re accustomed to, in order to create a caloric deficit. You’ll also need to focus on eating foods that are healthy and wholesome while avoiding processed and junk food.
However, the body is already used to eating without much thought and you’re probably addicted to processed and junk food without even realizing it. Millions of people are, and when they try to ditch these unhealthy foods, they get cravings and mood swings.
The key point is to make the changes gradual. Only aim for a 500 calorie deficit daily. This is a manageable amount and you will not be feeling pangs of hunger.
You may feel a little peckish but it will be manageable. If you cut your calories too drastically, you will be feeling hungry all the time and this is sheer mental and physical torture.
Changing your foods overnight causes the same problem. Your body is not used to it. Aim to gradually reduce consumption of the bad foods and replace them with good ones.
If you drink 3 cans of soda daily, cut it down to 2 for a week and then bring it down to 1 can… and finally, put an end to the soda habit. Don’t just give up sodas overnight.
Problems arise when people try to do too much too soon. They make things so challenging that compliance becomes a nightmare. People aim for perfection.
Sooner or later they lose the battle of wills within themselves and give in to temptation and eat a greasy cheeseburger and fries or they polish off an entire bag of cookies.
When that happens, they feel guilty and think that they have
failed. They then believe that they’re destined to be fat and they throw in the towel and give up on their goal. This happens to millions of people and is the reason why so many people quit.
The first point to note when you slip-up is that you made a single mistake. You have not failed yet. You only fail when you give up. If you accidentally dropped your mobile phone, wouldn’t you quickly pick it up, dust it off and keep it safely?
Surely you wouldn’t keep dropping it and smashing it because of the first accident.
In the same way, acknowledge your slip-up and move on. Tell yourself that you will be more mindful of what you eat. Ease up on your stringent diet and allow flexibility while maintaining a caloric deficit. Do not deprive yourself of too much too soon.
As for your workouts, the same mindset should apply. If you miss a workout today, make sure you do one the next day. Never ever miss more than 3 workout sessions in a row or you’ll conveniently fall off track and it will be very tough to go back.
If you dread exercising, you’re either pushing yourself too hard or you’re engaged in an activity that you have no interest in.
Exercise is meant to boost your metabolic rate and increase fat burning. Your diet and caloric deficit is what really matters when it comes to fat loss.
Missed workouts and diet mistakes are not the end of the world and should definitely not be the end of your weight loss journey.
It is a journey and it’s inevitable that you get lost along the way every now and then. If you stay on track and keep going despite your setbacks, you will reach your goal. That’s almost always how most people reach their goals. Keep your chin up and keep moving forward.
