Expect to Mess-Up on Your Health and Fitness Journey

This entry was posted in Lifestyle Mindset Self-Confidence on by (updated on )

 

Today’s blog is short, sweet, and simple, but very important for us to understand if we’re going to make a healthy lifestyle SUSTAINABLE!

 

“There is no such thing as failure in this process — it’s just like learning an instrument or a new language — the expectation SHOULD BE that you will mess-up, and often.” – Jill Coleman

 

 

I think my previous online biz coach/mentor, Jill, put this very simply about the importance of not giving up and building RESILIENCY on your health &  fitness journey. There will be ups and downs, so EXPECT that, and keep putting one foot in front of the other!

 

EXPECT Mess-Ups, and then Practice Self-Compassion.

 

I used to spend a lot of time thinking that if I was more self-critical after a mistake or mess-up that it would force me into doing better, but all of that beratement and shame usually just caused more of the binge-restrict cycle that keeps us all struggling.

 

Here’s an example of what this looked like for me in the past…

“I just ate 4 cookies.  What was I thinking?  I have no self-control, and I’m such a cow.  I’m not going to allow myself to eat any treats for 2 weeks, and I’m going to exercise much harder this week.” – the old TMoo (<—-that’s my nickname)

First of all, exercise should NEVER be used as punishment.  Exercise is a form of self-care and is to be done because it feels good and our bodies crave movement.  I used exercise as a way to compensate for bad food choices & punishment for years, and it made me miserable.  Please don’t do this to yourself.  It’s exhausting!

 

Here’s how I would handle a Slip-Up Now…

“I just ate 4 cookies.  Wow, they must’ve tasted REALLY GOOD because I couldn’t stop!  I wonder why I did that?  Because I know that I don’t feel real great after binging on cookies because my energy and productivity drop.”

 

  • Was I anxious, stressed, worried or distracted by something?
  • Was I hungry because I didn’t get enough protein or veggies earlier in the day?
  • What could I do to my environment or with my eating habits to avoid doing that again?

 

Do you see the difference?  There was no shame or judgment, just a curiosity about WHY it happened and WHAT I could do differently the next time to do better.  I basically shifted my focus to finding a solution, not wallowing in the problem.  By doing this, I find more action steps and strategies I can put into place that help me in the future.

 

Here’s the Deal….

 

Slip-Ups, Mess-Ups, and mistakes are inevitable.  We are going to miss a workout 1 day, eat too many cookies or sweets, drink too much, or eat something not on our plan.  It’s called LIFE.  Acknowledge the mistake, see how it could be avoided with better planning or an environment change in the future, and just keep going.  CONSISTENT ACTION always pays off in the end!

 

Remember, there are no failures, as long as you learn something.  A failure can be a WIN, if you learn something that will help you make a better decision in the future. #TrustTheProcess

 

Let me know how everything is going for you!  What’s the biggest struggle you’re coming up against now that we are headed into the new year?  Let me know in the comments below.

 

Thanks for stopping by,

Tommie