There are times when we all lose our mojo. What can we do about this?
I wish I had some magic plan to return your mojo to you (I always want to suggest that people check down the back of the sofa) but there isn’t one. Here are my best tips that I hope will help:
Prevention
Plan for the challenges. If you know weekend drinks are your challenge, save up some points/syns/calories to spend so you don’t have to go without. Any healthy food plan has to be sustainable. You have to live a real life!
If you’re going out for dinner, check the menu beforehand and figure out what choices you can make. I love olives and I love bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Olives are a better health choice for me, so I pick them and still get to eat something I love.
You can plan to exercise more before and after your challenging occasion. Think of it as having a savings account for calories you can spend later.
All is not lost
Let’s say you’ve had a blip. Feeling you’ve ruined everything and there is no point in continuing is the worst thing you can do! All is not lost. Take a realistic look at what you’ve consumed (it’s often not as bad as you think) and log it in any food diary you may have. Write it down – your body know you’ve consumed it, and not writing it down will not change that!
Think of the advice you’d give to a friend. Would you tell them that all is lost, they should give up, they’ve ruined everything? Of course not! Don’t do the same to yourself!
Draw a line
Stop what you’re doing!
The moment you realise you’re having a blip, stop what you are doing. I don’t care if you’ve still got half a crisp in your hand. PUT IT DOWN. Do not think “I may as well finish this crisp/bag/multipack”. STOP NOW.
You have to stop somewhere, and the time to stop is now. Draw a line. Move on.
Forgiveness
It has been, it is done, you’ve had a blip. Forgive yourself. It happens.
You blipped for some reason. Take a look at that.
We have complicated relationships with food. You may have been taught to not waste. You may associate food with comfort, relaxation or love. Look for the answers you are trying to get from food but will not receive. Food is nutrition, nothing more. Figure out why you turned to food and FORGIVE YOURSELF for doing so. Start thinking about where you can fulfil those needs away from food.
Take care of yourself
You deserve a big hug. We can be awful for being horrible to ourselves after “imperfect” behaviour. That’s not going to help us or encourage us to change. Don’t think for a moment I am wrong about this – you’ve been horrible to yourself for how many years now, and has it worked?
Believe in your self worth. Treat yourself to watching your favourite program, a bath, some sunshine, some nail polish, whatever makes you look after yourself. You are important.
Moving forward
Set yourself a short-sighted and realistic goal.
It could be to get to the end of this hour without eating another biscuit. It could be lose half a pound by next weigh-in. It could be to do two short walks this week. It could be to plan your dinners for the week.
Make it positive, achievable, and soon.
Achieve it, and move onto the next goal.
Each goal may not seem like much, but neither does a step. Put many steps together, and you have a long, successful journey.
You have not failed. You’ve merely taken a slight detour.
I wish I had some magic plan to return your mojo to you (I always want to suggest that people check down the back of the sofa) but there isn’t one. Here are my best tips that I hope will help:
Prevention
Plan for the challenges. If you know weekend drinks are your challenge, save up some points/syns/calories to spend so you don’t have to go without. Any healthy food plan has to be sustainable. You have to live a real life!
If you’re going out for dinner, check the menu beforehand and figure out what choices you can make. I love olives and I love bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Olives are a better health choice for me, so I pick them and still get to eat something I love.
You can plan to exercise more before and after your challenging occasion. Think of it as having a savings account for calories you can spend later.
All is not lost
Let’s say you’ve had a blip. Feeling you’ve ruined everything and there is no point in continuing is the worst thing you can do! All is not lost. Take a realistic look at what you’ve consumed (it’s often not as bad as you think) and log it in any food diary you may have. Write it down – your body know you’ve consumed it, and not writing it down will not change that!
Think of the advice you’d give to a friend. Would you tell them that all is lost, they should give up, they’ve ruined everything? Of course not! Don’t do the same to yourself!
Draw a line
Stop what you’re doing!
The moment you realise you’re having a blip, stop what you are doing. I don’t care if you’ve still got half a crisp in your hand. PUT IT DOWN. Do not think “I may as well finish this crisp/bag/multipack”. STOP NOW.
You have to stop somewhere, and the time to stop is now. Draw a line. Move on.
Forgiveness
It has been, it is done, you’ve had a blip. Forgive yourself. It happens.
You blipped for some reason. Take a look at that.
We have complicated relationships with food. You may have been taught to not waste. You may associate food with comfort, relaxation or love. Look for the answers you are trying to get from food but will not receive. Food is nutrition, nothing more. Figure out why you turned to food and FORGIVE YOURSELF for doing so. Start thinking about where you can fulfil those needs away from food.
Take care of yourself
You deserve a big hug. We can be awful for being horrible to ourselves after “imperfect” behaviour. That’s not going to help us or encourage us to change. Don’t think for a moment I am wrong about this – you’ve been horrible to yourself for how many years now, and has it worked?
Believe in your self worth. Treat yourself to watching your favourite program, a bath, some sunshine, some nail polish, whatever makes you look after yourself. You are important.
Moving forward
Set yourself a short-sighted and realistic goal.
It could be to get to the end of this hour without eating another biscuit. It could be lose half a pound by next weigh-in. It could be to do two short walks this week. It could be to plan your dinners for the week.
Make it positive, achievable, and soon.
Achieve it, and move onto the next goal.
Each goal may not seem like much, but neither does a step. Put many steps together, and you have a long, successful journey.
You have not failed. You’ve merely taken a slight detour.
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