Oops, I Messed Up!
If you decide to work with us at Elite Holistic Group, you will quickly learn that You will NOT on be a diet. You will be following a plan, but you’ll be choosing to make healthy choices because there are goals you want to achieve.
You’ll have to determine if the discomfort of the life you have now is more uncomfortable than the discomfort that may arise from temporarily giving up some of your favorite foods.
The choice is ALWAYS yours! Whether you're making healthy choices, exercising regularly, or you find yourself eating a large pizza by yourself, the choice is yours to make.
You have the freedom to eat what you want when you want it.
The next time the thought enters your mind to overindulge, I'd like you to pause and temporarily remove yourself from the situation (go to the restroom or walk outside). Even if it happens quickly (and trust me, I have binged so many times in my own life that I understand how quickly the thoughts enter and take over your brain).
Everything you do starts with a decision.
I’m not telling you to Indulge
I simply want you to pause and ask yourself the following questions:
1. What am I feeling right now? Hungry, stressed, anxious, fearful, moody etc
2. How have a dealt with the above emotion in the past?
3. How will eating this food help me feel better? E.g. the sugar from the donuts will make me feel comforted, or this pizza is so good- it'll satisfy my cravings, and it feels great to get what I want!
4. How will I feel if I decide to overindulge? E.g. guilty, ashamed, like a failure, like I don't deserve to look good, happy, euphoric etc.
Remember that YOU are in control!
If you decide to eat foods that don't help move you toward your goals, simply accept it, and remind yourself that you're "allowed" to eat whatever you want because you're an adult. It may be what you need at the time, so be kind to yourself.
Action steps:
Try to "navigate the middle". What does that mean? Well, I understand how hard it is to redirect yourself when those thoughts take over your mind.
I'd like you to make the decision to indulge. Yes, I'm telling you to do it, but there are some stipulations:
1. Drink a large glass of water.
2. Have a small portion.
3. Balance the indulgence with a healthy option. For example, instead of eating the entire pizza, have two slices and enjoy a fresh side salad.
4. Make it worth it! Don't bother bingeing on stale, old donuts. If you want a donut, eat your absolute favorite donut. Eat it slowly and enjoy every single bite.
5. Move on without guilt or over-restriction to "make up for it". Sure, you had an indulgence, but there is no need to feel guilty about it. Remember, you can eat whatever you want.
Imagine if you realized that one of your tires had a hole in it. You wouldn't slash the other three tires, right?
Get back on track right away! Plan your next healthy meal, and make sure you choose something you enjoy!
Your perfectionist mindset is getting in the way of you achieving your goals.
I'd like you to introduce you to Kim and Stephanie. They’ve been besties since middle school. They both wanted to lose weight and get in shape so they signed up for a 6-week weight loss program.
Kim prides herself on being a perfectionist, so of course she followed the program perfectly 100% for the first two weeks, but one day she had an extremely stressful day at work, and she decided to eat some Doritos (which are not on her plan).
She wasn’t perfect that day, so she used it as an opportunity to continue eating junk food because she can always “start again tomorrow”. She gave herself permission to eat everything she’s been craving for two weeks. It felt soooo good. That feeling didn’t last too long though. She started to feel sick, and her stomach became bloated. She began to feel like a complete failure. She began to wonder if she’d ever be able to change and lose weight.
She woke up the next day determined to “get back on track” and “start over”, but she made the mistake of weighing herself and saw that she gained 5 lbs. Of course, she felt awful, and self-doubt began to manifest in her mind. She began to crave more junk food because it always made her feel better. Somehow, she was able to “stay strong” until lunch time when her co-worker brought in homemade cookies. She secretly ate 5 cookies without anyone noticing.
Just like that, she was trapped in a vicious cycle where she’d “be perfect” for a day or two and then eat junk food for several days. She felt so out of control, even though she desperately wanted to get back on track and lose weight, but she never did. She never told anyone about her binge patterns because she was embarrassed. She never reached out to her coach for help because she didn’t want to disappoint him.
By the end of the 6-week program, she had gained 8 lbs. She believed the program didn’t “work for her”, and she decided to find another program that really works.
Does any of that sound familiar?
I’m embarrassed to admit that I have been there many times in my life, but I made it to the other side, and if you stick with me and trust the process, you will too! I promise.
You’re probably wondering about Stephanie. Well, Stephanie admits to being fabulously flawed. She initially did well with the program; however, her motivation began to wane by week 3 because she had “only” lost 6 lbs. For some reason, she had been expecting a lot more than that, so when her husband brought home her favorite chocolate cake, she decided to have two very large bites. It tasted so delicious, but she didn’t want to slow down her progress- she began to realize that 6 lbs. was better than 1 or 2 lbs.
She decided to go for a walk and planned a healthy dinner. She reached out to her coach who helped her by sending her recipes for healthier versions of her favorite foods. He also scheduled a few planned indulgences to help her manage her cravings.
Overall, Stephanie wasn’t perfect during the program, and she did indulge here and there, but she didn’t allow herself to completely fall off track. She simply kept it moving.
She lost 14 lbs. by the end of the program and dropped a dress size. Most importantly, she realized that she felt so much better when she ate healthy, whole foods.
Even her husband and children were starting to choose healthier options because of her lifestyle change!
Don’t let perfectionism ruin your progress. You’ll end up putting too much pressure on yourself.
If you set the bar too high, you’ll be setting yourself up for failure.
Focus on making each day a little better than the day before, and if you slip up, reach out to your coach, and simply keep it moving.
Leave a comment below or send me an email “Transform@EliteHolitisicGroup.com to share your a time that you “messed up” and what strategies you used to get back on track. I would love to hear from you.
If you need more support getting on track, click on the “Work with me” button below. I’d love to help!