OH NO! What now?

Holidays are a really tough time to stay on your life plan. Chances are over the Thanksgiving holiday some of you missed a workout or two. Maybe your meals weren't exactly stellar. Or maybe you overindulged on the desserts, even though you promised yourself you would stick to your plan. Whatever the situation may be, the truth of the matter is all of us at one time or another have gotten sidetracked. So what happens now? Do you need to go back to square one? What if you gained a pound or two, three, etc.? Does this make you a failure?

In all honesty, if the world were simply black or white - we would ALL be failures. Fortunately, you can live in the gray and still be "okay." In my opinion, one never really truly fails at anything until they simply give up. I don't know about you, but giving up is just not an option for me. I'm one of those people that does really well for awhile and then "life just happens." If I were to set down and beat myself up every time I made a slip with my nutrition or fitness regimen, I would be black and blue from head to toe.

Life is about living. It is not about making the rules so rigid you forget how to enjoy it, too. I'm four sizes smaller than I was this time last year. I could probably be at my goal weight by now, if I would have followed the program and not side-stepped ever. But then again, is that what I really want? Maybe. But hey, it just didn't happen that way for me. I'm okay because I know I have a plan and I know I will get there.  I'm perfectly happy knowing the overall outcome is still attainable...it might just take a little longer to get there, but I will get there.

Statistics prove that slow, gradual weight loss is the more effective approach to keeping weight off for good. A healthy goal of losing one to two pounds a week is a sensible plan for most people. Recognizing that you did not become overweight overnight and losing it won't happen any faster, will allow you to focus more on just being healthy. So start thinking of the little things that lead to the big picture. Small changes over a long period of time can add up to huge success. Instead of starting all over from square one, forgive yourself for the mishap and move forward. Chances are you really haven't set yourself so far back in your progress over a few bad meal choices or a few skipped workouts. So now it is time for a little damage control. Schedule your workouts, plan your meals and just move on. Trust me, you will be glad you did!  Keep pushing play and you will get there.

By the way, the little pep talk also applies to me personally. I managed to twist my knee the day before Thanksgiving. Rather than push forward, I decided to just take it easy a few days instead. Which would be a sensible thing to do. Exercising when we are ill or injured can lead to further injury. My problem was also sneaking in a few too many pieces of pie over the holiday, too. Yes, the scales definitely showed me the error of my ways.  I managed to put on five pounds in that 4-day holiday weekend. But here I am today, right back on track with my programs and nutrition. So all is good and the journey continues. Small detour, but back on track today and definitely pushing play.