Losing steam and getting back on track

I’m a bit ashamed to admit that I’ve fallen into a bit of a slump. At the end of January I got sick and in my attempt to let my body heal I might have fallen back into old habits. It’s been 12 days since my last post and since then I’ve only exercised four times, and while that is still good I haven’t really been making much of an effort with my meals. I’ve stopped planning my meals as I was doing and I haven’t been keeping track of my caloric intake (MyFitnessPal) which for me is a great tool. I’ve been busy at work so I’ve let that also affect my routine, which means I’m cooking less and ordering take out more or getting some fast food on the way home which would not be bad if I made better choices on the food ordered. As a results I’ve gone up a couple of pounds, which is not necessarily the end of the world, but it’s had a big impact on me mentally. I’ve worked so hard to get to where I am and I feel like I’ve undone all of my progress in these past few weeks. Of course that’s nonsense, but it’s easy to feel like a complete and utter failure, even if you’ve already accomplished a lot.

I’m sharing this because while I’d love to pretend that I’m perfect and that everything’s been a breeze, that would be a lie. It’s really important for me to share my struggles as well as my successes, so that you know you’re not alone in yours. We all fall short of our goals from time to time, and that definitely includes me. This is my first big set back since I started this journey, and I’m not talking about the weight gain (I could be constipated this week and gained a couple of pounds) but of losing some of my determination and motivation. I had not struggled with my decision to start this journey until now. Yes, working out and eating healthier is not as fun as sitting on a couch with a bag of potato chips and a coke but I had been doing great so far.

The number one reason why I started this blog was to hold myself accountable and to have a nice creative outlet for my thoughts and something to look forward to. All of my attempt to loose weight before have failed because I didn’t stick to it, either when the pounds didn’t come off fast enough or when I hit road blocks like what I’m experiencing now. This time, I promised myself it would be different and that I would put my heart and soul into it. Blogging not only keeps me accountable but it shows a commitment from my part.

So what am I going to do to help me get back to business?

I need to face the consequences of my actions. Facing consequences is tough, in all aspects of life, from finances, to relationships, to weight but I can’t bury my head in the sand and pretend nothing’s happened. I had been avoiding weighing myself hoping that the next time I stepped on the scale I would see a “good” number. If I’m to learn from past mistakes there can be no more of that, waiting only prolongs the process of getting back on track and leads me to fall further behind. Yes, I’m disappointing in myself but acknowledging there’s a problem and knowing where you stand is the first step to set up your comeback.

Because my old way of being keeps trying to creep back into my life, I remind myself what I’ve been through and the reasons why I decided to make a lifestyle change in the first place. What was I doing differently in the beginning of this journey that helped me get through those tough first few weeks? Back to basics for me. We can’t take anything for granted, even if it’s something as simple as getting enough sleep and getting up to have breakfast instead of skipping it and just grabbing coffee on the way to work. The important thing to do right away is not make things worse. No matter how bad it is now, it can always get worse. I am grateful for where I am now, even if it’s not where I would want to be at the moment.

In the short term, I am setting up new goals. After all, it’s always been said that slow and steady wins the race. Making a weekly meal plan and making time and working out at least three times a week this week is a good example. Setting up short term goals and meeting them will help me in feeling like I’m back on track.

Speaking of working out, after a setback, I often don’t feel like working out at all. It was so hard to make it part of my weekly routine in the first place, yet so easy to for get and get back to being lazy. After not working out for a couple of weeks a lot of my energy and motivation seemed to have evaporated, so starting back was hard. This is where my mind has too overcome any feelings of self doubt and think about how good I’ll feel after that workout (emotionally speaking). The first one back is always the hardest, so I prepared myself mentally so as to not feel defeated if I struggled with completing the workout and for the muscle soreness I would 100% be feeling over the next few days. This happened last week. I had two sessions with a trainer and I did struggle to get through but in the end I did feel good about myself. I did some time in my elliptical over the weekend and again did some cardio yesterday but I am still not back to where I was before. I am slowly adding workouts and making them part of my life again. I am also hoping this damn weather improves so I can start doing stuff outside as well.

And lastly something I must never forget is to continue moving forward no matter what. Dwelling on what you’ve done wrong is useless. Learning from your mistakes is good but beating yourself over an over again about something’s that done helps no one. This is true for any aspect of your life. I’ve been a dweller all of my life, not only in my personal life but professional life too so I do struggle with this and I’m slowly learning to let go.

So as a little fish once taught me, when life get you down you know what to do.