Oops! You cheated again!

By Diana Chaloux

So here we are a couple months into a new year. You have set your fitness goals and you are determined to achieve them! You are making healthier eating choices and are consistently exercising. You are creating habits which you can maintain for the rest of your life! But then it happens. A meal out with friends, a trip out of town, birthdays, busy days at work, busy days at home, the old obstacles which have caused problems for you in the past start to get in the way again. You lose your focus, forget your ultimate motivation for achieving your fitness goals, and before you know it, you give in to old habits, skip your workout, or cave to the temptation of unhealthy foods. Oops, you cheated again.

Now before you let the guilt eat away at you let’s take a look at the positive side! Lapses in eating and exercise routines are totally NORMAL! Everyone experiences them at one point or another. Nobody is perfect, but those who are successful at attaining their fitness goals understand that when you have lapses in your routine, all is not lost! Each day we have a new beginning, a new opportunity to make healthy choices so if you “cheat” one day, start fresh the next!

The most important thing to do when you are having a lapse is to recognize it, get focused and get back on track. Take a look at what caused you to stray from making choices which would aid you in reaching your fitness goals. Revisit what your motivators are, and remind yourself why it is so important to live a fit and healthy lifestyle! Remind yourself of how much better you will look and feel, how much healthier you will be, how your risk of developing a vast array of diseases will be reduced, how you will be setting a good example for your children, or how you will be increasing the quantity and quality of your life!

Also keep in mind that your nutrition plan doesn’t have to be perfect 100% of the time. Think of it this way. You are allowed to have special treats and cheats, but you choose to limit the amount of “cheats” that you indulge in. I like to use the 80/20 rule. Meaning, 80% of the time my diet consists of healthy, wholesome and nutritious foods, 20% of the time there is room for treats (not overindulgences, just foods that would not be considered staples of my healthy nutrition plan).

And here’s another fact! Your workouts don’t have to be perfect all the time either! If you do have a day when you know you won’t make it to the gym or get an in home workout done, find little things to do throughout the day which will help you burn up some extra calories. Remember that every little bit counts, whether it is taking the stairs, parking farther away from the grocery store or doing stationary lunges while waiting for the photo copy machine! Most importantly, don’t give up! Don’t dwell on the past. So you cheated on your nutrition plan or you skipped a workout, beating yourself up isn’t going to get you any closer to achieving your fitness goals. What will help you is to start fresh, focus on the present and the future. What can you today in order to get you one step closer to leading a fit and healthy lifestyle?