Why did I do that? How to deal with a lapse in your weight loss
efforts
If you've had a bad day on your diet (or a bad binge or even a
bad week) don't despair.
I know it's all too easy to beat yourself up over it. You feel
guilty for breaking your promises to yourself and sabotaging
your diet and more than a little angry and depressed at your
lack of control.
But before you get too gloomy and reach for the Ben and Jerry's
which somehow escaped you last night, stop and think for a
moment.
A bad day or even a bad week is not enough to "break your diet"
unless you let it get you down. It's what you eat over the long
run that counts. It's eating more calories than you need day
after day after day that makes you fat not a one-off
over-indulgence.
But what can you do if you really did go mad last night? What
can you do today to get back on track after you've come off the
rails?
1. Whatever you do don't weigh yourself unless you love being
miserable. Chances are you had a load of sugar and/or salt last
night and you'll be retaining more water than a camel embarking
on a trek across the Sahara. Consequently, you'll have gained
more pounds than you possibly could from the extra calories you
ate. So don't even think about stepping on the scales for 2 days.
2. Every day, but especially today you should aim for eating
modest portions of healthy foods whenever you are hungry,
stopping when you are satisfied rather than stuffed. More than
ever today you need to feel in control. So no starvation rations
or you'll only set yourself up for a hunger-induced "clear out
the cupboard" binge later on.
3. Normally it's best not to skip breakfast but if you are still
full from the previous day, it can wait. Just make sure you have
a healthy snack ready for when hunger does strike.
4. Take time to enjoy your food today. Sometimes we hardly taste
the food when we are eating too much, we eat it so quickly,
trying to stop ourselves thinking too much as we shovel it in.
Actually taste everything which passes your lips today and put
yourself back in control.
5. Spend a few moments thinking about why you temporarily blew
your weight loss plans. What thoughts were running through your
head? What situation had you put yourself in? What can you learn
from that? How will you deal with those thoughts, those
situations next time because as sure as eggs are eggs they, or
something similar, will happen again. Be prepared.
6. Stay positive. Relax a little. Tell yourself "Yes, I broke my
diet but that's OK. I'm human. I'm not meant to be perfect. I'm
going to treat myself well, eating healthily as much as I can.
If I have the odd lapse it doesn't change my determination to
keep going." Build yourself up. Give yourself a little
(non-food) present. You deserve the best and you can do whatever
you set your mind to.
The best way to get over a lapse is to treat it like the
insignificant blip it is and just get right back on track!
Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small