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So you’re trying to lose weight. You’re making a conscious effort to eat more fruit and vegetables, and less processed food. Heck, you have even given up chocolate, cake and ice-cream. And it seems to be working. You feel better, more energetic and may have even lost a few kilos. But the reality is we’re all human. Despite all our resolutions we suddenly find ourselves falling off the wagon and indulging in our favourite food while still on our weight loss plan. You’ve done it. I’ve done it. We’ve all done it! So there’s no need to panic or feel disheartened. The key to continue shedding that weight is what you do after going off the rails. Here’s how to get your weight loss goal back on track
Why do you want to lose weight in the first place? Why is it important to you? Make sure your reason is yours alone and not influenced by anyone else. Then ask yourself how you would feel if you don’t reach your goals. How would you feel when you do? Once you work out what’s important to you, make a decision to what’s necessary to make it happen.
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Take a moment to reflect on what was working for you before your binge. Were you planning meals in advance? Walking during your lunch break ? Writing down what you were eating? Figure that out and incorporate whatever worked for you before into your new weight loss plan.
Don’t keep looking over your shoulder and revisiting where you went wrong. Consider today the first day of working towards your goals. Remember the excitement and anticipation you felt on that first day, and channel that feeling into this moment. Think of today as a brand new opportunity to make more positive changes in your life.
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If you are serious about getting back on track, then make a conscious effort to rid the house of the food you know will tempt you. Don’t pretend for a second that that packet of chocolate biscuits is for visitors who pop by unexpectedly. You know that rarely happens. And even if they do make a surprise visit wouldn’t it be a better idea to serve up a fresh fruit platter with yoghurt instead?
If you have overdone the sweets or pastries there’s no need to punish yourself by only eating steamed chicken and vegetables for a week. Eat a wide range of healthy food but be sure to stay clear of processed food as it often contains hidden fat, sugar and salt. Focus on lighter choices for a week or two and ditch the processed foods (yes, even the ‘diet’ ones). You and your body will notice a difference.
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Eating half a tub of ice-cream doesn’t mean having to run for 10km. You not only run the risk of injury but also of turning yourself off exercise for life! Make a commitment instead towards do the small things like taking the stairs instead of the lift, walking for 30 minutes during your lunch break and getting off the bus a stop earlier to walk the rest of the distance. Be creative in your exercise choices and routine.
Before you get too excited let me be clear that we’re talking about non-alcoholic beverages. Drinking more water and herbal teas will help cleanse and flush your system. It will also ensure you’re properly hydrated and keep you feeling full. All very good reasons to fill up your drinking bottle. What if it was a binge? More often than not, indulging in your favourite food is not a planned activity. While avoidance is the best strategy there are some other ways to stave off temptation:
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Don’t aim for perfection. What you do 80 percent of the time is what matters, and the occasional overindulging is not something you should beat yourself up over. Life is too short to be miserable around food. However giving up or continuing to overeat is not going to help you lose weight either. So each time you slip be kind to yourself, pick yourself up and keep going.
