Falling off the weight loss wagon isn’t a total loss—unless you make it one. How many times have you started a new eating or exercise plan only to fail on day one, day two, or day seven? What do you do when you “fail?” Do you give up? Do you say to yourself, “Well, I fell off the wagon,” and that’s that? If you’re one of the many people who do this, you’re likely still struggling with your weight. But you don’t have to.
Think about it this way. If an actual wagon lost one of its wheels, what would its’ owner do? Would she abandon her wagon on the side of the road? Would she just leave it there and never return? No. She’d find a new wheel and hop back on. Weight loss can be viewed in much the same way. When you fall off the wagon, it doesn’t mean complete doom. You have the power to get back on, to get back in the driver’s seat, and to move forward. Many of us stall out when we hit a plateau or dive into a bag of chips. I know my mentality through the years has been, “Well, I blew it for lunch, so I guess there’s no use continuing.” What kind of mentality is that?
This mentality is most commonly prominent among fad dieters. This is likely because if you’re on, say, a carbohydrate restrictive plan, and you eat a plate of pasta, you are likely to see a rapid jump on the scale the next morning. This can lead to feeling out of control and full of despair. Yet another reason to stick to a solid healthy eating plan.
My point is this. Get on the wagon. Try to stay on the wagon. But realize that wagons sometimes lose a wheel. Sometimes they need a little tune up. It’s okay if you splurge on something “forbidden” now and then. It’s okay if you have a bad eating day or week. Don’t beat yourself up. Get back on your wagon and DRIVE.