"Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection." — Mark Twain
My husband and I were just in Tampa, Florida visiting his mother for her birthday.
Over the course of the four days we were there I ate ice cream twice and only worked out once.
I drank more alcohol than usual.
And my sleep schedule was all over the place.
Most women who are stuck in the dieter's mindset would get back from a trip like this and think that they've "ruined their progress".
This way of thinking generally leads to one of two responses:
"I was so BAD, so I'm going to be extra GOOD to make up for it."
Which looks like: a week or two of dietary restriction and increased exercise intensity, followed by feelings of burnout and acts of rebellious eating.
OR
"Well, I've already messed things up, so I might as well just keep enjoying myself and start over next week."
Which looks like: a week or two of gluttony and inactivity followed by feelings of guilt, shame and disgust.
But there's a third, less chosen response that I'd like to present to you:
"I WAS on vacation. And NOW I'm not."
Which looks like: resuming your usual eating and exercise habits once you're home.
❌ It doesn't involve making up missed workouts or skipping breakfast for a week.
❌ It also doesn't involve being comatose on your couch and eating every decadent treat in your sight.
✅ It DOES involve just going back to the "regularly scheduled program".
Because, (if you've hung out in my corner of the internet for a bit, then this is probably going to sound familiar)...
What you do CONSISTENTLY will always win out over what you do OCCASIONALLY.
4 days of indulgence has just as little effect on your health as 4 days of a sugar "detox".
4 days is only 1% of the year.
It's what you do the other 99% of the time that matters. Now, considering that it's summertime and travel is an option again, you might deviate off track a little more often than 1% of the time...
It. Doesn't. Matter.
What DOES matter is that you just keep going back to the "regularly scheduled program", WITHOUT beating yourself up (mentally or physically) in the process. So if you've had a less than stellar day, week or month of eating and exercise habits, Let this be your reminder that you can ALWAYS course correct. You don't have to wait until tomorrow...or until Monday.
Comments