10 ways to get back on track (and stay on track)
Even the healthiest person will find themselves eating things they shouldn’t at times.
It is virtually impossible to be perfect all the time. There will always be slip ups. Days when you order pizza or eat too much cake at a birthday party.
The IMPORTANT thing to remember is: Don’t let one set back ruin your whole healthy living regime. The quicker you pick yourself up and get back on the wagon, the quicker you can rectify it. The longer you leave it, the harder it will be to start again. It is important that you NEVER give up.
We fully embrace that wavering off track is part of everyone’s weight loss journey.
10 simple ways to get back on track when you slip up
1. Remind yourself of your successes
If you’re feeling down about slipping up, then don’t beat yourself up about it. Think about how far you’ve already come. Even if you’re just beginning your weight loss journey, just acknowledging that you need to make a change is a huge step in the right direction.
The next thing you need to do is look at what is working for you, consider how you can build on it and what you can do to improve.
2. Have a strong support network
Whether it’s your partner, your mum, your best friend or even your kids, having a strong network will help you succeed. You need people to hold your hand along the way, cheer you on and celebrate your successes with you.
If you feel like you need a bigger support network, then The Healthy Mummy community on Facebook is a great way to find your very own weight loss cheerleaders.
We are all standing on the sidelines as you move forward and we applaud and encourage you every step of the way. We are there to hold your hand and help you up if you fall, we motivate you and genuinely want to see you achieve your goal.
3. Stop making excuses
We’ve all been there, finding it “too hot to exercise” or “not liking our workout clothes”. It may feel like there are hundreds of reasons to not do something, but you will never make that change you desire if you give it a go.
Find the positive things within your environment that are going to help you achieve your goals. You don’t need to spend a fortune on gym memberships or designer clothes to be happy and healthy.
You can exercise anywhere and choose to put healthy things in your mouth. The control belongs to you.
4. Make a plan and stick to it
Do you have a wedding come up or a night out you want to wear a particular dress to? A good motivation for weight loss is if you have a goal you want to work towards.
It may be dropping 5 pounds or 10 stone by the time you reach a big birthday milestone or an event you want to be in shape for. You may even want to lose weight purely for your health.
Whatever or whenever your goal date is, make a plan and stick to it. You’ll feel more determined in the process.
Be clear about your goals – in fact, be SMART. S goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and within a Timeframe. Keep in mind what you have already learnt about yourself – your strengths, weaknesses, resources and support – and use these to understand what you need to improve to achieve your goal.
5. Reward yourself
As much as you should anticipate setbacks, you should also expect successes along the way.
‘Dangling a carrot’ will entice you to keep going. Just make sure your rewards are not counterproductive to your goal – if your goal is to eat better, don’t reward yourself with unhealthy food or a boozy night.
Treat yourself to a pamper session, shopping with ‘the girls’ or dinner out when you hit a certain goal along the way.
6. Don’t just look to the scales for results
Weighing yourself and seeing you’re losing pounds and getting closer to your goal is a great feeling but shouldn’t be the only way you check your progress.
Fitting into clothes more comfortably, being able to do more circuits of your workout, running a bit faster, walking an extra kilometre or getting some compliments from friends and family about how great you are looking; are all important ways to see you are getting the results you want.
7. Be accountable
At each and every step, write down what you want to achieve at the next step. It will keep you accountable. Make it public, share it with your support network, stick it on the fridge or the bathroom mirror.
When we say we will do something out loud, we’re more likely to do it.
8. Meal prep
Meal prepping is a great way to keep those unhealthy convenience meals well away from your diet and keep you on track for your healthy lifestyle. With advanced meal preparation, your life can be made that little bit easier, especially when you have a family to care for.
By meal prepping, you will find you are less likely to over-eat or pick at unhealthy snacks. In fact, you should make healthy snacks when you make your meal prep. Meal prepping also helps with your budget – and who doesn’t need to save dollars where we can?
9. Find time to relax
It is important to try to schedule in some relaxing time for yourself each day. The more stressed you feel, the more likely you are to have a restless night sleep, eat poorly, exercise less and feel more sluggish and less motivated.
A long soak in the bath or watching a film at the end of the day is enough to switch your mind off and this in turn will make you sleep better, eat healthier and exercise more.
10. Don’t lose sight of the big picture
Even if you do end up indulging in a little more than you usually would, don’t lose sight of what you’re setting out to achieve and don’t forget how far you’ve come.
The road may be bumpy from time to time, and there will be times when you feel like you’ve fallen off the wagon, but don’t let anything knock you completely off course.
You’ve taken the huge brave steps to make a change, and with these ten helpful tips you will reach your goals.
10 Quick Tips to stay on track when you have a special event to attend!
- Do a good workout in the morning.
- Make great food choices during the day.
- Drink your water intake 2-3 litres before you go.
- Drink a glass of water between other drinks.
- Opt for low alcohol options or half shots with soda water with lime.
- Have a Healthy Mummy smoothie or a light meal before you go so you don’t overindulge because you are starving.
- Make healthy/mindful choices.
- Plan and enjoy your splurge.
- Have a decent sleep after.
- Bring a healthy dish to the event (like the healthy homemade pizza pictured above).
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