Getting back on track, after falling off.

Staying focused can be difficult. This month I had one of those weeks where I took my eye off the prize. My diet was not where it should have been, and I had a battle with sugar, and sugar won. Temporarily. There is one week out of every month that used to completely derail my efforts, and if you're a woman, you know what I mean. Cravings would seem like they were out of my control, and before this year started, I usually gave in. Some months seem to pass on by now without a hiccup, but this month sure had me guessing where my appetite was coming from. And the worst part was I was craving foods that I know will not help me reach my goals. This photo is a good depiction of how that week went: 

So what did I do? Well, for starters, I avoided the scale for a few days. (I don't recommend this.) I actually put it out of sight. I knew it was going to be brutally honest with me, and confirm the reality of my poor choices. I embraced the "whoa is me" attitude for a couple of days (secretly, of course), and then after those few days were over, I pulled out the scale. Let's just say I was shocked. In about 2 weeks time, I had managed to put on eight pounds. I'm sure "Aunt Flo", and the inevitable bloating had some to do with it, but sodium was definitely not my friend either. Nor was the pizza, hot dogs, cookies, frappachino... oy, that's embarrassing. Anyway, I will endure this public mini-humiliation in an effort to help you! 

Here it is one week after getting on that scale and I'm back at my "pre-destruction" weight. I didn't skip a workout during those "dark days" either, which kept my gym routine safe and sound, but I've mentioned it before, you cannot eat junk and correct it with exercise. I knew my weight gain would be temporary, but this is the time that many people throw in the towel. My last post I talked about failure, and I'll admit, I had to take my own advice!

Failure.

Failure is the reason why so many people give up. Failure is not something that people aim to do, but it's something that happens to everyone. What you choose to do with your failure will define the outcome of your circumstances.

Yesterday (Monday), I decided I was going to strip down my diet again and closely monitor everything I was putting into my body. I won't bore you with the details, but one thing I didn't do was plan ahead. You can only imagine how hard it was to eat clean and turn my back on carbs when I hadn't gone to the market to buy fresh produce, chicken, or fish. I made do with what I had through lunch, but after opening the refrigerator door time and time again, new food did not magically appear in time for dinner. (I know I'm not alone with that thought!) So, when it came time to eat - completely rushed before a ball game - I ended up eating a PB&J. Translated: saturated fat, carbs, sugar.... FAIL! But did I thrown in the towel? Nope, I still went to the gym after the game and had a great workout. Knowing that PB&J passed through my lips may have kept me on the stairmaster a little longer, but contrary to what many believe, you technically can't work off the 'junk' you eat in the gym. Calories yes, bad nutrition, no. (Another topic for another time...)

Losing weight, making better choices for your health, and deciding to do something to work towards your goals all take work. Actually, hard work and dedication, right? ;-)  So just know there are going to be times when you fail. Expect failure. But don't hesitate for a moment while you're down. Get right back up and start again. If you eat a lousy breakfast, don't consider the rest of your day a waste, pick up right where you are and make healthy choices for the rest of your day!

My great concern is not whether you have failed, 

but whether you are content with your failure.

Abraham Lincoln