Back on Track

There are lots of reasons that people fall off of the exercise and nutrition wagon.  People get sick.  People have family obligations.  Kids get sick.  You go on vacation.  You have to attend holiday parties and gatherings.  There are a million excuses.

When you fall off the wagon, the best thing you can do is to get right back on and get your train pointed back in the right direction.

You don’t want to wait until Monday.  You don’t want to wait until next month.  The longer you’re off your game, the harder it’s going to be to get back on it, and the easier the excuses are going to be.  Most people don’t start working out because they feel like they are already in perfect shape.  They start working out because somehow their bodies and fitness level deteriorated and they want to improve themselves.  You’ve had a lifetime of excuses before you started working out.  Now that you’ve started, don’t stop.

What if you had a cheat meal; or a cheat day; or a cheat weekend with your nutrition?  So what?  If you don’t get back to your plan, that cheat weekend becomes a cheat week, and then a cheat month and suddenly you’re back to where you started.  Own up to what you did and vow to be better.  You don’t have to double up your workouts or only eat an apple all day, just get back to your plan.  If you were planning on 2000 calories/day to meet your three month goal, go back to it, although maybe now it’s a 3 month and 1 week goal.  Who cares?  The important thing is that you are back working on your goal.

What if you got sick and couldn’t work out for a day or two.  So what?  You don’t have to wait until Monday to get back on track.  Start immediately.  The longer you wait, the easier it is to give it up.  I know; I’ve been there.  If you missed a couple days, just pick up where you should have been.  I’ve you’ve missed more than that, start back up on the week where you fell off the wagon.  There’s no magic in the 8 week or 13 week programs.  If it takes you 14 weeks or 26 weeks, you’re still going to be on your way to your goals.  Waiting a few more days won’t get you any closer to your target.  The programs were designed to be a short enough amount of time that people could find it manageable and hope to see results.  On the other hand, it’s long enough that it can become a habit and part of your routine. 

A lifestyle that involves good nutrition and exercise is a lifestyle.  It’s not a 3 month solution that solves your issues for life.  It’s a step in the right direction and you have the rest of your life to stay on this journey.  Sitting on the couch watching TV and browsing the web isn’t going to make you healthier.  If you’re reading this and thinking about how you’ve fallen off the wagon, schedule your next workout for later today and get back to pushing play.