Getting back on track

Yesterday was another good day.  Hubby and I visited the local zoo, had a relaxing lunch, and then did a 2 1/2 hour microbrew walking tour.  I am not a beer drinker, but even I found this tour a lot of fun.  I even sampled some of the microbrews.  Which meant this non-beer drinker drank more beer than she had since her 20's!  And yes, I'm aware microbrews are not Paleo...


Though my eating was okay at breakfast and lunch (probably had a few things I should have requested left off the meal), dinner and evening snacks were a lot more than I planned.  I have all kinds of excuses for that; I was tired, a little tipsy, and just didn't care at that point. 


In the past, if I had gotten off track, had a bad day, or overate, it could get me off program for days, weeks, even months (which should give you some idea why it took me 6 years to lose 100 pounds).  It was very hard for me to just shake off that one "bad" meal or day.  I would feel like I had totally blown it and would, in a sense, give up.


For me, falling off the wagon was not the problem, it was figuring out how to get back on that was the problem.


Over the years, it's gotten easier to accept that one bad meal or day.  Probably helped that I did a little soul searching and began thinking about the numbers.  If I have one bad meal out of the week, that is just one meal out of 21, so I still have 20 meals I can get it right.  One bad meal was not going to mess up my whole week.  And neither would one bad day.  There are 7 days in a week and one day would not blow the whole week.  The worst it would do is cause me to maintain.


Giving up on the program for days on end is what causes the issues.


Unfortunately, I am a very slow learner when it came to my weight loss journey and this is one lesson I did not figure out until I was nearly at goal.  It has helped me with maintaining and not getting totally off track.  I know that if I have a bad day, or in this case, a bad afternoon and evening, I am capable of getting right back on track.  So, today is my day to dust myself off, remind myself that I had fun on the tour (though the slight headache this morning isn't helping with that...), and that's a new day and a new beginning.  I will have a good day, on program, eating healthy foods and drinking lots of water.


Thankfully, I have learned to give myself a break and realize I'm not perfect.  Weight loss and weight maintenance isn't about perfection, it's about perseverance.  Learn from your mistakes, and attempt to do better the next time.


I learned that I can enjoy life, even if it means going off program now and then.  I just need to remember I am capable of getting right back on program!