What to do when you get off track
Written by: Lindsay Little, MS — Holistic Health Coach
I wish I were joking…
I could see the look on his face when he walked in the door carrying a big reusable shopping tote. Something wasn’t quite right.
You see, when your husband works in the grocery industry, it’s fairly common for vendors to bring in new products for the management team to try before they carry them in the stores.
Usually, those samples don’t make it home…
Not because my husband eats them before he gets home, but because he knows it’s easier for me to stick to eating healthy when I don’t have junk in the house. Makes sense right? He’s actually being very considerate.
Plus, those samples are usually chips, energy drinks, or baked goods. Once there was a steak or bacon or something meaty. Needless to say, I don’t get too excited anymore about these samples. It’s never kale or a new color of quinoa. Why can it never be kale?
He put the bag on the counter and said, “Don’t be mad but…”
I was really hoping that this time I would get luck and it would be a bag full of kale.
It was not. Not even close.
It was an entire bag filled with cheese. Not the cheap, fake stuff. The fancy stuff.
An entire bag of cheese. We’re talking hundreds of dollars of cheese.
Cheese is my weakness. Being from Wisconsin, I swear, cheese is in my blood.
There is a book called The Cheese Trap by Dr. Neal Barnard. Look it up, it’s fascinating and explains why cheese and other foods are so addictive. Spoiler alert: there’s an enzyme in cheese that acts like opioids in our brains which gets us hooked hard-core.
I tried to walk away from the cheese and I held out for as long as I could…an entire 5 minutes. 🙄
But I couldn’t just have one piece. I just kept eating it. And let me tell you, cheese does not agree with me.
When you cut out dairy, you lose the ability to process the carbohydrate lactase found in it. So then when you eat it, you have symptoms of lactose intolerance - gas, bloating, constipation, rashes, hives, brain fog, and more. No, it’s not fun.
I know, without a shadow of a doubt, every time I eat cheese, my body will react in that way. EVERY. DANG. TIME.
So why doesn’t that stop me? Why does my brain not want to avoid the inevitable pain?
Because I have a human brain. And so do you.
This may show up in your life in many different ways. Maybe you went on vacation and had lots of those bright, sunny, mini-umbrella-filled treats. Maybe your kiddos started a new sport and you are now a chauffeur rather than a chill momma. Maybe your husband’s new job is keeping him later than usual leaving you to play dinner duty more often than not. It can sneak up when you least expect it.
But if you’re human, you’re never going to be perfect, so we might as well come up with strategies for when you get off track.
(Notice I didn’t say “IF you get off track,”? That’s because you will get off track. You’re human. Not expecting to make mistakes or hit bumps in your health journey is setting yourself up for disappointment. Don’t fail before you even begin.)
I’m betting this has a little something to do with why you haven’t reached your health goals in the past…
So let’s talk strategy.
Here are 5 simple things to do when you get off track:
Go back to home base. Pick one thing that you can commit to doing consistently. That could be going for a 10-minute walk after work, starting your day with a glass of water, or eating a healthy breakfast. Just start with one thing.
2. Try a new recipe or workout. Remember how excited you used to get as a kiddo when mom said she was making your favorite meal for dinner? Get that excitement back by bringing back a healthy meal you love or trying a new recipe. You could also do this with exercise. Check out Vibe Fitness’s class schedule here! Trying something new not only forms new pathways in your brain, it also challenges you and gets you excited. AKA getting you out of a rut.
3. Aim for 80% or 50%, anything but 100%. Remember, we’re not aiming for perfection. We’re aiming to be a little bit better every day. When you can’t give it your all, give it 80% or even 50%. Walking for 5 minutes is better than not walking at all. Eating a serving of vegetables with dinner is better than eating a super-sized order of fries.
4. Cut out the fluff and prioritize what will get you the most bang for your buck (or time). Your health routines don’t need to be complicated. This is especially true when you’re extra stressed or suddenly short on time. Sometimes, doing the bare minimum is good enough. We’re not going for perfection here!
5. Give yourself grace. The simple act of giving yourself permission to take a break, slow down, or skip certain tasks can take so much pressure off. Be gentle, be kind, and treat yourself how you would treat your best friend when she’s going through a tough time. I bet you wouldn’t call her a failure or tell her she sucks. Don’t talk to yourself differently than you would talk to someone else.
Did I mention that we’re not going for perfection?
That’s the main point here. When you get down on yourself for not being perfect, you don’t want to do anything! And that really doesn’t help anyone. So stop trying to be perfect.
You will get off track, you will make mistakes, you will struggle. That’s part of being human. Nothing has gone wrong.
It’s what you do next that really matters.
So what happened with the big bag of cheese? I know you’re wondering…
Honestly, I ate it. Except for that weird fondue stuff. I mean, what is that?!
But seriously, I did eat a good amount of it. And then I got back on track. I used the strategies above and started focusing on planning the next delicious meal. And I looked forward to it.
I walked an extra 15 minutes each day for the next week.
Instead of focusing on how guilty I felt, instead, I used that energy to start reading one of the books that had been sitting unopened on my nightstand for the last 6 months. Every time I got down on myself, I grabbed that book and read a few pages.
Those strategies I outlined have worked for me many times over. They work for my coaching clients. And I know they will work for you.
If you take only one thing away from this article, let it be this: Stop trying to be perfect. Perfectionism almost always kills success.
Hey there! I’m Lindsay! I’m a Holistic Health Coach with a Master's Degree in Holistic Nutrition and a specialization in gut health. In my virtual health coaching practice, Full Bloom Acres Wellness, I help busy women over 40 eat the foods they love without feeling terrible. I would love to help you, too! Connect with me on social media at @fullbloomacres or on my website. Get started resolving your digestive issues by downloading my FREE cheat sheet featuring my 10 favorite superfoods for good gut (and hormone!) health right here!
DISCLAIMER: This information is for educational and information use only and is not meant to diagnose or treat disease or illness. Please work with a qualified healthcare practitioner before making dietary or lifestyle changes.