One of my compromises with myself when I started this blog (in deference to my last one) was to be completely honest. You get the good and the bad, the ups and downs, the wins and the losses. Why be fake? Why try to trick everyone into believing that life is rosy all the time and every single goal I set, I reach?
Somewhere out there (if you don’t have this song in your head right now I don’t know you at all)…anyway, somewhere out there I’ve lost my focus and drive. For some reason the journey seems a lot more difficult this time around. And yes, I’m talking about weight loss. I think I’m always talking about weight loss. When you’re uncomfortable in your own skin (and your own jeans) it is always what you’re thinking about.
I keep finding excuses!
- I’ve had a rough week, I deserve this treat.
- PMS…give me all the things I’m craving.
- Whew…I’ve got meetings all week. They’ll feed me. I don’t need to count.
- I’m cold and I don’t feel that great. I should just eat what will make me happy.
- I’m going home and nobody cooks like my mom and grandma. I don’t get home that much, I should enjoy it.
Anyone ever say some variation of those? I usually have really great discipline and can bypass all that stuff. Not this last month. Frankly, I’m scared to get on the scale for what it is going to tell me. I know I haven’t lost but I’m terrified to see if or how much I’ve gained. I’m failing at all my self-talk. I’m failing at saying NO.
I’m failing. And I want to leave it at that. Throw a fit. Say that I just can’t do it; the plan doesn’t work for me. I want to tell everyone how hard it is to be me. But guess what? That doesn’t help me either, it just makes me fail…more.
So I’m not going to do that. Because deep down I know these things:
- I’m not failing at everything. Those are just lies that we tell ourselves.
- If I fix my self-talk and start thinking about things on a decision-by-decision basis, I can choose to say no and make better choices. I can make choices that aren’t based on hormones, emotions, and circumstances.
- I’m not failing at workouts (for the most part – I’ve had to miss a few.) I’m pushing myself and not giving in. I like getting stronger and seeing what new things my body can do.
- It is going to be hard. It just is. I’m not in my 20’s anymore and things are just HARD. Recognize the challenge, say “game on”, and do it. Just do it.
- Again – don’t look at weeks at a time. One decision, one good choice, one moment.
- Plan better.
This post was for me. It was public self-talk and public accountability. We don’t always win. It’s so easy to fall down the social media rabbit hole of how all things are perfect. They aren’t. There is no quick fix. It isn’t easy. I haven’t won; I’ve lost this round. I let myself lose this round.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t win the next one.
New moment. New day. New week. New month. As the character President Jed Bartlet says in one of my favorite shows, “What’s next?”
TODAY I LOVE: finally finishing the “Downton Abby” series on BBC
SONG OF THE DAY: “Forever” by Mumford & Sons
If you’ve followed me for very long at all, I write a lot about my weight, exercise, diet, etc. I like these things. I like seeing progress and I hate admitting failure. However, like two sides to any coin you’re always going to have them both. Last year it was success upon success in my weight-loss and fitness journey. This year is a different story.
