“I fell off the wagon.”

“Where have you been Shirley?”. “I fell off the wagon I am going to come back in the New Year.”

What this really means is this person either has an unrealistic approach to health and fitness. They are a perfectionist, or they are unhappy or dislike what they are doing.

Being unrealistic can mean stopping after a month because Shirley did not lose 10 pounds. Or, stopping because she told herself she would come to the gym six times a week after doing nothing for a year, but only got in three times per week because she was really sore after workouts.

If Shirley is a perfectionist, she may have “fell of the wagon” because she had cake on her birthday. Therefore, the rest of the week is a write off. She may as well eat fast food the rest of the weekend and get back on track Monday.

Simply, Shirley may despise going to the gym and not enjoy the method of activity she is doing. She stops completely instead of finding something she likes.

How can Shirley stay on track even with a few bumps in the road?

Well, Shirley can set realistic goals monthly that are stepping stones to her ultimate goal. She can celebrate the small wins along the way instead of getting down on herself because she missed a workout.

Also, Shirley must get in the mindset that perfection is not maintainable. If she is aiming to be perfect with her food it is not going to last long term. Shirley needs to realize when she eats good foods she builds up her health account like adding money to your bank account. When she eats something she knows is not nutritious, this is a withdrawal from her health account. It’s ok to take money out once in a while as long as you keep building your savings.

If Shirley hates walking on the treadmill or doing weight machines at the gym, then maybe it’s time to find a like-minded group that will help make exercise more enjoyable and not so boring.

Have you fell off the wagon? That’s ok. Now go build a plan and tell yourself it’s ok if you don’t do everything and do it perfectly. Aim to get at least 80% of your perfect plan done weekly.

For those that are disciplined and have built a healthy maintainable relationship with movement, food and mindset give yourself a pat on the back as it is not always easy.

If you need some accountability check out our 28 Day RAMPUP Program to get started on creating your best self!