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You had a bad week on the diet. It’s not the end of the world, and you can get yourself back on track. Here are my five tips to do it.
So you fell off the diet* last week. The worst thing you can do is wallow in that bad week. This then turns into another bad week, then a bad month, and then a bad year. Before you know it, all the great work you did has been undone.
Not sure where to start with getting yourself back on track? Trust me when I tell you that I’ve been there. It can be hard to get back on it, but it’s so worth it! Here are my five tips that I follow.
Draw a line under the bad week
The best way to get back on track after a bad week on the diet is to draw a line under it. You’re not forgetting that it’s happened, but you’re also not letting it shape you for the next week. This gives you a chance to just move forward.
You can still learn from the mistakes you made. Look at how your mood fluctuated during the week, or look at what caused you to have a bad week on the diet. Were you being lazy, or did you have limited control over the food you ate? Once you figure that out, you can make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Don’t put it off to get back on track
A lot of people will think “next week” or “next month.” The best thing you can do to get back on track is to just start. Don’t wait for a specific day. Start immediately.
And yes, I mean that moment you’ve thought about how bad your week was. Start as you mean to go on. Jump straight back on the wagon and figure out what you need to do next. This is a great motivator because you are taking back control.
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Go grocery shopping with your diet in mind
You need to get groceries, and you want to avoid the causes of your downfall. One of the reasons I order online and choose to pick up is so that I stay out of the stores. If I go near some of the aisles, I can end up buying things I don’t need, and it’s usually cakes. By ordering online, I only get what I need.
When you’re looking to get back on track*, you need to find a way to curb the temptations. Don’t buy the candy or the snacks. Stay away from the pop or the cheese. Choose items that you know are delicious but also good for your diet.
Focus on your water intake to get back on track
A lot of people snack because they think they’re hungry. The truth is they’re likely thirsty. Our bodies don’t know how to tell us the difference between thirsty and hungry, so we end up snacking. Instead of doing that, look at upping your water intake.
I have a water bottle that tracks my water in ounces (and by the hour). It helps me remain on track to drink 64oz of water each day, and I tend not to snack as much because of that. It’s helped me stay on track with my diet.
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Track your measurements and not your weight
There was a day a couple of weeks ago I gained 5lbs. I hated it, and I couldn’t understand why. I hadn’t even fallen off the diet at that point. Seeing that would have led to be overeating that day or undereating and still having a problem with my weight.
So, I decided to take my measurements instead. I compared to the last time and found that I was down. There is truth in the statement “muscle weighs more than fat,” and I chose to believe that this was the case in this moment. It kept me on track and two weeks later I lost that 5lbs and more.
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What do you do to get yourself back on track with your diet? Share in the comments below.
