I recently returned from my summer vacation and, even though I was fairly careful with my food I had gained a few pounds. There was a glass of wine here, some cashews there, a bite of someone else’s pasta (my body loves to turn that pasta right into pounds). In the past I would have gone into FULL PANIC MODE. But, not this time because I have developed trust in myself and my body to return to its natural weight.
Why panic doesn’t work
When you go into panic mode after indulging for a night or a week or even a month your brain is filled with thoughts such as “I’ll never lose this weight again,” “I’m too old,” “this is hopeless.” etc. etc. These are stressful thoughts that lead to stressful emotions like hopelessness, fear, anxiety, despair or the ever popular thought “Screw it, I’ve gained weight I’m just gonna keep going.”
You may not be able stop yourself from these stressful thoughts
But you can fill your brain and heart with loving and encouraging messages such as “I trust myself to return to my natural weight” or “so, I made a mistake, I can restart my diet right now.”
You can’t change the past
And, it’s not even remotely useful to dwell on feelings of regret and guilt (can you think of one single time guilt drove you to feel or do better?). But you can affect the future. If you got off track a bit start over. So, instead of pressing the panic button, press the reset button. Every time you have a stressful thought such as “I can’t do this, it’s gone too far” remind yourself that you are resetting and staying committed to your nutrition plan until your get to your goals.
JennyKalina.com 