How To Get Back On Track After a Major Fall Back

Allowing yourself a cheat meal here and there is manageable, but what happens when those cheat meals happen every day? Then maybe multiple times a day? Now you're at the point where you're not even motivated to workout. So you're basically eating poorly, not moving your body and BAM you've fallen off. We have all done it where we just care less. Life gets in the way and becomes way more intense then usual. You begin to feel tired all the time, sluggish, unmotivated, bloated, any of these sound familiar?

I have fallen off my game many times, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I may find every excuse in the book as to why I have again, but at the end of the day I know the deal. It all starts and ends with me. No one is force feeding me or stopping me from exercising. I make all of my own decisions which is sometimes a blessing and a curse.

This past "fall" we can call it, I fell hard. I stopped eating healthy altogether, along with my workouts. When I had enough of my pity party and was ready to put in the work I got clobbered with a cold that knocked me right back on my ass. Once I started to regain my strength and breathe out of my nose, I needed to make a new plan. I'm pretty sure everyone's New Year's resolutions is to lose weight and be healthy. But without a plan your goal is nothing more than just a wish. I refused to let this time around be like the others. 

It's easy to order in a pizza when you don't feel like cooking or snuggle up on the couch during these winter months instead of hitting the gym. But easy isn't so easy after awhile. After awhile you start to gain weight, you don't feel great and in the end you'll still have to put in the work to get rid of those extra lbs.

So what was my plan? Well, as a certified personal trainer and nutrition specialist I obviously knew what to do. I had all the knowledge from my certifications and experience with my own trials and my clients. But I still needed to make a new plan. If an old one didn't work, why would I try it again? That is the definition of madness; doing the same thing again and expecting a different result. Our bodies change which means our regimens need to change with us.

First I made a list of bad habits I had adopted to switch out for some new ones.

Bad vs. Good
No breakfast vs. Cooking breakfast at home
Latte vs. Black coffee
Buying lunch vs. Prepping lunch at home
White pasta vs. Brown rice / Whole wheat pasta 
Crackers/Chips vs. Fruits/Vegetables
Cheese/Mayo vs. Hummus
Skipping meals vs. Green drinks
Taco shells vs. Lettuce cups
Taco/Burrito/Nachos vs. Make it a salad
Margarita vs. Tequila w/ Soda & Lime
Protein bars vs. Home made energy balls

I had adopted other poor habits that had nothing to do with eating and everything to do with my mind, body and soul.

Bad vs. Good
Staying up late vs. 8 hours of sleep
Messy bedroom vs. Cleaning and doing laundry
Social media scrolling vs. Reading books 
Watching TV vs. Writing (My favorite hobby)
Elevator vs. Taking the stairs
Putting errands off vs. Allotting time each week for errands

Small changes make a big difference. It's hard to quit everything cold turkey but small steps lead up to big goals. You have to start somewhere.

This is how my clients and I start after a downfall:
-Start prepping on Sunday
-Start on Monday to intergrade your routine in with your work/daily life schedule
-Buy a calendar to track your daily progress
-Always have water and a healthy snack with you
-Meal prep enough for the week so you don't miss a meal and binge on bad foods
-Don't make dinner plans for at least two weeks; get yourself in a healthy routine before you interrupt it
-Purchase a workout guide, hire a trainer, workout with a friend or get back into your previous workout routine
-Keep healthy food in the house (try to get rid of all negative temptations)
-Take pictures of yourself as a reminder to see how far you've come

*Have fun with it! Becoming the healthiest version of yourself shouldn't be a chore. Your body deserves the absolute best nutrients you can give it.*