We’ve all been there---the week has been rough and all you want is that donut. You try to have will power but the stress of your day is taking over and you say screw it, I can and I WILL have that donut! You soak in every moment of it--the flaky pastry, the gooey icing, the crunch of the sprinkles. You think no big deal, I’ve been making healthy choices and life is all about balance, and boy did that donut hit the spot. You move on with your day, but then the next day comes and you remember how good that donut made you feel, even if it was just temporarily. Next thing you know you’re down a rabbit hole of donuts, tacos, and gummy bears before you can say flexible dieting!
We’ve ALL been there. The past couple of weeks have been a little rough for me because I’ve been dealing with a shoulder injury. I’ve been bummed that I’m not able to do all the things I love to do, and I’ve been making some not great food choices as a result. Yes, even a nutrition coach can make poor food choices! The result was I was mad at myself. I needed to get out of my slump and get myself together, but being mad at myself was getting in the way of turning it around.
This week I also had a conversation with one of my best friends who is on an incredible weight loss journey of over 50lbs so far. She is still mad at herself for having gained a few pounds back over Christmas. She’s upset because she should be a few pounds closer to making her goal if it wasn’t for that. She’s been beating herself up over this for 4 months!
So this got me thinking: why do we do this to ourselves?? Why do we beat ourselves up when we can’t go back and change the past? We have to be forgiving of ourselves in order to move forward and reach our goals.
What good does beating ourselves up do? Does it make us better friends, parents, spouses? Does it make our bodies healthier? The answer is NO. If anything it impedes our progress. I truly believe that good nutrition is a form of self-love. This means we have to love ourselves in order to be properly motivated to make healthy lifestyle choices. Life is about balance, but when the scale tips too far the one way, we have to forgive ourselves and move forward. You can’t change yesterday, but you can change today, and you can make the decision to have a positive mindset and a forgiving heart.