(This is a repeat, but a good reminder!)
I don’t remember which weight loss blog I read this on, but I’ll never forget the quote: “When you get a flat tire, you change it and keep driving; you don’t pop the other three tires”. Fabulous, right?
We all have times when we fall off the health wagon. Why did I eat that? Why did I eat ALL of that? Why did I stay up so late? Lifting sofa cushions to find the remote counts as exercise, right?
There are weeks when my butt is firmly seated in the health wagon and I’m buckled up and facing front. There are also weeks when I’m more like a little kid who’s hanging over the side trying to hit the wheel with a stick. I’m still in the wagon, but I’m being stupid. I reach a little too far and suddenly I’m eating dirt. (Low in calories, but not recommended. It tastes awful, even covered in chocolate… I mean broccoli.)
What do you do when you fall off the health wagon? You get back on. Make better choices starting now, but don’t beat yourself up about the ones you already made. If beating yourself up counted as exercise, I’d say “Knock yourself out!” But it’s not, and that was a great pun, wouldn’t you agree?
In ten years it won’t matter that you fell, it’ll matter that you didn’t stay down in the dirt. Is falling off the wagon frustrating? You bet. Painful? Sometimes. Embarrassing? Sure. But you still have three good tires. Each day is a new day and each morning you wake up on the wagon. And next time that little kid won’t lean out quite so far to hit the wheel with a stick. Perfection is not realistic, so we’re not aiming for perfect here, we’re aiming for not-stupid.
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26
How have you handled a fall from the health wagon? What helps you get back on or stay on?
Sex, Soup, and 2 Fisted Eating 
so…we’re aiming for “not-stupid”. I love it.
it’s not necessarily a year round option, but going hiking in the woods helps get back on the wagon. Another trick if you are determined to lean out of the wagon too far is to walk for the junk – junk food is at a store a half mile away, that’s fine, walk and get it. It ends up being harder to eat the junk by the time you get there.
I love this idea!
Pretty awesome perspective here. We know many people (ourselves included) that have a cheat meal that turns into a cheat day that turns into a cheat week. Once we start sliding we feel it’s easier to keep sliding. Sometimes you have to just brush it off, acknowledge it and move on. Great post!
Exactly!