Guest Post by Scott Milford of Quitting Sugar, a great moderator in our Low Carb Challenge. Enjoy! 😀
Stop what you’re doing. Let’s take five.
It’s time for a little pep-talk here. It breaks my heart to see so many frustrated people beat themselves up for “cheating” on their diets, or falling off the wagon completely. They feel like they have no willpower and like they have failed… again and again.
It doesn’t need to be that way.
Sometimes you just need someone to hold your hand and make it okay; make it alright for you to not be so hard on yourself. So I’d like to help you with that.
Why? Because I’ve been there. And now I’m seeing so many other people doing the same thing.
How can you stop beating yourself up, and feeling like a failure?
When you make a choice, you also receive the consequences of those choices. Perhaps in the moment, you made your choice out of weakness, perhaps it was intentional. But none of that matters when the choice is being made. It’s one choice out of many that you’ll face in your life; one out of many in a single day.
No one individual choice in your life is so important that you need to beat yourself up endlessly for making it. This only makes you feel bad about yourself. And the version of you that I’m seeing doesn’t deserve that. It’s simply not who you really are.
Later, when the emotional turmoil that resulted from the guilt you put yourself through for making that choice has ended and you’re feeling calmer, review your choice. That’s the time to figure out how you feel about it. Do you wish you would have made a different choice? If not, then all is well. If so, then this is the time for you to analyze what conditions exist that led you to make that choice in the first place.
Next time you’re going to be in that situation you can plan ahead, knowing you might face a situation that may challenge your resolve. Put steps in place that will boost you up, make you feel stronger and more determined, and that help you make the choice that you would prefer to make.
For example, let’s say you’re heading to a bridal shower and you know there’s going to be alcohol and plenty of high-carb foods. For a few days leading up to the shower, you might carry around an affirmation with you. And several times each day, you’ll read it:
“I am stronger than any food or drink. I will NOT drink alcohol or eat high-carb foods today! Instead, I will be an example of a strong and disciplined person. I will make healthy choices because I am worth it.”
We all slip once in a while and make choices we regret.
But… and here’s where the magic comes in… don’t feel bad about your choices!! Seriously, don’t. Why? Because nobody is perfect. Until you’ve practiced facing your diet weaknesses and are finally strong enough to not succumb to them, then know that you’re a work-in-progress. Know that your way of eating is a work-in-progress, and that your life is a work-in-progress as well.
Every experience unfolds and you absorb each lesson. You learn from the choices you make and learn how to make different ones. Over time, the outcomes begin to match the vision you have of yourself… the vision of the real you.
Own each choice you make, and have fun with every step. There’s no need to hurt yourself for not being perfect. Instead, love yourself for being imperfect… just like everybody else.
Deep down inside, the you that is patiently waiting to come out is beautiful, strong, confident, and happy. Strive to be the true you that you know you really are.
– Scott Milford, QuittingSugar.com
* Thank you, Scott! Great motivation and inspiration, and some nice words of wisdom from someone who’s “been there done that”! If you’d like to connect with Scott on Facebook, click here and Like his page. 😉
Leave a Reply