Getting back on track following a setback in your weight loss (or any goal!) is not easy.  However, there are a few practices that will help minimize the negative effects of such a setback.

1)  First, remember that set-backs are a normal part of reaching a weight loss goal, or any goal.  It’s all about how quickly you get your mind ‘back in the game’.  Setbacks will happen again in the future; so, the faster you can re-motivate yourself this time, the easier it will be to do so next time.  Keep in mind that the true key to success is not to keep from falling, but to learn how to get back up and moving as quickly as possible.

Often when we are feeling negative, we will single-out and dwell on all the other negative things going on.  After all, ‘misery loves company’.  

But instead of focusing on the frustration you feel knowing that this is the third challenge you’ve faced, or lamenting that the challenges are going to keep coming…try instead to use those ‘combative’ feelings to tap into your competitive side...Dig down into the part of you that says, ‘bring it’, and ‘forget climbing the hill, I want to tackle that mountain!’  

Try to think of the problems that lie ahead, instead, as additional obstacles for you to overcome that will simply make your success that much sweeter in the end.  After all, are you more proud of an accomplishment that was easy and simple?  Or one that was an epic journey riddled with pitfalls?

2)  Also remember, you are not alone.  No one who has ever achieved a worthy goal has done so with a perfect track record. 

Here are just a few examples:

• Henry Ford:  Failed in his early business ventures and was left broke 5 times before he successfully founded the Ford Motor Company.

• Walt Disney:  Was fired by a newspaper editor who said he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” 

• Thomas Edison: Was fired from 2 jobs and made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at the light bulb before one attempt finally worked.

• Oprah Winfrey:  Was fired from her job as a television reporter because she was said to be, “unfit for TV.”

3)  Next, while you may be discouraged by a loss of progression the scale, keep in mind that something you have not lost is knowledge.  Knowledge of how you reached that goal to begin with (which may have taken some trial and error the first time around) can now be put into place and work for you much more quickly this time.

4)  Also, review your successes and remind yourself of how far you have already come.  Are you more energized than you were when you began?  Liking more fruits and veggies?  Are you still down 2 sizes from where you started?  Recognize and credit yourself for improvements that you have already made, and set a specific goal for the next small milestone you want to reach. 

5)  Also, don’t forget to celebrate how ‘it could have been worse’.  Even though you may be lamenting a gain of 3 pounds over vacation, think back to previous vacations...How much do you think you may have put on during those vacations when you didn't already have a few healthy practices in place?

Instead of thinking in ‘black and white’, or ‘perfect or terrible’, celebrate the gray areas; celebrate that “it could have been much worse”.   Because, for every pound you avoided gaining, that’s a huge win.  Reminding yourself of these small wins keeps you focused on the positive and help get you re-motivate more quickly.

6)  Remember too, most gains put on after you have reached a new low on the scale are partly water weight and will off quickly.  Just like exercise, if your body has been at a certain fitness level or lower weight recently, it will be able to get back to that stage far more quickly the second time.

7)  Finally, track any and all factors related to both the slip and to your recovery.  This way, you know both: what to watch out for and possibly to differently next time, and also what works to help get you re-motivated ASAP.

“You don't drown by falling in the water, you drown by staying there!" 

(Edwin Louis Cole)

For a few years now we've had the treadmill upstairs in the corner of the living room.  Recently, we decided to move it to the basement....

...Last week, in order to move around some furniture in the living room we moved the treadmill to the end of the hallway - a temporary 'halfway to the basement' spot....

Unfortunately (or so I thought) this means that I literally have to step over / scoot around the treadmill each and every time I walk back and forth down the hall to get to the bedroom, go to the bathroom, change the kids...etc.

But then, another new development began...

I've now run on the treadmill EVERY DAY since moving it to this - admittedly inconvenient - yet highly conspicuous spot!   In fact: most days I've run on it MULTIPLE times!

...Why is this...?

...Simple!  Each time I step over, around or stub my toe on it (ouch!) I am physically reminded about my running goals, my weight loss goals and in my minds eye I remember how great it feels to start pushing it to higher and higher speeds and feel those endorphins rushing through me!

The moral of the story?

While I doubt the middle of the hall will be the permanent location for the treadmill - it is obvious that placing elements of your goal where you literally have to trip over them - sets you up for success!

So what are you goals?

...Fill your pockets with notes, your calendar with reminders, your bathroom mirror with sticky notes to keep it on your mind!

...Want to start working out in the mornings?  Set your alarm across the room and place your workout clothes and shoes up where you will see them.  Ok, maybe not where you'll actually trip - please don't blame me for any half-awake nosedives! (Unless that is what it takes to wake you up and get you moving!)

The point is - make tasks to reach your goals goals 'smack-you-in-the-face' as often as possible - set yourself up for success by laying out obvious, easy and straightforward reminders Anywhere & Anytime you can!

Unlike the 'what comes first the chicken or the egg' debate - the thoughts about happiness seem clear cut.  We think that when we work hard enough to build a life to support happiness - then we will be happy.

But in fact - we've got this completely backwards.

Again and again we continue to think -

....'I just need ____ and then I'll be happy.'  

.....'Once _____ is over, then I'll be happy.  ' 

....'Once I get _____ in order, then I'll be happy.'

If you continue to have thoughts similar to these then I have bad news for you:


The truth is that there will always be another '_____' standing in your way.  Situations will continue to arise again and again so that even once one is gone another will still seem to be 'standing in the way' of your happiness.

But this is all an illusion - because happiness is a state of mind.  Your mind can be happy right here, right now - you just need to choose to be there.

In fact - making this choice will help bring the rest of your life into alignment - and much more quickly than it is falling into place now!

Why?

Because it is proven time and time again that those who operate in a happier state are:

....easier to get along with.
....faster to make friends.
....make a bigger and wonderful impression on others
....more likely to advance at work
....make connections much more easily
....are better, faster and more efficient at all they do.

The list goes on and on of benefits that you will receive once you decide to be happy.



Think of happiness as a seed....It may start off very small and not seem to have a big effect on your day.

...When you choose happiness you will not immediately turn into Gene Kelly and begin skipping down the street singing "Singing in the Rain"....

The more you water it with happy thoughts and the more you protect it from negativity, the more you will begin to notice how the world around you seems to change....

...when in reality you are just looking at it through happier eyes, with a happier disposition and it begins to reflect back to you in the same way.

To help you remember this great 'reflection principal' - click here to read a story about 2 dogs.

There is a story they tell of two dogs.  
Both at separate times walk into the same room.

One comes out wagging his tail
while the other comes out growling.

A woman watching this goes into the room to see 
what could possibly make one dog so happy
and the other so mad.

To her surprise
she finds a room filled with mirrors. 

The happy dog found 
a thousand happy dogs looking back at him 
while the angry dog
saw only angry dogs growling back at him. 

What you see in the world around you 
is a reflection of who you are. 


Keep this story of the two dogs in mind as you go throughout your day.  See how often you frown - and see that frown returned or better yet - see how often you smile - and then see that smile returned!

The world around reacts to us while we think we are reacting to the world.

Start by choosing happiness and see how your world begins to smile (or wag its tail) back at you!

Getting back on track following a setback in your weight loss is not easy.  However, there are a few practices that will help minimize the negative effects of such a setback.
     
1) First, remember that set-backs are a normal part of reaching a weight loss goal, or any goal.  It’s all about how quickly you get your mind ‘back in the game’.  Setbacks will happen again in the future; so, the faster you can re-motivate yourself this time, the easier it will be to do so next time.  Keep in mind that the true key to success is not to keep from falling, but to learn how to get back up and moving as quickly as possible. 

2) Often when we are feeling negative, we will single-out and dwell on all the other negative things going on.  After all, ‘misery loves company’.  But instead of focusing on the frustration you feel knowing that this is the third challenge you’ve faced, or lamenting that the challenges are going to keep coming…try instead to use those ‘combative’ feelings to tap into your competitive side.  

Dig down into the part of you that says, ‘bring it’, and ‘forget climbing the hill, I want to tackle that mountain!’  Try to think of the problems that lie ahead, instead, as additional obstacles for you to overcome that will simply make your success that much sweeter in the end.  After all, are you more proud of an accomplishment that was easy and simple?  Or one that was an epic journey riddled with pitfalls?

3) Also remember, you are not alone.  No one who has ever achieved a worthy goal has done so with a perfect track record.  

Here are just a few examples: 

Henry Ford:  Failed in his early business ventures and was left broke 5 times before he successfully founded the Ford Motor Company. 

Walt Disney:  Was fired by a newspaper editor who said he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.”  

Thomas Edison:  Was fired from 2 jobs and made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at the light bulb before one attempt finally worked. 

Oprah Winfrey:  Was fired from her job as a television reporter because she was said to be, “unfit for TV.” 

4) Next, while you may be discouraged by a loss of progression the scale, keep in mind that something you have not lost is knowledge.  Knowledge of how you reached that goal to begin with (which may have taken some trial and error the first time around) can now be put into place and work for you much more quickly this time.

5) Remember to review your successes and remind yourself of how far you have already come.  Are you more energized than you were when you began?  Liking more fruits and veggies?  Are you still down 2 sizes from where you started?  Recognize and credit yourself for improvements that you have already made, and set a specific goal for the next small milestone you want to reach.  

6) Also, don’t forget to celebrate how ‘it could have been worse’.  Even though you may be lamenting a gain of 3 pounds over vacation, think back to previous vacations...How much do you think you may have put on during those vacations when you didn't already have a few healthy practices in place?  Instead of thinking in ‘black and white’, or ‘perfect or terrible’, celebrate the gray areas; celebrate that “it could have been much worse”.   Because, for every pound you avoided gaining, that’s a huge win!  Reminding yourself of these small wins keeps you focused on the positive and help get you re-motivate more quickly. 

Remember too, most gains put on after you have reached a new low on the scale are partly water weight and will off quickly.  Just like exercise, if your body has been at a certain fitness level or lower weight recently, it will be able to get back to that stage far more quickly the second time. 

7) Finally, track any and all factors related to both the slip and to your recovery.  This way, you know both: what to watch out for and possibly to differently next time, and also what works to help get you re-motivated ASAP. 

Above all, always keep in mind: 

“You don't drown by falling in the water, you drown by staying there!" 

- Edwin Louis Cole 

• M - Motivation - You've got to be inspired to want something, do something, have something.  Write down your current goals and always keep your eyes open for the next goal you want to tackle. 

• O - Opportunity - The next thing you need to do is to learn how to identify and seize opportunities toward reaching these goals.  Keep in mind - they are there day in and day out and may not be what or where you expect.  Once you learn where to find them, you will begin to reach your goals faster and easier than ever!

• R - Real - As in "Realistic", learn how to set up realistic goals and realistic expectations that will actually work in your "REAL" life. Real, also as in "Actual"...

• E - Effort - Life provides opportunities all around you to take advantage of...but not only do you have to be motivated to want them, savvy enough to see and seize them, and level-headed enough to plan within the constraints of your 'real' life, but finally - you must be willing to put in the work, expend the effort.  To REALLY and ACTUALLY take the time and expend the energy needed to attain those goals.  

Nothing comes for free.  At least nothing that's truly worth having.  Using the steps above you can break down getting anything you want as quickly and efficiently as possible.

So - go make a list of goals, and get ready for MORE lessons, e-books and helpful guides to reaching your goals and improving your life!

...This isn’t as much a question for me to answer as it is for you to answer.  Why are they?  If you are reading this blog there is obviously a goal itching somewhere inside your mind.  Give it the time of day - right now - and answer the following questions:

1. Why are you worth making time for those goals?  
2. How will you be a better person, how will you be in a better place, personally, professionally or physically once you reach these goals? 
3. How long have you been aiming to achieve this/these goals?  
4. What will be different about your life once you do? 

A Goal Deferred...

An unfinished goal, know it or not, weighs on your subconscious.  We all know how these things go...the longer you put it off the harder it is to get started and the less confident we feel that we will ever succeed.  Realize that no matter how slight, the negative feelings associated with a 'goal deferred' can negatively infect other areas of your life.  Like a virus, feelings of regret, lack of confidence and/or frustration will surface again and more prominently with each new goal that is presented.

I can't possibly give a better visual than the great Langston Hughes, so I'll let him help me paint this picture:

What happens to a dream deferred?
by Langston Hughes Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore--
And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load. Or does it explode?

How to fix it?  Simply try!

Trying to accomplish a goal is a sign of hope, confidence and positivity. Even if things don't work out as you hope or expect your positive attitude will spill over into the next goal and keep you moving forward.

Also! - Keep in mind that a lot of the things you are ‘protecting’ now by not sacrificing a bit of time here and there will most likely end up actually benefiting once you’ve reached those goals!

...For example - say you need to sacrifice a bit of time with your spouse in the evenings to work towards your goal.  You may miss that time now but in the long run, once you accomplish your goal you will be happier, perhaps even healthier and this will greatly improve the quality of the time you both spend together.

Even if it’s not direct - you as a happier person will make you far more productive in every area of your life and better yet - it will make you a great inspiration and role model to all those around you!