I Cheated On My Diet, Now What?
Dieting Tips: How to Get Back on Track When You Slipped Up on Your Diet
Dieting isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon. If you want to see great results, you’ll have to stick with your diet with a long-term mindset and commitment. Understand, everyone slips up from time to time. Maybe you had a big piece of cake at that office party yesterday. Perhaps you over-ate during the holidays, and you may be feeling guilty as those numbers on the scale slide upwards.
Just because you slipped up doesn’t mean you can’t get back on track. Use these tips to help you stay the course–even if you slipped up.
Forgive Yourself
Beating yourself up over a slip-up isn’t going to help. What’s done is done. Accept what’s happened and resolve to do better when facing future dieting challenges. Dieting shouldn’t be about self-hatred or self-deprecation. In fact, dieting from a place of care and self-love is much more effective. Pick yourself up with kindness and get back on track immediately.
Reach Out to a Friend or Diet Coach
Going it alone on the diet trail can be tough. Reaching out for support from a good friend also dieting or expert diet coach can help immensely. If no one in your social circle can relate, set regular appointments with a diet coach. Talking with someone who truly understands your struggles and can provide expert advice for overcoming challenges can make the difference between diet success and failure. A good diet coach is always ready for your call and can provide support, encouragement, and even practical tips for sticking with your diet on both the best and worst of days.
Evaluate What Happened
It’s a good idea to examine the situation that led you to slip up in the first place. Perhaps you went on an outing without eating a healthy meal before then, you became so hungry you ended up eating junk. In the future, you can resolve to eat healthy meals before going out, or make sure you have plenty of healthy snacks on hand. That way, you won’t end up eating unhealthy foods outside the bounds of your diet.
Every situation is different, but they all present a learning opportunity for doing better in the future. By evaluating what went wrong, you can make a better plan for facing diet challenges in the future.
Strengthen Your Resolve
Sometimes, slipping up is a matter of discipline. Discipline is like a muscle; it needs to be exercised to strengthen it. Maybe you don’t have good control now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t develop it to be stronger. Every time you slip up is an opportunity to work on strengthening your discipline. Discipline requires practice in the face of temptation. So, get out there and practice, practice, practice! It will get easier.
Get Back on Track
Dieting isn’t easy, and it’s unrealistic to expect yourself to stick to it one hundred percent without ever making a mistake. However, diets do require long-term commitment to be effective. Be kind to yourself. By taking a positive and constructive attitude when you slip up, you’ll be more likely to stick to your diet in the long-term and get the results you want.
