how to get back on track?

Getting back on track is probably easily one of the top 3 questions I get on a daily basis and you know for the longest time I didn’t really know how to answer it in a meaningful way. My answer used to basically be: “just hop back on track!” I mean you fell off track right? That’s totally fine, you don’t have to punish yourself for it or anything just go back to doing the things you were doing before falling off track.

But then over time as I keep getting asked the same question and replied to it in as many variations as I could I realized the question is a lot deeper than “I fell down, what do I do?” and me saying “um, just get back up?”

So let’s dig a little deeper today.

I think the first thing you gotta identify is why you fell off track. If it’s cos of special events or vacations, or you just had a bad day (temporary things) then it’s really no biggie and the answer to getting back on track from there simply don’t be so hard on yourself and just go back to doing the things you were doing before. The weight loss journey isn’t about perfection. There are inevitably gonna be off days and that’s totally fine. As long as there’s more “on” days then “off” days over the year you’ll be making progress no matter what.

Now if you fell off track cos your diet program is just way too hard (eating way too little, and/or exercising too much) then technically you didn’t fall off track. Your program is just way too hard to begin with and you had no chance of keeping on track in the first place. If that’s the case then it’s just an issue of making changes to your program. Remember no matter how mighty and great a program may seem, if you can’t stick to it it’s pointless. You can’t reap any of its benefits if you can’t stick to it. So in this case make your program less hard and get back on track.

Focus on the long term, not quick results. Quick results are temporary.

Then there’s also the case of say you were on a diet, you were doing well, but for whatever life reason you had to take a break for a 2-3 of months. After the long break you find it super hard to go back on track to what you were doing 2-3 months ago. It’s actually quite normal and happens to a lot of people. In 2-3 months there could be a lot of changes in your life. Changes in perception, preferences, lifestyle. What used to be easy for you in the lifestyle you had 2-3 months ago might not work for your lifestyle now. So what do you do? Make the necessary changes to your diet to make it more realistic to how you are now. Use your old diet as a template and make some tweaks and then get back on track.

A diet isn’t an IKEA instruction manual where if you follow all the steps exactly every time you are guaranteed with a finished product. A diet constantly changes along with your lifestyle.

One thing I want to highlight on getting back on track is please please please please don’t punish yourself. I know I know, I’ve been there too, but really there’s no positives that come from punishing yourself. Making yourself starve more to “make up” for being off track is really just building yourself to mess up again soon. Beating yourself up mentally is just bad vibes all around and has zero contribution towards your final goals. I know it’s a lot easier said than done, but truly be kinder to yourself. It’s normal to fall off track. I mean that’s life, since when did we do everything everyday every moment perfectly?

Never.

Our diet’s exactly the same.

Fact is if you never give up, if you keep being aware of why you fell off track, keep making the necessary changes you gotta make and keep getting back on track, reaching your goals really just becomes a matter of time. Each time you don’t give up when you fall you’re inching towards that finish line.

Yes, it will take a long time. It’s supposed to. The fastest way to reach the end of your weight loss journey is to keep getting back on track stick to it as consistently as possible.

That’s the actual shortcut.

Till the next one! Hope you're well and safe!

—Po.