I Failed. Now What?

I frequently see people that have established a solid goal and are actively heading in the right direction. Then all of a sudden, some of their friends go and do something selfish, like get married. The wedding rolls around and all of a sudden there are tons of foods that don’t fit into their nutrition plan. Or maybe they go on vacation and there isn’t a gym so it throws off their workouts.

So, when these events happen, what is the best course of action? Well, let’s go over a few points to remember.

80 Equals 95

One of my favorite nutrition gurus, Mark Sisson, says that if you eat correctly 80% of the time then you get 95% of the benefits. If you are training to be Mr. Olympia then this rule probably isn’t for you. However, if you’re just someone who is doing their best to be healthy, then this is a rule that is necessary to remember.

So often I see people that have a minor setback in their nutrition or workouts and it leads them to a catastrophic failure. When they eat something they shouldn’t, it ends up destroying their motivation and drive. They see the minor setback as something bigger than it is and it leads to them falling further off track. 

Realistically, they just need to recognize it, get back on track, and do their best to have the most amount of time between setbacks as possible. You truly do get most of the benefit if you get it right most of the time. Those little setbacks are nothing for your body to compensate for and overcome.

Rule of 2’s

This is a simple one and I do my best to stick to it. Essentially, when I miss a workout, I don’t allow myself to miss a second one. If I eat poorly one meal, I don’t let myself do it at the next meal.

When I used to be too hard on myself I would have a slip up in the morning and think my whole day is ruined. I would just keep eating badly all day. Later in life I realized that it is so silly to look at it that way and changed my perspective. Now, I just don’t allow myself to get off track two in a row.

In Conclusion

Remember, we are usually too hard on ourselves. Unless you are trying to become a top tier athlete or to compete in a fitness competition, you need to forgive yourself when you slip up. It isn’t the end of the world. Do your best to get back on track and just put more time between slip ups. Your life will get significantly less stressful and you’ll see more results this way.

Stay healthy.