Jeannie, Tristan and I were out eating at a local Pearland restaurant recently.  While there we noticed a client; who walked right on past us without a glimpse towards our direction.  This particular client who is normally very talkative and personal went right on by.

I tried not to take it too personally…as Jeannie helped me understand.

About 30 minutes later I got an email from this particular client apologizing for not saying anything.  (Which in truth they didnt need to by any count.)  This particular client said that they felt embarrassed because they thought I would judge or get on them for what they ate at their dinner that particular night.  They called it a “slip” if you will.

 

I reassured this client first and foremost no need to apologize to me or for their slip.  Below you will see some reasons why you shouldn’t feel any shame for a “slip”.

 

Slips are times when you don’t follow your plans for healthy eating or exercising.

Slips are:

• A normal part of lifestyle change.  Just like falling down is a normal part of skiing.  If you are going to ski, you are going to fall.  All skiers will fall.  And everyone who sets out to lose weight and be more active will have slips.
• To be expected.  If you haven’t already had some slips, you most certainly will have them in the future.  Slips are inevitable.

 

Does this sound discouraging?  Well, it doesn’t have to be.  Because slips don’t hurt your progress.  What hurts your progress is the way you react to slips.

 

 

SOME THINGS THAT CAUSE YOU TO STOP FROM EATING HEALTHY OR EXERCISING

Different people have different things that cause them to slip.  For example, moods or feelings cause many people to slip from healthy eating.

 

Some of us tend to overeat when we’re happy.

 

Imagine:  Your family is celebrating.  Maybe it’s a holiday, a birthday, or a vacation.  There is plenty of everyone’s favorite foods, from appetizers to desserts.  And for years, your family’s custom has been to “take it easy,” have fun and just relax during these times.  What would this situation be like for you?  Would you tend to slip in this kind of situation?

 

Some of us are more vulnerable to overeating when we’re bored.

 

Imagine:   You’re at home alone, watching a favorite TV program.  You’re feeling okay, pretty relaxed, but a little bored.  A commercial comes on at the end of the program, and you find yourself wandering into the kitchen.  What would this be like for you?

 

Other people overeat when upset.

 

Imagine:  You are settling down for a relaxing evening at home.  Someone in your family starts to talk about something that’s been part of an ongoing argument between the two of you.  You both get angry and you head for the kitchen.  What would this situation be like for you?

 

You’re behind on a project at work.  The boss has been looking in on you every 10 minutes and glaring at you impatiently.  You feel pressured and very tense.  You go get yourself a cup of coffee and see a delicious snack that someone brought this morning.  What would this be like for you?

The situations that lead to slips differ from person to person.  For example, you may tend to eat when you’re bored, whereas someone else may get involved in a hobby.  Or when you are at a party, you may be so busy talking and laughing that you forgot to eat, whereas someone else may find the goodies are just too tempting.  What causes you to slip is learned.  It is a habit.

 

The way you react to slips is also a habit.  You can learn a new way to react to slips that will get you back on your feet again.

 

 

WHAT TO DO AFTER A SLIP TO GET BACK ON YOUR FEET AGAIN

 

First, remember two things:

• Slips are normal and to be expected.
  99.99% of all people who are on their way to losing weight and being more active have slips.  But a slip doesn’t need to lead to giving up completely.  Slips can and should be useful learning experiences.
• No one time of overeating or not being active, no matter how extreme, will ruin everything.  You won’t gain more than a few pounds of weight even after the biggest eating binge imaginable-unless you stay off track and keep overeating time and time again.  The slip is not the problem.  The problem occurs if you don’t get back on your feet again and keep going towards your goals.

 

So after you have a slip:

1. Talk back to negative thoughts with positive thoughts.
   The negative thoughts that come after a slip can be your worst enemy.  They can lead to feeling discouraged, guilty and angry and undermine your ability to handle the slip effectively.  Talk back to the negative thoughts with positive ones.  “I am not a failure because I have slipped.  I can get back on my feet again.”
2. Next, ask yourself what happened.
   Use the opportunity to look closely at the situation and ask yourself what happened.  Was it a special occasion?  If so, is it likely to happen again soon?  Did you overeat because you were lonely, bored, or depressed?  Did you eat because of social pressure?  Did you skip activity because you were too busy with other things, or because of work and family pressures?  Learn from the slip.
   Then you can plan a strategy for handling the situation better next time.  Can you avoid this situation in the future?  If you can’t avoid it, can you manage it in a better way?
3. Regain control the very next time you can.
   Do not tell yourself, “Well, I blew if for the day,” and wait until the next day to start following your plan.  Make your very next meal a healthy one.  Get back on schedule with you activity plan right away.  You will not have set yourself back very much if you follow this suggestion.
4. Talk to someone supportive.
   Discuss your new strategy for handling slips.  Commit yourself to renewed effort.
5. Finally, focus on all the positive changes you have made and realize that you can get back on track.  The same person who “blew it” today is the same person who has been successful during many previous weeks.  Slips do not reveal the “real you” (hopeless, lacking willpower, etc.).  they are simply another occasion of behavior.  Remember, you are making life-long changes.  Slips are just one part of the process.

 

 

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 27th, 2010 at 11:02 am and is filed under Nutrition. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.