This week I fell off the wagon. And by that I mean that I indulged in an unplanned gluten free cookie-making adventure with my granddaughter. I ate some of the dough and one of the cookies. Now that may not sound like a lot to you, but my body, I know for a fact, is very intolerant of sugar.
Raise your hand if you ever “fall off the wagon.” You have been “good” all week with your eating and then someone brings in something special to work or you are stressed out and reach for some candy, cookies or crackers for energy or just to get some relief. Or you have a disagreement with your kids or spouse and you reach for whatever is handy to make you feel better. I see a lot of virtual raised hands.
Back to my “fall off the wagon” incident. Normally, if I am going to have a sweet treat, I plan it in advance. But I plan pretty carefully, because I know that my blood sugar is going to go soaring and may take a day to get back to the normal range, from prediabetic (or close to it) to normal. Generally if I do have the dough and/or cookie, I do not feel that great. Especially the next day. I know this and yet sometimes I succumb to the urge for this unplanned sweat treat. Plus having fun with my granddaughteris a good thing.
First of all, I don’t really believe in “falling off the wagon.” Either you are eating in way that serves you and your body or you aren’t. Nothing against occasional exceptions, but I do believe they should be planned at least 24 hours in advance. That way you aren’t doing it impulsively in response to a negative emotion or just the thought of a positive one, instead of just dealing with it.
So, what do we do in the aftermath of a “fall” or not following the kind of plan that will really be good for your body?
We have a choice. We can beat ourselves up in self-condemnation. That feels familiar, but it is rarely helpful in the long run. Negative reinforcement doesn’t really work, but it’s something we do, right?
Or we say, what the heck, I’ve strayed this much, I might as well eat and drink what I want the rest of the weekend and I will start fresh Monday morning. I know I have certainly said and done this. Again, not really helpful. You end up feeling bad physically and mentally come Monday morning.
I’d like to offer an alternative.
Try treating yourself with kindness and compassion. It’s hard, right? Especially when you feel like you have really messed up your plan to eat healthy and/or lose weight. Kindness is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 5:22) I have written a couple of other posts about some other fruits of the Spirit, love and gentleness and how you can use them to take care of your mind and body. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you when you get in this situation of wanting to beat yourself up.
Here is an opportunity to treat yourself with kindness as you would a good friend who may have gone off track. Typically, you would not chastise them, right? You would be kind and supportive. Help them to think about the circumstances. What prompted the “fall off the wagon?” How could they have handled it differently?
Recognize that we are human, we have emotions and we do react sometimes. We do stuff that doesn’t make sense. It’s ok, Just tell yourself you’ll do better next time. Learn from it. And move on.
That’s what I did this week. My first reaction was to think, “Jane, are you crazy? You know what that will do to your blood sugar!” Smack down. Then I thought, “OK, I know now what doing that did to my blood sugar. Again. I do not want to become prediabetic again and I do not want to get that muffin top back, either. I’ll know better next time.”
Will you try this the next time you “fall off the wagon?” It’s way more helpful and productive to try kindness, instead of meanness. It’s also way better for you physically and mentally.
Kindness is the way to go.
Would you like to some help with treating yourself with kindness, eating healthy, losing weight and taking care of your body? Send me an email at jane@janespringer.com and we will talk about your challenges and whether we might be a good fit to work together. I look forward to it!
Jane Springer is a certified Life, Wellness and Style Coach who assists women in taking care of themselves, in body, mind and spirit. She coaches women who want to lose weight, avoid diabetes, and feel great. She also helps them thrive after divorce. She also helps them to clear their closets of old clothes and outdated attitudes, so they can shine and feel confident.