Climbing out of the abyss
So you've achieved some of your eating, exercise and weight goals, but you're backsliding. Why?
I wish I knew why. Low grade depression over things you're not allowing into the forefront of your mind? Apathy because you're not getting out much these days? Tempting new products in the market? Maybe it's just that your excitement has subsided after maintaining for a while, because you're no longer experiencing rapid changes in your clothing sizes, or the surprise in the eyes of people you haven't seen in a while.
The more important question than why, is how to get back on track and feel good again, about life, about yourself. I've been on this road long enough to know you have to find ways to make it easy for yourself, because if it's too hard you'll give up and keep on the downward spiral.
So yes, I have been backsliding since around Halloween, and I didn't even buy halloween candy, nor have I been eating out much. I enjoy food blogs and cooking videos, so there is where I have to curtail my curiosity for a while, and focus on what's in my kitchen, and what I'm doing with my life.
Groceries and meal planning. If you're having a hard time, then plan a week of meals and snacks, and have groceries at the ready--no extra stuff. Have three kinds of lettuce around, two kinds of tomatoes, whatever other raw and fermented ingredients you like in your refreshing salads. Extra tons of little grape tomatoes are a secret weapon for me, for snacking. Make up a batch of your favorite dressing. Assess your supply of other veg, and plan recipes for using them up. I made a list of three recipes I want to try, with healthy combinations of proteins, veg and starch. I laid in supplies of the 30 calorie meringues, the 25 calorie pizzelle cookies and the mini ice cream cones for controlled desserts and sweet snacks.
Get moving. I have favorite videos for exercising. I would link them all, but we all have favorite music styles and rhythms. These are just two I'll offer, as easy for standing, watching and copying the motions, getting your circulation going.
This one is more complicated, and I won't do anything that requires sitting or lying on the floor. I am, however, still limber enough to bend down and place my palms flat on the floor, so the lying down stretches you see here, I do from a standing position. This features a beautiful studio, attractive people, great music to inspire and invigorate:
The two of those vids combined come to 7 minutes total, and I find myself repeating the moves any time I'm standing with nothing else to do, such as talking on the phone or standing at the stove.
I'm already feeling better just for thinking about getting back on track, and making good plans. The darkness on the path of giving up is just too frightening to think about.
My other current search is to find YouTube channels by people who don't believe in diets. I don't either. Eating and exercising for your best health is your life, not a temporary plan for you to discard at the end, before going back to your habits of self harm.
I'm interested in receiving tips about what you do to hang on and climb back up when you're backsliding.