Today’s Subtraction Project prompt on Instagram mentions starting the day on the right foot…which I do almost EVERY day. I LOVE MORNINGS. Mornings are so full of potential and excitement and I haven’t screwed anything up yet! YAY ME!
But the text she put as a caption to the photo was even better:
Start over if necessary. I speak from experience: I ran into a revolving door a minute ago. If I let that set the tone for today it would not be looking so good. #subtractionproject #morelove
The starting OVER. That’s the part I have a hard time with. Whether it’s getting disappointed in my lack of success on my New Year’s Resolutions, or just mad that I had already eating 3000 calories by lunch time – once I’ve failed? I write the whole segment of time off.
If I haven’t stuck to my 2014 goals to the letter every second of every day? Then I give up on all of them.
If I binge eat 4 peanut butter sandwiches driving carpool in the morning? Then I binge eat the rest of the day.
I have these segments of time associated with goals: Days, Weeks, Months, Years…and if I fall off course during that segment of time? Then I don’t even bother getting back on.
Starting Over.
Why do I have such a hard time allowing myself to do that? I really blame 95% of my inability to reach goals on that one simple thing: The inability to START OVER.
That’s why I like the idea of TransforMAYtion, where we just try to do EVERYTHING different in May so there’s no strict “goals” – just try to transform outlooks and attitudes about EVERYTHING. There’s no: Lose 10lbs or Run Every Day…instead we’re just trying to, in that moment, change the way we do something.
Unfortunately, I’m still such a “timeline” and “goal” person it’s hard for me to be that free about it all. Which is why I have a hard time starting over.
A few nights ago I did a great job with wrestling my emotional eating demons. I stayed on track all day. Then, I went to book club and there was tons of yummy food there. I ate one plate and thought, “Well! You’ve screwed up the day now!” so I went back for three more. And then I went home and at 6 cookies. I WASN’T EVEN HUNGRY FOR ANY OF IT. But because I had that ONE plate of cakes/cookies/etc I was like, “Welp! Day is screwed up! EAT ALL OF THE FOODS.”
Instead of eating that one plate, ignoring whether or not that was “good” or “bad” and simply starting over.
NOPE. The day either stays ALL the way on course (like yesterday!) or the day veers off somewhere early and I never try to get back on.
Maybe the trick is to set my SECONDARY goal to ALWAYS be: STARTING OVER.
I’ll trick myself.
GOAL 1: Don’t Binge Eat
GOAL 2: Start Over
SO! If I screw up on Goal 1, then I can trick myself into thinking WAIT! I can still make goal 2! So, it’s like I’ve given myself TWO paths to the end of a GOOD DAY in terms of NOT eating all my feelings. I can either 1) Not Binge Eat or 2) Binge Eat Once But Then Start Over!
I always worry about PLANNING on what to do if I binge eat because I worry that gives myself permission to do just that. BUT – the other way has not worked. If I don’t make a plan for IF I get off track, then WHEN I get off track I just stay off all day. Hopefully, by going in with a plan: START OVER then it won’t encourage me to binge eat, but if I do, then I’ll allow myself to start over.
Maybe?
I have no idea. I’m basically a big giant ball of nonsense and I’m trying to make it all rational.
Either way. I’m going to try to ALWAYS have the secondary goal on any timeline to be: START OVER. So that if I screw up (which I will eventually) I can just start over instead of throwing it all to the win and gaining back the 10lbs I fought so hard to lose.
I struggle with this as well, but Jillian Michaels said on a podcast one time that if you got one flat tire would you just slash the other 3 too? That quote really helps me to keep it in perspective!
I feel like overcoming your urge to beat yourself up about making one mistake (and being able to start over) would be just as gratifying as having a good day, food-wise. Does that make sense? It is so, so, soooooo easy to let one thing ruin your day. I really like how positive you are about trying to overcome this!!
Also I love the Jillian Michaels quote above. Usually I’m not a fan of her but that is so true!
The phrase ‘starting over’ sounds like a lot of work, and already has shame attached to it. My therapist introduced the idea of ‘grace’ to me, and that seems to work. I like the idea of giving myself grace during busy times, when I’ve screwed up, or when I’m getting stressed. It seems like a gift to myself rather than a judgement, so it works for me. And it has the same slate clearing idea that starting over does.
Anyway, just a thought I wanted to share. No judgement attached…just grace.
Didn’t read the comments before I posted, but I have to concur that I love that Jillian Michaels quote as well. Thanks for sharing!