Diet mistakes happen. I got to get this one out there…. like all mistakes in life, it’s often how you respond to those mistakes that makes all the difference.
Diet Mistakes: Cheating on Your Plan
First off, you control this one. So before you think you are going to get a pass from Coach Wayne… think again! You plan your days. You decide what food you buy and bring in your house. You decide what food to pick up and stick in your mouth. So decide for yourself whether or not you are fully committed. That commitment means sticking to your plan even when it is hard (at a birthday party, out with friends, holidays at your family, you know where you get pressure).
You eat a piece of pizza… ok, it’s done. SO STOP! Too many people think as soon as they get off track a little with their eating that the day is lost, so why not eat 4 more slices?! Can you see how stupid that is? Really, one piece at 200 calories is going to do far less damage to your day than 4 pieces at 800 calories. Just move on with it. DON’T THROW IN THE TOWEL!
Feeling Bad b/c of “Bad” Food
I think a lot of this mentality comes from labeling some food as “good” food and other as “bad.” Food is rarely simply GOOD or BAD. It’s almost always how much of something we eat that makes it “bad.” Some foods are easier to do damage with, that’s because they are really calorie dense. So you can eat a lot of that food and add a lot of calories (not towards your goals).
But think about nuts. We typically think of them as a “good” or “clean” food. And they can be very healthy to have in your diet. Almonds for example, people will tell you they are good fat! But what if you aren’t tracking? Are they still good? One handful turns into 5 and soon you’ve downed a whole cup of almonds. THAT’S 823 calories with 71 grams of fat!!! You can’t hide behind your good fat argument now.
Diet Mistakes: Change your mindset!
Pick a right mindset. Don’t ever throw in the towel and say, “Well I messed up my day so it doesn’t matter now. I’ll start tomorrow…” THERE IS NO LOGIC IN THAT!!! STOP what you are doing and get back on track. Plug in your mistake to MFP and see what it did to your goals for the rest of the day. Missing your afternoon snack because you screwed up at lunch is better than piling on extra calories.
You also won’t die if you have to skip a meal either because you chose to pig out at the one before (you made that choice, now you’ll have to live with it). Suck it up and make a better choice next time. Just don’t give up and use it as a learning experience.
If you are thinking your diet mistakes are making you feel to guilty, you might want to read this too.
It’s about doing your best and forgetting the rest! But that doesn’t mean you don’t hold yourself to high standards. BRING IT teamRIPPED!
Need a coach?
My email: coachwayne@teamripped.com
IG: @wayne_wyatt
