Progress, Not Perfection

If you have a tendency to be a perfectionist and indulge in "all or nothing" thinking ... you are certainly not alone. Many of us do. Getting things done right is a positive trait but is self-defeating if it becomes an excuse for quitting.

It's almost a cliche, but you have to embed this deep into your psyche: No one is perfect. And you don't have to be perfect to succeed.

Life is always full of mishaps and bad choices -- including (or especially) when it comes to weight loss.

We are often our own harshest critic. In reality, there is no one else ... and there is no Food Police.

Forgive yourself.

Don't beat yourself up.

No one -- or only a few rare souls -- are capable of eating the exact same amount of food every day along with following an unfailing, precise exercise routine.

Studies have shown that how you handle mistakes, "cheats" or deviations from your intended program is much more important than what actually happened. The problem isn't that one treat or meal, that one bad day... or even a whole bad weekend. The problem is how you perceive it. The reality is this: your diet and plans are NOT completely blown -- you can simply pick up where you left off. Just because things did not go well in the morning, for example, does not mean the rest of the day is down the tubes.

Learn from your mistakes but don't dwell on them.

Remember: Two steps forward and one step back is still one step forward.

For more help in this area ... see Push the reset button.

Also, remember...

Weight loss is a journey, not a sprint.

It's great to have a "winner take all" attitude when you first start out, but it's important to remember that you didn't gain weight overnight, and you aren't going to lose it overnight.