Two Steps Forward and One Step Back
Sometimes it seems as though we take two steps forward and one step back. Whether it is following our healthy lifestyle habits or changing a bad habit, it can seem making progress forward is two steps forward and one step back. This topic is for me today! Yesterday, I didn’t eat as well as I normally do. I didn’t go out and “go for it” but I ate more than I normally do AND more carbs choices than normal for me. All in all, it wasn’t a big deal but it was different than my normal choices. People without WLS or food issues have a day like I did yesterday and don’t think a thing about it. I’m not one of those people. I must pay attention but the key is not to beat myself up. After a different day than your norm, move ahead. It is one day out of so many, many more than I did stay on track and eat my “norm” healthy choices.
As you know if you read my blog regularly (which, of course, I hope you do!! 🙂 ), I love quotes. Just love ’em. Here’s one that Honest Abe, Abraham Lincoln made: “I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards.” I think that says a lot about our weight loss journey. As long as we’re moving forward by taking two steps forward, one step back, that one step back isn’t a big deal. It is frustrating to take steps backwards when you’re wanting to move full speed ahead with any goal such as losing weight. I’ve walked backwards in my life. The scenery is lousy when I walk backwards. Moving forward, however slow, is THE direction to go.
Two steps forward and one step back to weight loss:
How does this apply to weight loss? In every way. We want to lose weight rapidly, we want to reach our goals instantaneously, however, I believe that things worth having are worth waiting for patiently. Slow and steady wins the race isn’t necessarily a popular saying, but it is true. I have lost probably thousands of pounds in my lifetime but not slow and steady. All the crazy diets I did were to lose weight as fast as possible. I can even remember one time before I had surgery that I lost weight to my goal, saw the “magic number” and went out to celebrate and didn’t stop celebrating until I regained the weight plus a bonus 11 pounds. Literally, I was at my goal weight for ONE DAY!! That isn’t two steps forward and one step back but miles back!
Since having surgery, I’ve learned that two steps forward, one step back is okay. That also equates to progress not perfection. I am not perfect with my food choices and activity all the time. One those days (like yesterday) when I may have taken a wee, little, tiny step back, there have been months of time when I was moving forward…..slow but steady.
Slow and Steady to the Path of Success:
Slow and steady also keeps you from burning out, becoming overwhelmed and, most importantly, moving forward. Like Honest Abe says in his quote (or, says to me!) is the most important thing is to keep walking/moving forward regardless of how slow it might be. I am normally a fairly impatient person so slow can be very frustrating to me. Even when I have a bit of a setback, I don’t allow it to set me back. I don’t focus on the back but on the forward direction I am moving. Don’t beat ourselves up for a one step back. Instead of looking at backwards, look at how many steps we have taken forward consistently. 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2……with -1 still equals a lot of steps forward.
Try focusing on more to your direction (forward, full speed ahead even if it is slow speed ahead – it is forward!). Pay much less attention to your speed. As long as we’re consistently moving forward with our healthy lifestyle, we are successful and living our very best life.
