Planned Failure

When my wife and I got back on track with eating right and getting fit, since we've been down this road before, we anticipated how it would go. We discussed our previous attempts at getting fit and staying fit and the inevitable fall from grace. We knew that despite our enthusiasm and commitment that we would likely slip back into old habits.

Well, it happened this Halloween weekend. I had a lot on my mind and my wife had many things she had to get done. I sensed the temptation to ease back on the healthy eating and the exercise. So rather than fight it, I acknowledged it and let myself go. I can usually resist the urge to have candy since I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but with all the varieties it was too much so I indulged.

This time I have a failure-recovery plan. First I acknowledge that I indulged and attempt to access the damage. I can't access the damage in terms of calorie surplus because I wasn't tracking calories so all I can measure is days off track, 3 days. Considering that I operated on a calories deficit for months, 3 days of debauchery is not that significant.

The missed exercise may not be considered a loss due to the fact that bodies need an extended break from time to time. With the added rest and influx of calories I'm actually feeling pretty good. My energy level is actually lower despite the extra calories which gives credence to the commonly accepted truth that eating right can increase your energy levels.

I feel no guilt or shame because I had a plan to recover from the slip. Rather than try not to think about it or to justify it by saying that "tracking calories is a pain" or "I have more important things to do", I will just get back on track and let it become just another statistic on the graph. It may not even show up though I won't know until I've tracked my weight for the next 3 or 4 days.

It is this inevitable slip that the experts should study and give advice about. We have pretty much studied everything there is to know about dieting and exercise and what we know works. What the experts typically fail to address is how to handle failure gracefully and without shame.

Knowing how to fail effectively is what separates those who succeed long term from those who don't. This applies to more than just weight-loss and fitness. Can you imagine if Edison stopped trying to invent the light bulb after the 3th or 4th try and said, "Life it too short and this is too much of a bother"? Instead he tried hundreds of times and kept trying until he got it right.

I'd like to hear from others who have fallen back into negative habits and how they felt about it. I'd also like to hear what steps you took or will take to get back on track.