8 reasons we fall off the wagon: A MUST READ

This happens to a lot of us (including myself in the past) wherein we plan our New Year's resolution & are aggressive at the start of the year but come two weeks later where we tend to have amnesia & forgetting everything about our diet. And come February or March when we quit the gym & then only to be surprised later on when we realized that we just re-gained everything, sometimes even double.

Here are the 8 reasons why you fall off the wagon:

1. No focus: you didn't set goals, you didn't put your goals in writing, and or you didn't keep your goals in mind daily (by reading
them, affirming them, looking at a vision board, etc.)

2. No priorities: you may have set a goal, but you didn't put it on or near the top of your priorities list. For example, your goal
is six pack abs, but drinking beer and eating fast food on the weekend is higher on your priorities list than having a flat stomach.

3. No support system: you tried to go at it alone; no buddy system, training partners, family, spouse, friends, mentors or coaches to turn to for information and emotional support when the going got tough.

*MY SIDE NOTE: this is the main reason why we are all here & for this one, we already taken one step ahead

4. No Accountability: you didn't keep score for your own accountability - with a progress chart, weight record, measurements,
food journal, training journal, and you didn't set up external accountability (ie, report to someone else or show your results
to someone else)

*MY SIDE NOTE: also the main reason why we are all here, for accountability but unfortunately a lot of us are skeptical to log our food when we know we will be over calories & worse, there are some who just treat this site like facebook. If you had over 1,000 calories then for goodness sake, still log it & don't be shy when your MFP friends see that you had over calories. Just make it up on the next day.

5. No patience: you were only thinking short term and had unrealistic expectations. You expected 10 pounds a week or 5 pounds a week or 3 pounds a week, so the first week you lost "only" 1 or 2 pounds or hit a plateau, you gave up.

6. No planning: you winged it. You walked into the gym without having a workout in hand, on paper, you didn't plan your workouts into your weekly schedule; you didn't have a menu on paper, you didn't make time (so instead you made excuses, like "I'm too busy")

7. No balance: your diet or training program was too extreme. You went the all or nothing, "I want it now" route instead of the
moderate, slow-and-steady wins the race route.

8. No personalization: your nutrition or training program was the wrong one for you. It might have worked for someone else, but it didn't suit your schedule, personality, lifestyle, disposition or body type.

So there you have it - 8 mistakes that cause most people to fall off the wagon. Are you guilty of any of these transgressions? If so, the solutions are clear and simple:

Focus, prioritize, get support, be accountable, be patient, plan, balance and personalize.

(Courtesy of Burn the Fat Newsletter)
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Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Like it!
  • LexyDB
    LexyDB Posts: 261
    Lazy
    No self esteem
    Fast food culture
    Congeniality
    Too much hard work
    Cheating and expecting results
    Bro/ho science

    Sounds more like it.
  • LexyDB
    LexyDB Posts: 261
    Blaming others for your failings is another one.
  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
    9. I was hungry.
  • LexyDB
    LexyDB Posts: 261
    And don't forget any excuse is a good excuse.
  • rmartin72
    rmartin72 Posts: 1,085 Member
    This happens to a lot of us (including myself in the past) wherein we plan our New Year's resolution & are aggressive at the start of the year but come two weeks later where we tend to have amnesia & forgetting everything about our diet. And come February or March when we quit the gym & then only to be surprised later on when we realized that we just re-gained everything, sometimes even double.

    Here are the 8 reasons why you fall off the wagon:

    1. No focus: you didn't set goals, you didn't put your goals in writing, and or you didn't keep your goals in mind daily (by reading
    them, affirming them, looking at a vision board, etc.)

    2. No priorities: you may have set a goal, but you didn't put it on or near the top of your priorities list. For example, your goal
    is six pack abs, but drinking beer and eating fast food on the weekend is higher on your priorities list than having a flat stomach.

    3. No support system: you tried to go at it alone; no buddy system, training partners, family, spouse, friends, mentors or coaches to turn to for information and emotional support when the going got tough.

    *MY SIDE NOTE: this is the main reason why we are all here & for this one, we already taken one step ahead

    4. No Accountability: you didn't keep score for your own accountability - with a progress chart, weight record, measurements,
    food journal, training journal, and you didn't set up external accountability (ie, report to someone else or show your results
    to someone else)

    *MY SIDE NOTE: also the main reason why we are all here, for accountability but unfortunately a lot of us are skeptical to log our food when we know we will be over calories & worse, there are some who just treat this site like facebook. If you had over 1,000 calories then for goodness sake, still log it & don't be shy when your MFP friends see that you had over calories. Just make it up on the next day.

    5. No patience: you were only thinking short term and had unrealistic expectations. You expected 10 pounds a week or 5 pounds a week or 3 pounds a week, so the first week you lost "only" 1 or 2 pounds or hit a plateau, you gave up.

    6. No planning: you winged it. You walked into the gym without having a workout in hand, on paper, you didn't plan your workouts into your weekly schedule; you didn't have a menu on paper, you didn't make time (so instead you made excuses, like "I'm too busy")

    7. No balance: your diet or training program was too extreme. You went the all or nothing, "I want it now" route instead of the
    moderate, slow-and-steady wins the race route.

    8. No personalization: your nutrition or training program was the wrong one for you. It might have worked for someone else, but it didn't suit your schedule, personality, lifestyle, disposition or body type.

    So there you have it - 8 mistakes that cause most people to fall off the wagon. Are you guilty of any of these transgressions? If so, the solutions are clear and simple:

    Focus, prioritize, get support, be accountable, be patient, plan, balance and personalize.

    (Courtesy of Burn the Fat Newsletter)

    I honestly like and thank you for sharing this information!!
  • shutterbug282
    shutterbug282 Posts: 588 Member
    Agree!
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    *snip*

    5. No patience: you were only thinking short term and had unrealistic expectations. You expected 10 pounds a week or 5 pounds a week or 3 pounds a week, so the first week you lost "only" 1 or 2 pounds or hit a plateau, you gave up.

    6. No planning: you winged it. You walked into the gym without having a workout in hand, on paper, you didn't plan your workouts into your weekly schedule; you didn't have a menu on paper, you didn't make time (so instead you made excuses, like "I'm too busy")

    These two are it. I've seen 10 posts just today about people who start their posts 'so I've been at this a week (2 weeks, a month) and have hardly seen results. It takes time and planning to see real, serious results. Good post.
  • Sox90716
    Sox90716 Posts: 976 Member
    Well said.
  • sherbear2678
    sherbear2678 Posts: 60 Member
    so true (esp. support system for me) thanks!
  • natwebster
    natwebster Posts: 10 Member
    This is so true.
  • WhyeatKachra
    WhyeatKachra Posts: 404 Member
    Bump for later.
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
    Blaming others for your failings is another one.

    I agree
  • bump, i need this
  • MNguerita
    MNguerita Posts: 199 Member
    Love it! Always need that occasional dose of reality.
  • Qatsi
    Qatsi Posts: 2,191 Member
    This advice is spot on. Interesting how the author started with a "this is why you'll FAIL" approach before turning it around and putting a positive spin on it in the very last sentence.
  • Thanks, I needed that!
  • LexyDB
    LexyDB Posts: 261
    These are all excuses, if you as a person are not happy and do not have the commitment or motivation yourself to make a better person, improve your fitness and wellbeing which colours every aspect of your life then all the reasons in the original post don't mean a thing. Why do you need support from others to make the necessary changes? Are you and you alone not worth your time and effort that it takes to make these changes? To make you a better person?

    Sorry but no one else really matters in this, if you aren't willing to do what is necessary then you alone are to blame, excuses don't enter into it. You fail, then you are to blame as there is no reason or obstacle greater than your own happiness and fitness.
  • amandammmq
    amandammmq Posts: 394 Member
    Interesting reading! For me, the biggest fail point in the past has been expecting to make ALL changes at once - perfect eating, exercising, etc. all at once.

    This time, I started off nice and slowly - adding some light exercise into my life, not even worrying about the quality of the exercise at first, and not even worrying about food at all. A few months later, after exercise had become more of a habit and I had proven to myself that I could stick to it, I started logging my foods on MFP.

    My progress has been slow but steady, and although I'll have bad days where I feel discouraged, I've been sticking with it.
  • JConstine
    JConstine Posts: 69
    I don't think the OP meant that you will inevitably fail if you don't have a support system but it does HELP a lot to have one. What's wrong with people needing extra assistance?
  • Snitch1
    Snitch1 Posts: 201 Member
    Needed THIS article TODAY. I am the WORST offender. I actually look at OP diets and comment, when I do not log my own--WAY BAD!!!
    Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes...!!!
  • nell1972
    nell1972 Posts: 19
    Really appreciate this. The truth often hurts, but its healthier in the long run!

    Not sure if I would fit into the "low self-esteem" or the "all-or-nothing" brigade.....from 7 years of yo-yo dieting, I know that I fail/fall off the wagon when I rely on food for comfort.....and then when I've gone wrong, I feel I've already failed and just give up. I'm easily discouraged when I don't achieve my perfectionist ideals, but after a dreadful day yesterday I kicked myself out of bed at 7am this morning to go for a run with the dog. I've already balanced out yesterdays binge.....and more bizarrely, I hopped on the scales and I've lost weight.

    Freaky huh?
  • sc1572
    sc1572 Posts: 2,309 Member
    bump
  • Linbo93
    Linbo93 Posts: 229 Member
    Reading this only affirms that this time around, I'm going to succeed. That list represents every other attempt I've made at weight loss, and each of those reasons were my downfall at one point or another.

    I'm happy to say that as I read down that list, I was not guilty of any of those reasons!! :OD
  • mwdobrow
    mwdobrow Posts: 3 Member
    How bout' because I luv food! and hate exercise:)
  • mcpherson4
    mcpherson4 Posts: 287 Member
    very good.:smile:
  • Prudiddy
    Prudiddy Posts: 262 Member
    Lazy
    No self esteem
    Fast food culture
    Congeniality
    Too much hard work
    Cheating and expecting results
    Bro/ho science

    Sounds more like it.
    This is true!
  • LittleEdenx
    LittleEdenx Posts: 18 Member
    OMG!! I do all of these! no wonder I'm a failure!
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    Balance... Yes! Something I'm still trying to get the hang of and it does trip me up! X
  • Ke1ra78
    Ke1ra78 Posts: 146 Member
    This is so true.. Thanks for posting it.:-D