Tamara's Tip: Free Yourself

Sometimes we struggle with guilt over not eating or exercising as much as we know we should. If you have been feeling guilty lately, this tip is for you. If you have been doing well, this tip is still for you. Today, I want to encourage you to allow for failure. I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out. All too often we strive for perfection which is a very allusive goal. No matter where you are in this weight loss journey, I encourage you to aim for "progress not perfection". This is very important because trying to be perfect all the time leads to guilt when you fail. I consider myself a positive person, but I am also a realist and reality is that failure escapes no one. We all have good days and not-so-good days. The truth is we all fail. No one on this earth is perfect, so why do we expect this of ourselves? So what you had a slice of chocolate cake? The key word is had – it’s in the past. Your past and your future are NOT connected, so don’t let the guilt of your past highjack your future. You can decide to make today better than yesterday. It’s up to you. You can also decide to take a day off or allow yourself to have a tasty treat now and then. The key is to make better choices overall. Every choice, however, won’t be perfect.

Also, please remember that everyone is different. Some people are cool with making a complete lifestyle change at once and others do it gradually over a period of time. Everyone has a different path. Your path is not my path – I have to make my own - one that will work for me. How you do it is not important. The important thing is that you commit to making progress, one day at a time. If you are struggling to change all at once, pick something to start with and then move on once you feel you have that down. And know that even when you feel you have it “down” you may have a day or even a week where you are off track - that’s OK. We are all human. Lastly, please realize that some things you may never give up and that is OK. I can tell you right now that I am not giving up fried chicken, the Croaker Spot, birthday cake, or Coldstone’s ice cream. LOL. I don’t eat them often, but I do treat myself from time to time. Life is too short.

I’ll end with this - as long as we are tipping the scales in the right direction, we are making progress. Even if that means being on point 4 days and off track 3 - it's still progress. You are still healthier than you were before and that should be celebrated.

Keep the faith and TTYS,
Coach Jackson