Goals Over Guilt

When it comes to weight loss, the fear of failure can loom large. While being afraid to fail shows your commitment to weight loss, fear of failure can also cast a shadow over your journey and lead to feelings of guilt in response to relapses.

A Lifelong Lifestyle
Rather than harping on one mistake, look to new ways of reinforcing lifestyle changes that will provide long-term success. Choose to divert your energy away from self- shaming and into the formation of new habits that will help prevent relapses in the future. Next time you find yourself feeling guilty, try one of these tips: 

• Make sure your weight loss goals are posted in a place you will see them often as a frequent reminder of what you're working toward. 
• Share your goals with trusted friends or family so that they can help support you. 
• Journal your thoughts and feelings to help prevent emotional overeating. 
• Find an exercise buddy for mutual encouragement and motivation. 
• Never skip breakfast - being too hungry can lead to overeating.

Don't Feel Guilty
One choice will not make or break or break your weight loss goals and being too hard on yourself can lead to further slip-ups. Relapse is part of recovery, so when you "fall off the wagon," remember that there is nothing stopping you from jumping right back on! 

Change Can Be Challenging
Making the necessary changes to your diet and lifestyle won't be easy, but by starting small, these changes will eventually become habits. As new changes gradually become cemented habits, self-control alone won't play such a large role in determining whether you stick to your goals on any given day. Change is always possible, but it won't be instant, so remember to go one day at a time. 

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