Running a health and wellness website like this one has its unique challenges. We want to post as many articles as we can to keep you motivated and on the path to wellness, but in the process, we don’t want to paint an unrealistic picture of our lives. We are busy mothers, and sometimes, that means skipping a workout to care for a sick child or ordering a pizza on a particularly busy night. Our diets aren’t perfect, our exercise schedules aren’t perfect, and our willpower isn’t perfect. Our goal is to inspire you and to encourage you, NOT to overwhelm you and make you believe that we live perfect lives that you should try to emulate.
Yes, we want you to join us in our daily quest for wellness, but when life gets in the way, and it will, we want you to know that it’s okay. You are normal. You can recover. Don’t throw in the towel. Just acknowledge that life isn’t perfect, and get right back on track the next day. “Healthy” does not mean perfect.
We are ALL human, and falling off the wagon is just part of life. Yes, it would be wonderful if all of our meals were organic, all of our snacks were unprocessed, and all of our cravings were for cauliflower rather than cake. The fact of the matter is, life just doesn’t work that way, and we all slip up.
Everyone has an “off” day. You know the kind of day that I’m talking about. You bolt out of bed and race through your morning routine after realizing that you slept through your alarm. No time for a healthy, home-cooked breakfast. No time for a morning workout either. You start your day with a cup of coffee and large muffin that you buy at the convenience store on your way to work. You end up feeling annoyed and defeated because you ate the muffin and skipped your workout. You decide that you’ve ruined your clean eating plan for the day anyway, so you say yes to the piece of cake being offered at work. You then choose the sweetened chai tea latte instead of the chamomile tea during your break. You eat multiple pieces of bread out of the breadbasket at dinner, order Fettuccine Alfredo instead of grilled fish, and finish off your meal with ice cream for dessert. At this point, you are defeated and disappointed and the self-loathing begins. Maybe you’ll even head home to binge on cookies and chocolate later.
Why will the hypothetical scenario described above resonate with so many readers? It will resonate because it is truly that common. You are not alone. Whether you fall off the wagon for a few hours or a few days, there is no need to feel defeated and angry. Remember that you are in this for the long haul. What you do over the course of a few hours or a few days or a few weeks has no significance in the long run. What matters is the trajectory of your life over months and years. Long-term habits matter, not short-term slip ups. Allow yourself to have an “off” day from time to time. It cannot break you if you maintain a long-term perspective. Forgive yourself for not being perfect, and move on.
Thank you for letting the self-critical side of me know not to beat myself up for falling off. I am human. And a mom of two boys with special needs, I am bound to slip up. But that’s okay. The long term goal will outnumber the few fall from grace moments. Thanks for sharing your human side. I’m not alone.
You definitely are not alone! It would be soooo easy if there weren’t kids to take care of, bills to pay, dinner to cook, errands to run, work to do, etc. You are busy living a full life! The goal is to make that full life as vibrant and as healthy as possible. Slip ups are expected. Don’t be discouraged. Just keep on trying.
Thanks for this! It feels good to hear and know that we all have hard days. As a “newbie” to a healthier lifestyle, it has been difficult and at times, I do feel defeated. Thanks for the inspiration and the “keepin’ it real” perspective.
Just keep some perspective and remember that it’s not a race. Nobody is handing out prizes. If you have a bad day, don’t worry about it. The goal is to keep pushing forward, despite the setbacks.
Thank you for this post. It captures exactly how I’ve been feeling the last couple of weeks (I’ve had an “off” month, I guess) and it is so important to be reminded to forgive myself and accept myself regardless. I’m inspired by this post to set an intention for self-acceptance tomorrow at Mysore. Thank you!
You’re welcome! It really is ok to have an “off” month. The trick is to never give up. Feel free to take breaks, but don’t ever quit. Have a good Mysore practice tomorrow.
Great article! I completely agree that the long term outweighs the short term and the occasional indulgence will not kill you. In fact I think occasionally enjoying a treat and actually ENJOYING it instead of beating yourself up, is good for your soul! We all love / need that comfort food from our childhood here&there! :]
Thanks for a well written article as a good reminder we are human. I needed it after a weekend exactly as you described (skipped workouts, more sweets than usual…). But I’ll get right back on it!
Thank you for being so real.
I’m reading this site for a little while now and am still trying to work out how to start with yoga. The healty eating I do for a while now (with of course sometimes a slipp) and is pretty easy, because you have to eat anyway. Yoga I did a few times for a few months, but I keap quitting dew to financial costs of lessons. Now I want to practise at home with videos, but can not find the strength to actually start. I have lots of time because I am workless, but thats part of the problem. When I had a job, I had to make schedules to be able to combine everything, with yoga on its on spot in the timetable. Now I have to much time and think with evertyting: I will do that later this day… So I do nothing… I’m now becomming lazy, fat and frustrated that I dont have to use my mind and body, so also afraid it will break down bits, beceause its not in use. I hope I can figure out how to schedule my live again and have it more busy like yours, cause having all the time doesnt work at all either. (Im sory for my english, I hope its readable)
Start out by just doing one thing—maybe go for a walk first thing in the morning. Fresh air can do wonders for your mindset and outlook on life. Make the daily walk a habit. Once you are comfortable with that habit, add one more element—maybe a set of 10 pushups after your walk. Once you get accustomed to that, add 5 minutes of stretching after your pushups. You can do this. If you need structure, then give yourself the structure. We believe in you!