Have you ever said “I fell off the wagon!” in regards to eating something that you’ve decided is unhealthy?
Here’s a real exchange from a weigh loss support group on Facebook that I contribute to:
Post: Do NOT jump off the wagon! Mine keeps running away now and I’m still trying to catch it! Even ORDERED fat food with my grocery pickup tonight. Not like it was a spontaneous buy cause I was hungry, or giving in to temptation cause it was there – this was pre-meditated – let’s kill myself with more POISON for my body – and drive through to have it loaded in my car. Uggghhh! I’d put myself in timeout, but that sounds pleasant.
My Answer: Don’t worry Julie—you are the driver. If you fall off, your wagon stops. It’s not making forward progress without you. And it’s also not in reverse. It’s just stopped. It’s all part of the journey. The more often we quit driving, the longer it will take. But as long as you literally don’t walk away, give the reins to someone else and completely lay down on the side of the road with an “I quit” sign, you’re still making progress. Just jump back on and drive a little ways. And then when you notice you’ve jumped off again, just literally NOTICE it. Be like “oh look at me taking longer to get there again. No problem—I’ll just get back on.” The more often you give yourself grace rather than beat yourself up about it, the easier it will be to get back on. No one wants to drive the wagon with a black eye and a broken rib. Stop punching yourself in the face with your thoughts about how terrible you are. It’s untrue and unhelpful. Just keep driving!!
You guys–stop saying you fell off the wagon! Falling off sounds like someone else is in charge. But remember YOU are the driver. You are the only one in your wagon!
This is the good news. No one else is in charge of your wagon. AND it’s not a race.
Your wagon stops if you decide to get off and choose something else today. But it’s right there waiting for you when you are ready.
Ready for more accountability? Book a free strategy session with me and we’ll do it together!
