Why Falling Off the Wagon Can Actually be a Good Thing
We’ve all been there. We begin making healthy changes in our daily life. Things are going great, and then…
We fall off the wagon.
It’s frustrating. It’s disappointing. It feels terrible.
But, it’s also completely natural, totally normal. And above that, it’s actually a critical part of the journey!
Part of getting healthy isn’t just cutting out the bad food by replacing it with good food. That’s more of a result than a cause when it comes to your health. Instead, one of the most critical elements of your journey toward health and wellness is understanding your relationship to food.
And falling off the wagon can often serve as a great, practical, real-life lesson into what that relationship really looks like.
Why? Because eating is never just “eating.” The roots for what we eat grow deep into the “why” beneath the surface.
The Why
For example, a lot of what we eat doesn’t come from a place of nutrition. Instead, what we eat tends to have a lot to do with how we feel.
When we’re happy, we eat a brownie.
When we’re sad, we reach for the whole tray of brownies.
It doesn’t matter if we’re hungry or not. We eat. And a lot of people (and I used to be this way, so don’t accuse me of getting preachy on you) just eat out of simple boredom.
A brownie, for most of us, is often legitimately just something to do.
Being mindful about WHY you eat, on the other hand, puts the nutritional factorial back into the equation. If you are upset and start reaching into the snack cabinet, take a breath, and ask yourself: why?
The Power of Habit
Eating mindfully is one of those habits that can make a big difference very quickly. Honestly, most of our program members come in never having given a second of thought as to WHY they eat what they eat. And once those roots are uncovered, you can see the revelation almost visibly on their faces.
And this principle is never so powerful than during times when you’ve fallen off the wagon. If you go to a party and eat something you shouldn’t, ask yourself, “Why?” Why did you eat that? Did you intend on eating that thing the whole time on the drive there? Or did something specific trigger the urge to break your diet? How much of it had to do with who you with? Or was it for another reason?
Whatever that reason is, use the little failures as bricks, one by one, to build your huge successes. Again, it gets back to one of life’s most important lessons…
It’s never about perfection.
No, it’s always about progress.
And you can’t have progress without little hiccups on the way. When you’ve fallen off, take a moment to find the reason behind the fall, dust yourself off, and then climb right back onto that wagon.
After all, you have an amazing journey ahead of you!
