Expect Setbacks and Learn From Them
Shut out all of your past except that which will help you weather your tomorrows.
- William Osler, Canadian physician
Setbacks or slip ups are a way of life. Learn from each one. Rather than viewing each one as a roadblock see it as a small bump in the road, one that will make you wiser and stronger by learning how to bypass it. In other words, “Reacting is an emotional reflex. Response requires thought” (Gail Pursell Elliot). Learning to analyze what caused you to behave a certain way will help you devise a plan so that you can decrease the chances that it will occur again.
Begin my analyzing the situation. What happened that resulted in your behavior or reaction to a situation? Did something or someone influence your behavior?
For example, let’s say that you ate past the feeling of comfortable fullness. This made you feel guilty and angry at yourself. Therefore, you would like to minimize the number of times that this occurs. Begin by asking yourself a few questions such as:
What was I feeling while I was eating? Was I ravenous before eating? Do I occasionally tend to let myself get too hungry before fueling my body? What causes this to happen? Was I eating too fast because I was ravenous or pressed for time? Did I not allow myself to take time to check in with my body to see how the food felt in your stomach? Was I eating from emotion — was I sad, tired, angry, stressed, lonely, frustrated? If so, what caused these feelings?
By evaluating your negative food experiences you can develop strategies to help you reduce these uncomfortable occurrences and enhance your health and well-being. Work to learn from these experiences rather than berating yourself. Having a different attitude is the first step to achieving your wishes.
Nutrition Tip: To help slow down your eating, put down your utensil or sip water between bites. Engage in conversation, chew slowly, enjoy the entire eating experience by making time to sit down and enjoy both your meals and snacks so that you are not rushed.
