When it comes to a weight loss journey or just the general journey of improving health, it’s not always this steady increase and improvement that shows and movies lead it on to. It’s more or less stagnant. Sometimes there are wins, other times; there are going to be a few losses here and there. It’s annoying, but that’s the actual reality behind all of this. With that said, for some people, when they “fall off the wagon,” it might be for an extended period of time.
They might be dealing with a very stressful time; maybe there are mental health issues, a lack of motivation, or maybe they are just too busy with work and personal life. Whatever the reason is, it’s honestly valid (no matter what any health and fitness influencer states). With that said, however, what matters most is getting yourself up and getting back on the wagon. So, here’s what you need to know about how you can get up and start your fitness journey up again after falling off the wagon.
Start With a Quick Health Check
Before jumping back into your fitness routine, it’s helpful to check in on your current health. Our bodies change over time, and understanding where you’re starting from can make it easier to set realistic goals and avoid unnecessary setbacks. A quick visit to your doctor can be a smart first step, especially if it’s been a while since your last check-up.
For a more comprehensive view of your health, consider a Whole Body MRI. This type of scan can help detect potential issues early on, giving you a clearer picture of your overall health status. By knowing what’s going on internally, you can tailor your fitness and wellness goals more effectively and move forward with confidence.
You Need to Start By Changing Your Routine
Are you looking at your screen for too long? Having an easy, familiar routine is key when it comes to maintaining healthy habits. It’s been researched that it takes about 30 days for a new habit to become a regular part of your life, so when you start falling off the wagon, be prepared to adjust. Rather than jumping back on the wagon with hour-long, leg-shaking workouts, ease into it by setting the alarm a little earlier to fit in 15 minutes of body weight training or chugging some water instead of your usual late-night iced coffee and cookie fix.
These small changes will make a big difference in the long run, so don’t be afraid to try something different. When it comes to any routine, there’s going to be trial and error. If you’re forcing yourself to do something you utterly despise, then no doubt you’re only making things worse for yourself, which means you’ll quickly fall off again.
It’s All About Mindset
When was the last time you had a health check up? When you grocery shop, do you instantly want to gravitate towards unhealthier foods? When you hydrate yourself, is it water or soda? Do you have a short timeline of how much weight you’re hoping to lose? The truth is that most people who “fall off the wagon” do so because they have a poor mindset.
They’ve set unrealistic expectations and have an all-or-nothing mentality that turns their pursuit of health into a never-ending cycle of defeat, guilt, and self-criticism. When it comes to any health journey, it’s more of a mental challenge than it is a physical one. It’s easy to eat salad and walk daily, physically speaking, but mentally, it’s tough, it’s really tough.
Focus on Building Consistency, Not Perfection
One of the best ways to ease back into healthy habits is to stop measuring success by perfection and start measuring it by consistency. You do not need to have a flawless week of clean eating, intense workouts, and perfect sleep to prove that you are doing better. Sometimes, real progress just looks like showing up again, even in small ways. That might mean taking a walk after dinner, making one nourishing meal, or choosing to keep going after a rough day instead of calling the whole week a loss. That steady, realistic approach is often what makes healthy habits stick, and it reflects the kind of long-term discipline seen in fitness and wellness enthusiast Kevin Morgan, who has completed five half Ironman races, finished the full Ironman in Lake Placid twice, and run the Boston Marathon.
Give Yourself Permission
When you’re working hard to make healthy choices, it can be difficult not to feel the pull of your old habits. When you think about it, relapses are pretty normal. In fact, relapses are often what teach us the most about how to manage cravings and triggers. When we relapse, it’s important to see it for what it is, not as a catastrophic failure. Taking on an all-or-nothing mindset is counterproductive to your health. Instead, view your relapse as an opportunity to study how bad certain foods or behaviors make you feel. Give yourself permission to learn from these things. Once you learn, it’s easier to avoid.
No Comments