An email from Isabel arrived in my inbox recently, asking something that comes up often when working with people who are trying to change how they eat. It was about how to get back on track after a disruption to your normal eating routine.

She wrote, “I’ve just got back from a weekend away where I was being provided food and not in control of my own menu. I gained two pounds and am annoyed at myself, though I did have a good time with my friends. When my routine is disrupted it’s hard to get back into it, and I wondered if you had any tips on how to get back on track. I really want to keep to my goal of losing a stone but I feel discouraged. A bit like I’ve landed on a snake on a snakes-and-ladders board.”

Isabel’s goal and why it matters to her

Isabel’s main aim is to lose weight to reduce her risk of developing diabetes. There is a family history of Type 2 diabetes and her GP warned her that recent blood tests indicated that she was pre-diabetic.

She is really motivated to reduce her diabetes risk, but not very confident as previous attempts to lose weight have been short-term and have stalled way before reaching her goal.

Weight loss can feel like a game of snakes and ladders

Like Isabel says, losing weight can feel like a game of snakes and ladders. You have bursts of enthusiasm and progress up a ladder, but with the next throw of the dice, you’re sliding down a snake.

Is it simply a game of chance?

It is important to remember that with weight loss, we are not all on a level playing field. The dice are loaded from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. So the effort we put in, and the outcomes, are not equal.

If ten of us went on a weekend away together and ate identical amounts of exactly the same foods, we’d react differently. Some of us might gain weight whilst others might not, and we’d all differ in how easy it would be to get back on track after we headed home.

I’ve got some thoughts for you on how you can get back on track after a blip, whatever caused your eating patterns to change. When you read them, remember that some may be useful to you but if none are then that’s no reflection on you. If you would like me to write a blog on something that might be more useful to you, please drop me a line.

What to do after a blip

• Start from a position of compassion

There will have been good reasons for changing how you ate, so I’d suggest that you acknowledge that going off track was a response to a situation rather than something to berate yourself for.

• Notice and name how you feel

Now that you’re back in your normal routine, notice how you feel about the blip and put a name to the feeling if you can. “I’m feeling sad that my weight has gone up” or “I’m annoyed with myself for not sticking to my plan” for example. See if you can notice where you experience the feeling in your body, and notice the physical sensations of the feeling. Breathe into those feelings and as you breathe out, imagine them flowing down through your body and out of the soles of your feet and the tips of your fingers.

• Gently respond to your thoughts – you haven’t blown anything

Notice any thoughts that are playing on your mind, particularly any that are looping repetitively. Noticing and naming thoughts is helpful – being able to respond with “I notice I’m thinking that I’ve blown it now” allows you to observe the thought. Rather than being immersed in the thought, you can detach from it and see it just like any other thought – a mental event that you can let go of, like a leaf floating by on a stream.

• Focus on your actions

Remind yourself of what keeping on track meant before the blip. What specific eating habit were you focused on? Over the coming days, re-engage with that new habit. It may be more effortful than it was pre-blip, but it will get easier again with practice and it will become more automated again.

• Look at who and what will support you getting back on track

If there are particular activities that support your healthy eating habits, focus on returning to them. Maybe connecting with a supportive friend and texting each other through blips will help. Everyone has blips in life and being able to both give and receive help is good for our overall mental health, so making mutually supportive arrangements like this will help way beyond weight loss.

• Is there anything you can bear in mind for your next holiday weekend?

This may be a good time to reflect on the recent blip and what you have learned from it. When you’ve done this reflection, work out where you need to see it in order to remember it next time you have a weekend away (or whatever). Although it may seem obvious now, it’s easy to forget, so putting it in the notes on your phone or writing a note to yourself that’s kept in your travel bag will help to prompt you next time.

Photo by VD photography for Unsplash