How To Get Back On Plan When You Have Fallen Off The Wagon

Slimming World is great when you are sticking to plan and losing weight beautifully. You can eat a wide range of foods that the whole family enjoy, you can have a treat and even eat out or order a takeaway. It is so liveable. But what about those times you fall off the wagon? It can be really difficult to find your mojo once again. 

• Ditch the guilt. Every moment you spend over analysing what you have eaten in the past is delaying your future. What is done is done and the only proactive thing you can do now is look ahead. How you handle guilt will profoundly affect the way you bounce back from any other off plan meal or day in the future. It will help make this eating plan a long term thing. You haven’t failed and you are only human.
• Losing weight is not just logical. What we eat is so entwined with our emotions. If you have fallen off the wagon perhaps you might consider what brought you there in the first place. Is there something in your life that is stressing you out or upsetting you? In this case, it might be worth considering that this could be comfort eating. If we acknowledge this then we can start to look at alternative modes of comfort that do not involve food. It is also good to see that the food is only offering a very short term comfort.
• Start with the next meal. You don’t have to look at the bigger picture and wonder how and when you will get to your target weight. Starting with the next meal makes it feel more realistic and less of a mountain to climb.
• Fall back in love with food optimising. If salad doesn’t tickle your fancy then why start there? Make a list of your favourite Slimming World meals and start by making one of those. You’ll soon remember what you love about this plan.
• Focus on what you can have rather than what you can’t. If you are dreaming about endless amounts of high synd foods that you can’t have then you are missing a trick. There is a huge amount of foods that you can really enjoy so try to focus your energy on those.
• Expect the first day to be a little... sulky. When you have been eating a lot of high sugar/high fat foods it can be a bit of an adjustment to get back on plan. Knowledge is power so knowing that the first day may require some extra willpower is helpful.
• Look at how far you have come. Look at your Slimming World book and look at your start weight and any awards and shiny stickers your book has acquired. Visualise how you felt the day you joined and remember you want to move closer to your goal and not back to that day.
• Follow inspiring Instagram accounts and websites that empower you to enjoy this plan. Knowing that you are part of a tribe makes this journey feel less lonely and more like you are part of an exciting life-changing club.
• Plan Plan Plan. Look at the week ahead and make a plan based on how the week is looking. Are you meeting a friend for coffee one of the days? Might it be a good idea to save some of your healthy extra B to enjoy a Hi Fi bar while you are there? Are you working late some evenings? This could be a good reason to batch cook and have meals at the ready for when you arrive home late and cooking is not appealing. 
• Plan a treat for a week away. An on plan take away or Nandos can be a great way of having something to look forward to. It makes it easier to say no to other things during the week.