Okay, I am so just like you. I have my good days where making healthy choices, exercising, self-talk, all of is just humming along. And then it hits – one of “those” days. Had one of them recently. I’m not proud of it but the ice cream called and yep, you guessed it, I answere and my answer wasn’t “no”. I convinced myself, which I might add, I’m quite good at, that jus a tase was all I needed. Well, that taste ended up quite the meal. Ah, on to a new day. See, isn’t that great? There is always a new day. There is a new starting point, if we let there be one. We have the choice. It is always about choices.

Last week was when all cylinders were humming. I felt invincible. A co-worker bough donuts on Friday. My first thought was, “I’m outta here.” “Did I really want to put a bunch of sugar and chemicals in my body? “Was 30 seconds of pleasure really worth it?” In the end, I passed on the donuts even though they were in my line of sight about a foot away. I felt good about my decision. I felt empowered. I felt accomplished.

Then it happened. I was humbled. Once again, my self talk turned into an argument and I lost. See, when you argue with yourself, you lose. So I learned that loving myself through the poor choices and dusting myself off and starting new the next day is the best way to deal with it.

I hear all the time: “there are no bad foods”. I agree, there isn’t. Foods aren’t bad when moderation is used. However, for me that is still a work in process. Exercise and movement allow me to be able to have things I prefer to stay away from once in a while, yet it’s not a license to make decision that compromise my ultimate goal, a healthy, strong body.

Here are some steps you can take to minimize the effects of the time you make the not so good choices or just plum plain poor ones:

1. Be kind to yourself. Love yourself with compassion. Don’t accept the excuses, yet don’t beat yourself up either.

2. Make the choice to move forward and accept that you made a mistake. You are still a good person and get ready to begin again. Each day is a new beginning.

3. Take the first step. Get help if you need it. Maybe someone you know is wanting to make changes in their life. Having someone to take the journey with sometimes makes it easier for both of you.

4. Be committed to a healthy lifestyle. This isn’t just for a day, a week, or a month. This is what you will do until you are no longer a member of planet earth. It’s not perfection. It’s a journey.

5. Plan your meals. Not planning, is planning to fail. Make a grocery list, look in your cupboards. Better yet, clean them out and make new healthier choices a priority. Remove the food that isn’t healthy and shouldn’t be there. Be honest, you know it’s stashed behind the can of tuna. Get rid of it!

6. Make exercise and movement a part of your daily life. You have time. You can do something each and everyday. There are no excuses on this one. Even with physical limitations there are programs out there you can adapt. Seek professional help if you need it.

7. Track what you are really eating, drinking and your movement. Get a journal and write it down. Being unconscious about what is really going on is not an excuse. It’s all about doing the basics.

8. Don’t be a slave to the scale. Use a tape measure or maybe that pair of jeans you’ve been wanting to wear as a meter of success. If you weigh, remember it is one tool of many and is probably the least predictable as to your actual health.

9. Lighten up! Don’t be so serious. This is your life. Enjoy it! Have some fun! Play, experiment by trying new exercises and groups. I just tried Zumba and believe me this body don’t dance but it’s a whole lot of fun! Get a new cookbook or surf the web for clean eating recipes. Be creative and have fun with your new lifestyle.

10. Make time for you. Time to cook, time to plan, time to move, time to reflect and be thankful. Make time to rest. Rest is just as important as all the other steps.

11. Yeah, I went over the Top 10 List. Drink LOTS of healthy, calorie free, very good for you old fashioned WATER!!!! It is the drink of life so enjoy!