Hey there. This morning, after a short workout, I found myself at McDonald’s. Not because I planned to, but because I was out of my usual breakfast ingredients. Normally, I have a sausage sandwich on a thin bun with cheese, half an avocado, sweet peppers, a banana, a Kind bar, some dark chocolate, and peanut butter. But today, I was out of sausage patties.
I had two choices. I could rush to the grocery store, grab the patties, come home, cook them, and scramble to get my day started. Or, I could spend a little over a dollar, grab a sausage McMuffin, and save myself time. I chose the second option.
Why This Wasn’t a "Dietary Failure"
A lot of people would see this as a setback. They’d feel guilty about going through a drive-thru instead of making a “perfect” meal. But here’s the thing… this was an experiment, not a failure.
It’s easy to get stuck in an all-or-nothing mindset with food. We tell ourselves we can’t eat certain things, and when we do, we feel like we’ve failed. That’s not how this works. Life happens. Sometimes you run out of groceries. Sometimes you oversleep. Sometimes a fast, convenient choice makes more sense than forcing yourself to stick to a rigid plan.
I’m looking at this as a test. If I find myself in a similar situation again, can I hit a drive-thru, make a reasonable choice, and move on? If so, then I’ve gained flexibility in my routine without compromising my overall progress.
Your Time is Valuable
This is what I really want you to take from today’s experience—your time matters. If running late means you need to grab a quick meal instead of cooking, that’s okay. If you have to cut a workout short but still get something done, that’s okay too. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s about making the best choice in the moment and moving forward without guilt.
So here’s my challenge to you. Are there things you’ve completely banished from your routine because you thought you "weren’t allowed" to have them? Could you look at those things differently and create a new, healthy relationship with them? Maybe it’s time to challenge some of your old rules and see if they still make sense for your life.
Let me know what you think! And if you’re ready to build a balanced, flexible, sustainable routine, join The YLF Experience today.