Hey there. If you have been on a weight loss journey for years or even decades, you know that setbacks are a given. Some of those setbacks are small, like having a day where things do not go according to plan. Others are larger, lasting weeks or months. What I have learned is that how you handle those curveballs is just as important as the eating, exercise, and routines you try to keep up with.
On the daily curveballs, you have choices. You can adjust your schedule and keep pushing forward. You can decide to prioritize only a few things and be satisfied with the effort you put in. Or you can recognize that today is just not the day, give yourself permission to step back, and start again tomorrow. Each of those options is valid. The important part is that you are the one making the decision.
One of the biggest shifts I made was realizing that there is no “should” in these moments. I should do this, I should do that. That kind of thinking always left me frustrated. Instead, I focus on the fact that I am responsible for my life and my choices. I decide what gets done today, what gets pushed to tomorrow, and what is best for my headspace in the long run. That kind of ownership is what keeps me calm and deliberate even when things feel messy.
When I talk about the inside/out approach, this is what I mean. The actions and routines in fitness often look similar from the outside, but what drives you on the inside makes the difference. If you are making choices from a place of guilt and pressure, you will always feel behind. If you are making choices from a place of ownership and calm, setbacks can actually feel empowering.
I also believe in the power of small daily reinforcements. Between subscribing to the podcast and signing up for the daily email, you give yourself about ten minutes a day to reset your mindset and practice the inside/out approach. That consistency adds up. It is not about perfection, it is about reinforcing the thought process and living it out in a way that feels manageable.
If you are looking for more structured guidance, I invite you to join The YLF Experience. This is my answer to everything I see in the fitness space today, both the good and the bad. It is built to give you something completely different than the traditional one on one or group coaching. And when you join now, you are locked into phase one pricing for as long as you stay in the program.
You will always face curveballs, but when you own your choices and reinforce your mindset daily, you can turn setbacks into opportunities to keep moving forward.