Why you have health setbacks after success and what to do about them

You’re likely familiar with the situation of reaching a health goal and then in 2-3 months, you’ve slid back to where you were and are left wondering if you ever should have tried to reach that goal in the first place.

Here are some of the reasons for setbacks after success.

1. You set an event goal
2. You didn’t set your context up for success
3. You wanted praise from others
4. You had a “tick the box” goal
5. You didn’t have a big enough WHY

Why event goals can hold you back

You’ve just crossed the finish line in your 5K or completed your first 50 mile bike ride. Now what? Sometimes event goals leave you feeling flat because you’ve expended so much energy to reach that goal and you don’t have a plan for what to do next. Think about how to maintain momentum after the excitement of the event is over. Make a plan for the next goal beyond that event.

Why your context can be a big problem

You’ve worked hard to lose that 15 pounds before the wedding or beach vacay. You’re back home. And you can feel yourself backsliding into eating habits that don’t help. You think you’ve had enough of careful eating. Treats seem like a good idea. Until they aren’t.?

So, you’re in the grocery store and you load your cart with snacks you’ve been missing. You bring them home and now what? You’ve just filled your home with tripwires (snacks in the cupboard and fridge) that are not healthy.?

To maintain success with your weight loss, you’ll want to have a context designed to support your goals. Deciding once at the grocery that you’ll skip the low nutrition foods is better than bringing them home and having to make decisions about how to avoid them several times a day.

Why praise from others isn't helpful

Ooof, this is a big one. In fact, when you’ve reached a health goal, or are working on one, a lot of people will try to hold you back because they know, deep down, that they aren’t working on their own health. You’re hoping for praise and instead you’re getting comments that are a headwind on you.?

Track your own progress and praise yourself for consistency. That consistency leads to outcomes and after reaching a health goal, continue to praise yourself. Don’t look to others for that self-worth boost.

Why "tick the box" goals can lead to dead ends

We all have things we complete that feel like “ticking the box”. Laundry? Lawn mowing??

But, let’s say your gal pals have decided to take salsa dancing lessons and you go along to be part of the group. It’s not a health goal you really want to work on. But you join them. At the end of the lessons, you’re feeling meh about that.?

At this point, take that experience and turn it into wisdom. You can design your next health goal that’s more suitable for your future.

Why your WHY didn't work for you

You need a big WHY that drives you every day to get up and work on it. If the WHY you chose for your goal wasn’t compelling enough, it’s no wonder that when you accomplish it, you lose momentum and have set backs. Who wants to work on something that isn’t compelling enough?

What’s compelling to you? Maybe your WHY is getting healthy so you don’t have to sit on the park bench when your kids want you to play with them. Maybe your WHY is being healthier because your business is going to the next level this year and you’ve got to be ready.

What to do when you have setbacks

Recognize that this is a common situation. Rather than mentally beating yourself up over it, diagnose why this happened. Choose your next steps.

Ultimately, success comes from falling in love with the process of being healthy. If you show up at the gym, go for that walk, or eat one meal at a time that is as nutritious as you can manage at that moment, you’re involved in the process of being healthy.?

If you’re involved in the process of being healthy and that’s your big goal, you can celebrate every day as a success. Set your sights on progress one step at a time and that will lead to big, consistent results.

Now what?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm?Karen Falkenberg, Ph.D., co-founder of the?Tigers Eye Life?Method? where I, along with my co-founder, Ryan MacQueen, guide Purpose Driven Professionals who need vibrant health and optimal energy.

You can't afford to be less than your best. If you need to get healthy and are ready to take the next steps,?there are lots of options.

?? Book a power session with me.?

??Sign up for our?Saturday newsletter?. You'll get science backed health info on a variety of topics including nutrition, metabolism, stress reduction, workout ideas, bio-hacks, tech intel, recipes and more. It's for people who want to live a vibrant and energetic life.

??If you're interested in recipes, I've just uploaded a complementary set of 13 for your rotation. Get it from my featured section.

#healthcoaching?

#nutritioncoaching

#strengthtraining?

#mindsetcoach?

#tigerseyelife?