4 ways to overcome a weight-loss setback
When things don’t go as planned, here’s how you move forward.
Success rarely follows a straight line. Some days, we make great progress toward our goals; other days, we stall or stumble backward, which can feel disappointing enough to make our goals seem totally out of reach.
But setbacks are opportunities to learn and grow, to enrich our path to success in ways we might not have experienced otherwise, says Suzanne Phelan, Ph.D., a professor of kinesiology and public health at California Polytechnic State University. Here’s how the experts use setbacks to move forward.
Draw a new starting line — today
Instead of a slip-up, think of this as a fresh start, which can empower you. So if you haven’t worked out in three weeks, reframe today as the turning point that reignited your fitness motivation, says Robyn Pashby, Ph.D., a clinical health psychologist in Bethesda, Maryland.
Increase your flexibility and decrease your judgment
Try to be more flexible in defining what success looks like for you — and to not compare that to others, says Phelan. For example, maybe your goal is not a rigid “I will run 8 miles per week” but a more flexible “I’ll walk for 30 minutes three days this week, then decide whether I feel up to adding on a run.”
Shut down self-blame
If you eat half a dozen cookies, you may think, “I have no self-control.” To draw lessons without beating yourself up, Phelan says, pretend you’re rewinding a video that captures your whole environment, then hit “play” and rewatch. The news was blaring on TV, which stressed you out; the weather was gross, and you were antsy for a walk; you were hungry and could’ve reached for a healthier choice. “Rewatching the tape” can help you step back and ID your tripping points, so you can set yourself up for a better outcome next time.
Treat your journey like toothbrushing
Think of a time when you were exhausted and fell asleep without brushing your teeth. The following morning, you probably brushed your teeth and simply went about your day — without viewing the skipped session as a personal failure — because you recognize that dental care is a series of small actions, taken repeatedly over time.
Think of your wellness journey the same way, Pashby says. It’s often not the setback itself that derails us; it’s the all-or-nothing belief that our success depends on any one particular moment. Regain your bearings as needed, then continue on your way.