Focus on the Positives - Not the Setback

I recently received very disappointing news about a dog that I rescued two years ago from a kill shelter. Dakota was adopted 1 1/2 years ago and was living the good life with her new family until last week when she apparently threatened to fight with her canine sibling. She was taking steroids, which can trigger aggressive behavior in some dogs, at the time. The adopter wanted to have Dakota put to sleep because of this one episode of aggression, which didn’t even turn into an attack. Dakota’s family discounted the fact that she got along well with their other dog for 18 months. Luckily the adopter agreed to return Dakota to the boarding-kennel-based rescue group, where she will have another chance to find a loving home.

I’ve been thinking about how quickly Dakota’s family gave up on her without making any effort to evaluate the situation and/or solve the problem. I realized that many people who struggle with their weight are also tempted to give up when they experience a setback. They may decide to throw in the towel after a binge, even if that single episode followed weeks (or months) of healthy eating. We tend to focus on the negative and ignore or downplay the positive.

When you’re tempted to give up …

Assess the situation and problem solve. What was going on? What interfered with following your healthy eating or exercise plan? What could you do differently? One H3 guest recently told me that she was having trouble getting up early to exercise. She would roll over and hit the snooze button. When she moved her alarm clock into the kitchen, she had to get out of bed to turn it off. Once she was out of bed, she was more likely to put on her exercise clothes, which she’d also moved to the kitchen. Voila! Problem solved.

Focus on the positives. List your healthy behaviors and choices. An H3 Guest was beating herself up for not getting up early to exercise one morning when she was exhausted and sick. She neglected to give herself credit for making healthy food choices at a banquet, avoiding fast food during 10+ hours of driving, and listening to her body. (For more tips, read Jeff Ford’s recent post on how to think positively.)

Move forward right away. Take one small step in a healthy direction. Write down what you ate during your overeating episode. Make your next snack or meal a healthy one. Take a five minute walk. When in doubt, think about other setbacks you’ve overcome in the past. How did you overcome those challenges? You can conquer this one, too!

[caption id="attachment_6118" align="alignleft" width="420" caption="Precious Dakota"][/caption]