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Tip of the Week: Track Successes, Not Failures

Track your successes, not your failures. Most people that are trying to eat well and adopt a practice of regular exercise are very quick to point out their failings. They often report ending their day with a mental record of the things they shouldn't have eaten and the exercise they could've done but didn't. This doesn't lead to success. In fact, it usually just leads to feeling of failure and defeat. If this doesn't work, what does? While it's important to be aware of your weak spots, it doesn't help you to keep track of them. What is far more beneficial is finding the places where you succeeded and then building on those successes.

For example, it's great to develop an awareness that you're more likely to exercise if you make a date to meet someone at the gym. That's something you can build on. You can then make a standing date to meet a friend to exercise instead of attempting to go alone. It's great to develop an awareness that when you avoid television at night, you also avoid binges. That's something you can build on. You can incorporate more nighttime activities that don't include TV (and subsequently don't include binges). It's great to develop an awareness that you eat better when the kitchen is clean and you aren't overwhelmed with chores. That's something you can build on. By staying on top of chores and responsibilities you'll find yourself eating less.

What success (small or big) did you have today and how can you build on it tomorrow?


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11 Comments In the order they were posted.

Janice said...

Good advice! I have spent years waking up in the morning with my first thought being how I overate the day before. This would inevitably lead to despair. How that helped, I don't know. How much better to build on a positive step taken, For all the self-loathing, I am still overweight! It obviously has not helped!

Beth said...

This is great advice. I guess when you have spent years focusing on how much you've screwed up. You completely forget to acknowledge even the small things you've done right. It's really hard to exchange the mentality of get it perfect or don't bother out of your everyday thinking. This is going up on my bulletin board so I can start to notice and write down all the little things that I have done right throughout my day!

Cathy said...

It is a very good idea to acknowledge your success on a daily basis, it helps keep you focused and motivated. Especially if it makes you feel good about yourself. But don't trade in your successes to make up for an oopps. Don't say "I'll take a donut today with my coffee because I took the stairs twice and walked the dog too". I find that have to be strict with myself until I have gotten to my goal, then I allow treats in moderation. The goal does not have to be the end weight, you can take it by steps. Set 10 lbs goals and a prize once you achieved it. But do yourself a favor and stay away from making any type of food your prize. Make it a lovely pair of jeans or something else just as good. When I am trying to loose weight, I give myself $10.00 per day that I don't buy takeout food includes coffee. This money goes into a special 'yeah me! fund. Good luck!

Amber said...

I'd always feel like loser when I failed because I know where I went wrong, but this year I told myself that I wasn't going to over think it. It's like dieting for me has always been a thinking problem. If I just go with the flow and not think about how much I have to lose all together and I just take it one day at a time and set goals in divided sections of 10 to 30 lbs. then it doesn't seem as hard and overwhelming. I know what I need to do to lose weight and I do it. I don't think about it I do it. When cravings hit I put my mind on something else and try not to over think it, but if I do slip up it's not the end of the world. I know I'll beat this. Keep a positive mind and don't over think it, just chill out and relax you can do it.

MInnie said...

I'm overweight too and trying to lose weight, and like Amber said, I take it one day at a time sometimes even one hour at a time. I have bought the good doctor's book, "Shrink Yourself" and it is absolutely fantastic! I can relate to its contents in so many different ways, so I am getting lots out of it. Now, when cravings hit, I ask myself a question: "Do my eyes or mind want this food or does my body need it?" When my answer is that my eyes or mind wants it, I find something else to do, and my thing is to play my piano. This requires both hands, and since I enjoy playing so much, time often runs away with me and before I know it, it's time for my actual meal and the cravings for junk food have well and truly gone. Thank you for such a great book!

Nat said...

I really like this advise because it is basically saying...be positive about your weight loss. Being positive is the only way to get there. I spent several years trying to lose the extra weight I had gained but was always criticizing myself for not being able to do. As soon as i let all of that go and started accepting and loving myself the weight completely fell off. Be proud of all that you have accomplished!

mimi said...

I do pretty well during the day, and then for some reason at night I just have to have cookies orpretzels or chocolate bits, whatever is junk and available and then hate myself in the morning. I have 12 pounds to lose and cannot do it because of these cravings.

Barbara said...

Very good suggestion. I am going to try this as I am the queen of regrets instead of positive thinking and it becomes a vicious cycle that is very self-destructive. From now on I am going to work on patting myself on the back for the successess not beathing myself up for failures.

Rachel said...

Butr what happens if you know for a fact that you haven't done your best at eating or exercising and you feel like a failure to begin with...? let alone try and count the successes??? I am an emotional eater and I eat without an awareness of what I am actually doing... and when I wake upi from my little trance of eating I find myself guilty and ridden with shame for not being more disciplined. and then I abuse myself whenever I look in the mirror. I know I am not a fat person but when I look in the mirror all I see is fat and cellulite. I hate it and it brings me down. So I dont know how to count my successes when I am like this. :

Julie said...

I love this advice. I have been seeing a Dietician and with Dr. Gould's advice I now think about all the things I have to get done in a day rather than what I ate. At the end of the day I think about all my accomplishments and eating donuts is the furthest thing from my mind.

Gen said...

Yes, being positive with yourself and not THINKING about it too much It really helps. It also helps to just not buy the junk food, then if you or a member of your family wants it badly enough, they have to get up out of their chairs and go to the shop and buy that item - it often just doesn't seem worth it! Chewing gum can really take away the craving for sweets.

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Tip of the Week: Track Successes, Not Failures

End
Emotional
Eating