I’ve decided to ban the phrase “fall off the wagon”. It’s too all or nothing: you’re on or you’re off, succeeding or failing.
I like to think of this as a game of catch like we used to play as kids. Each catch “counted” towards the all-time record. When you drop the ball, you just start again at one and head for the record again. How depressing it would have been if we’d berated and criticized each other with every drop.
So from now on I’m thinking of “dropping the ball” rather than “falling off the wagon”. I hate the wagon. I can’t stay on the wagon. But I can play a game of catch – enjoy the process, chat with a friend and head for the all-time record.
So what constitutes a “catch” day?
For me, it means:
- eating well to relieve hunger rather than emotion
- staying within my calorie range for the day
- moving somehow, some way
- a day of appreciating what I have and working hard towards what I envision for myself