Operation Resume: What I’m Doing to Recover from a Relapse

Yep. It happened again. I relapsed this weekend. Ate a lot. I was tired, stressed, annoyed that I was working so hard and not losing as much weight as I wanted to.

Sigh.

But one of the things I’ve learned on this journey is that you. Do. Not. Stop. Other people have recovered and gotten where they want to go. So I’m mixing up my toolkit, recommitting and starting over.

Here’s my plan. And my commitment to keep it:

1) Add in new tool. 

Whenever I resume, I have to try different, not try harder. So I’m adding a new tool to my daily practice.

The new tool this time is a daily self-care practice. This will often take a time commitment but poor self-care is the number one thing that causes me to fall. Self-care = do a yoga routine, take a nap, sit outside with a cup of tea, take a bath, sing and dance along to an upbeat song, get a massage, get a pedicure, do a face mask.

(My other current tools: meditate daily, read something inspirational, listen to at least one sober-eating podcast or vlog, write in my gratitude journal, post at least once on this blog or on social media, stick to each of my four food plan goals — no sugar, no flour, 3 meals only, weigh all food.)

I've also signed up for another Bright Line Eating 14-day challenge.

I'm also, gulp, adding in a no-nuts rule. Nuts seem to stall my weight loss. And they trigger me. Dang it.

2) Surrender fully.

I’d convinced myself long ago that sugar is a no-go. One bite is never enough. One bite means a thousand bites. But I’ve always had trouble fully surrendering to my no-flour rule. No more. I surrender. No croutons on my salad. No beer or wine if it’s a special occasion.

I'm following the food plan laid out in Susan Peirce Thompson's Bright Line Eating plan.

3) Set a short-term time commitment.

On June 16, I leave for a festival in South Carolina. So that gives me a nice time frame. It’s 23 days between today and then. I’ll keep to my food plan (no sugar, no flour, 3 measured meals a day) for the next 23 days.

My brain has an easier time accepting surrender when it’s just for a temporary time frame. I’m not saying I WILL go back to croutons and beer (or anything else), I’m just saying that for the next 23 days, I’m sticking to the plan. I can do a complete surrender for 23 days. I’ll reassess after that.

I’m going to futureme.org right now and setting up a letter that will be delivered to me in 23 days giving me wild, crazy congratulations for doing this.

Day One of Operation Resume begins today!