Discover the Victory of Getting Back Up

By Nancy Halstenson, PhD MHA

 

“It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get up.” (Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers Football Coach, 1970)

People trying to lose weight do feel "knocked down" at times. Sometimes a lot. People “fall off the wagon” and then feel defeated. They may go back to negative eating habits, stop exercising, and no longer believe in themselves. They believe “I am either a total success or a total failure”.

 

People often say they feel categorized as weight loss “failures” because all of the times one loses weight to then gain it back; we come to believe, “I can’t do this”. That belief sets us up for the one thing we fear most: failure.

 

Just having the courage to work on losing weight again and being willing to live your life differently makes you a winner. In the long run, “winning” is not the total weight loss number but rather it is the culmination of every little decision you make each day toward your goal of health and happiness.

 

One mistake does not a failure make! If you get knocked down, pull yourself up: keep your food diary, look back at what was working when you were losing weight and talk to your medical provider to get back on course. All of these small positive choices add up to long-term success. You are the one who must pick it up on a daily basis and rebuild your life. This is the fight of and for your life. Your efforts and belief in yourself will lead you to the victory of permanent and lasting weight loss!

The bottom line: Everyone gets knocked down. The victory comes in learning how to get back up.