There has been this common theme that has come up time and time again over the years and I've never really shared or written about it so I thought it was time I did. This story is about a particular friend of mine but it applies to many of the women I've helped lose weight over the years. Now I say women not because it only applies to women (which it doesn't) but because that is my primary client base and who I tend to help most often. 

She committed to a 3 week weight loss and portion control program called The 21 Day Fix Extreme by Beachbody. She had never really done a program like this but with the motivation of Halloween coming up she wanted to make some changes. Okay, let's fast forward to the most interesting part of the story and what I really want to share with you... Day 20. 

Her program is almost over and she made it through with very minimal cheats; which for anyone who's done one of these programs knows that's not easy to do. Day 20 comes and so does her long awaited vacation. Not great timing but what in life is? Day 20 and 21 are here and it's poor eating and lots of drinking; basically a complete derail from the program. The text's I receive on Day 20 read, "I FAILED," along with a sadness I can sense. 

This what I want to talk about, did she fail? Now if it was a high school math test and you get 19 questions correct out of 21 then you scored a 90%; borderline A but far from failing the test. But this isn't a high school math test - it's her health. One could argue the fact that she did't make it all 21 days and that is in fact 'failing.' In actuality most people think about it this way with one caveat; only if it's themselves doing the program. If it's someone else, they don't consider it failing. Weird huh?

My argument. Most people tend to view these programs as having a distinct start and end date and while it may seem that way since it's marketed that way, your health does not. Well it does but not one that you can change or fiddle with. Your health began the day you were born and will end the day you die, everything in-between you're either improving your health to reach your bodies maximum potential or you're crippling it. 

So back to the question of, "did she fail?" No not at all. For 19 days of her life, which could have easily been spent eating crap and not working out she did something extraordinary, something most people aren't willing to do which is turn off the instant gratification area of her brain and see what her body was capable of. In 19 days she lost 5 inches off her waist and 3 inches off her hips. Inches that in all likelihood would still be there if she hadn't done anything at all. Would you consider those kinds of a results a failure?

It's easy to self critize and of course she wishes should would have made it all 21 days but that's not the point of these programs is it? The point is to help teach you how to achieve your goals. Would you rather make it all 21 days or would you rather make positive progress? So the next time you're struggling with starting or stopping a program or the next time you feel like a 'failure,' step back for a second, take a deep breathe, and think about what's really important. I can guarantee you it's not the amount of days determined by a program. Whether you make it 1 day, 4 days, 19 days or more, those are all days of triumph and success and should be counted as such.  

If all else fails remember: you haven't truly failed until you've quit trying. 

Keep Going, 

Jimmie