I believe in total honesty on this journey. And I have to be honest that the past few months I feel like I haven’t been at my best when it comes to my diet and exercise. There are a million solid excuses for why. We’ve been overhauling our entire house as I mentioned in prior posts and most of my evenings and weekends have been spent outside building stuff. This has been rewarding in many ways, and honestly it is a form of exercise, but along with my focus on the house I’ve taken my eye off tracking my food as well as I should be and I’ve missed lots of workouts.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years it that on this journey there’s no place for excuses.
One of the key ways to lose track is to accept excuses-even if they’re justified.
For me there’s a specific kind of heaviness that creeps in when I feel things starting to slip — my routines, my goals, my motivation, my grip on the version of myself I’ve worked so hard to build feels like it’s slipping away.
Here are some Red Flags that You’re Losing Focus
You start rationalizing why you skip a workout.
You replace healthy behaviors with unhealthy habits
Your food choices drift back to comfort instead of commitment.
Your “why” feels fuzzy.
You wake up tired in more ways than one.
You stop posting on your blog and podcast as much as you were (this one is just for me)
It doesn’t happen all at once. It never does.
But one skipped workout becomes three.
One “I’ll track tomorrow” becomes two weeks of radio silence on your food log.
One day of letting life get in the way turns into a full-blown detour.
Sound familiar?
This isn’t the first time I’ve felt things getting off track–it happens every once in a while. What I’ve learned that this slipping feeling isn’t the end of the road. It’s a signal. It’s data. It’s a moment to pause, reassess, and recommit — without shame. But it requires some critical steps.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Name It Without Judging It
The worst thing you can do when things start slipping is pretend it’s not happening.
The second worst? Beat yourself up over it. This only makes the hole deeper and puts you into a negative mental space.
It’s important to note that this isn’t a moral failure. It’s not weakness. It’s life. Stress piles up. Schedules shift. Energy dips. And yes, motivation fluctuates. That doesn’t mean you’re done. It means you’re human.
So name it:
“I’ve lost some momentum.”
“I’m not where I want to be.”
“I’m struggling to stay on track.”
That’s awareness — not failure.
2. Zoom Out to Zoom Back In
When you’re stuck in the feeling of slipping, everything feels urgent. But urgency without direction leads to panic, not progress.
Instead, take a breath. Then zoom out. Assess where things are now and focus on what was working before.
What was working before?
What changed?
What are the patterns that got you here?
Then zoom back in. Start small.
You don’t need to fix everything overnight — you just need to start again right away.
3. Find the First Domino
When I feel off track, I look for the one thing I can do today that makes everything else easier.
For me it always starts with honest food tracking. Every meal, every day, no matter what. This is the simple core action that got me going and it is the simple action that I return to when things seem to be slipping away.
For me tracking is that first domino. Once I get that other healthy habits want to follow from drinking more water to exercising with purpose.
Momentum starts with a nudge — not a sprint. Find that first domino. Knock it down. Watch what follows.
4. Revisit Your “Why” — Not Your Weight
When the scale stalls or goes up, it’s easy to spiral. But your “why” isn’t a number.
It’s your energy.
Your mood.
Your longevity.
Your confidence.
Your ability to show up for the people you love.
That’s what you’re fighting for. And you’re still in the fight.
5. Use the Slip as a Strategy
Here’s the twist: the slip is part of the plan.
Every time you fall off and get back on — you build resilience. If you pay attention you can use these slips as learning moments. You learn what trips you up. You learn how to get back on track faster. That’s not regression. That’s growth as long as you get back in the game.
Final Thought: You’re Still the Author
This moment — this slippery, messy, foggy moment — it’s just a page in the book.
You’re still writing the story, and you haven’t lost the plot.
So pick up the pen. Today. Not Tomorrow. Not “when life calms down.”
Now.
And if you need help, like I have lately, go back to your toolkit.
Re-read the old posts you wrote…..
Re-listen to the podcast episodes you’ve recorded…
Remind yourself what you’ve already survived.
What you’ve already changed.
Who you’ve already become.
You’re not the “Used To Guy” anymore.
Let’s Keep Moving Forward — Together.