It happens to most, if not all of us. You over-indulge, you miss some workouts and next thing you know, you're completely out of routine and you've fallen off the damn wagon!

It has happened to me, hence why I'm writing this post. I've not run is over two weeks, my eating has been pretty lax over the last few months and as a result, I've gained a bit of weight that I'm absolutely not happy about! A great combination when you've got a half marathon in 3 weeks!

Of course, falling off the wagon does not have to be food, fitness or health related, though, most of the time, this is what 'falling off the wagon' usually refers to. It can be a variety of things that you do in your everyday life. Another being blogging for example, which has also been a bit lax and non-existent as of late, very sorry!

The fact is, sh*t happens, life can get in the way, sometimes we make excuses, we get a bit lazy, less strict and there's no focus.

However, don't dwell on the fact that you have gotten off track, put it in the past and focus on what matters the most.. Getting back on track. So, put whats happened in the past, what's done is done. Tomorrow is a new day! Here are 5 of my recommended steps to getting back on track!

ASK YOURSELF, WHAT WENT WRONG?
How did you get to this point in the first place? Were you trying to be TOO good? Did you cave into the temptation? Were you trying to do too much? OR.. Maybe life just got in the way or things got stressful.

Regardless of what caused it, let it be something you learn from, recognise what caused it so you can avoid it next time. Acknowledge that what happened is done but then forget about it. Guilt will only make things worse. It's time to get back on track!

RE-ASSESS AND SET GOALS
At this point, it's a good idea to re-assess the goals that you set yourself previously and think about whether these goals are still valid or whether they may need amending. Maybe you didn't even set any goals in the first place, in which case you can make some now! Goals are great for having something to work towards and can be great motivation when set right.

Bare in mind that you should start small! If you have too big of a goal or try to set too many things to achieve all at once, it's more likely that you'll become overwhelmed and will probably end up back at the beginning all over again!

Think about where you want to be or what you want to achieve and Set some small goals. You can re-assess them later down the line and you can always set new goals once your old ones have been achieved.

HAVE A PLAN
You know what they say, Failure to Plan is Planning to Fail! Now you've set your goals, know where you want to be and what you want to achieve, you now need to build the stepping stones to reach them.

How are you going to reach your goals? What do you need to do? Set a plan, it will provide you with some structure that will pave the way to helping you stay on track and smashing your goals! This might include meals that you want to have during the week and/or how many workouts you want to achieve during the week.

Make your plan realistic, clear and simple.

START NOW!
So, you've recognised what caused you to fall off the wagon, you've thought about what you want to achieve, re-assessed and set some goals AND made a plan for how you're going to achieve them. The only thing to do now is to get on with it!

I don't believe in starting over on a Monday. The sooner you get on with it the better. Start Now!

GRAB A BUDDY
Now this is just a bonus step and obviously not mandatory, but it's extremely helpful! Find a buddy that has similar goals to you and use each other to keep accountable. Plan to go for a walk, run or an exercise class together, you're less likely to bail on a workout if you know there is someone waiting for you!

So there you have it, these are my five steps to getting back on track after falling off the wagon. Remember, your main focus really is getting back on track and trying not to dwell on any damage done! I spent far too long doing the latter and set myself back further, don't do that!

As you've seen from my above photo, I'm planned, I have everything scheduled and I'm ready to get back on track! I will obviously keep you updated!

I'm linking up with the Friday Five aka the DC Trifecta: Courtney, Mar, and Cynthia - Go check them out!

Question: Have you ever fallen off the wagon? What would be your best piece of advice for getting back on track?

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