I regained 10 pounds over the holidays. On January 2, I promised myself I would lose the 10 pounds by February. By lunch time, I had 2 Diet Pepsi's and left over holiday cookies from the break room for breakfast. I can't control my eating. I quit until tomorrow.

"Those who believe they can do something are probably right – and so are those who believe they can't."
- Unknown

It's only noon. Granted, it's not the best start on your intention, but it is only noon. Realize that it's not to your advantage to be a perfectionist. Perfectionists tend to be real procrastinators because they insist on doing things so thoroughly.
Try this strategy for the rest of today.

Schedule an activity you want to accomplish for each hour of the rest of today. For example, by 2:00 PM you want to drink 20 ounces of water. By 4:00 p.m. you want to have walked for 30 minutes. By 5:00 p.m. you want to drink another 20 ounces of water. By 6:00 p.m. you want to have gone to the grocery store and purchased a few calorie controlled frozen entrees and some fresh fruit to eat for lunch at work for the rest of the week. By 8:00 p.m. you want to have gone to the library to pick up some books of interest for you.

Focusing on the process rather than the outcomes can help ensure success in your weight management program. If you follow the process, chances are good you will reach your goal of weight loss. And the best part is that you can positively view what you've done. So you can change your self talk to "I accomplished my goals today" instead of "I blew it". And that is essential for your long term success. How you speak to yourself, in large part, determines how you behave.

For more ideas on changing your self-talk, overcoming perfectionism, and enhancing belief in yourself, refer to the module, "Self-estimate and Self-esteem."

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