Getting Back On Track: Why the Extremes Rarely Work
After a week-long all-inclusive holiday, I jumped on the scales this morning.*
I was up 3.2kg—nearly 6.5lbs.
Despite spending £1000s (and countless hours) studying nutrition, my first reaction?
“Oh s**t. I’m not eating today and I’m definitely doing extra cardio.”
Why? Because I’m human.
And your health and fitness journey is just as much mental as it is physical.
But let’s break it down:
- I ate out of my normal routine.
- I travelled yesterday (travel can cause inflammation).
- I drank more than usual.
- I had McDonald’s at the airport.
All of that plays a part in that weigh-in. So no, I’m not panicking.
And I didn’t get to where I was with extreme changes—so I won’t need extreme changes to get back there either.
Here’s what I will do:
- Do a food shop so I’ve got solid choices at home.
- Plan my week, including workouts and moments I’m likely to be tempted (this is a hack that most people overlook).
- Walk as much as I can.
- Rehydrate properly.
- Ease back in, rather than punishing myself with a brutal workout.
(That only leaves you sore, discouraged, and further off track.)
So if you’ve just come back from a holiday or big weekend—
Remember: success doesn’t live in the extremes.
It’s built through small, consistent improvements.
*Side note: I wouldn’t recommend weighing yourself post-holiday for most people. As you’ve just seen, it can be unnecessarily triggering—and not very reflective of reality.
