Hello, my friends. Welcome back to the Healthy Eating for Busy Women podcast. I am so happy you’re here, and I’m especially excited to talk about today’s topic because we’re going to discuss getting back on track with healthy eating and weight loss. This is something so many of us have struggled with—where we get off track with the progress we’ve made and wonder what it will take to get back on course after losing balance.

Today, I’m going to walk you through exactly what that entails and provide the perspective you need to make efficient progress toward your healthy eating goals.

One big thing I want to highlight today is that getting off track with healthy eating isn’t what causes you to fail or not lose weight if that’s your goal. What causes failure is what you make getting off track mean. We’re going to talk about why setbacks feel so significant and hard to get through, how to stop attaching negative meaning to slip-ups, and the steps you can take to turn setbacks into efficient stepping stones for success.

This is crucial because building healthy eating habits that last is non-negotiable if you want to lose weight for the last time. You cannot skip over your relationship with setbacks. A lot of us—especially type-A or highly logical women—tend to think we’re above the mindset work. I’ve been there, so if this resonates with you, I want you to know that bypassing mindset or emotional work in this area will hold you back if you’re not getting the results you want.

Take a moment to evaluate: where are you keeping yourself stuck because of your relationship with setbacks in your healthy eating journey?

Here are some relatable scenarios that might resonate with you:

Maybe you indulge in pizza on a Friday night and think, “Well, I’ve ruined my progress, so it doesn’t matter anymore,” and then spend the rest of the weekend overeating. Or you forget to pack a healthy lunch for work, grab fast food instead, and convince yourself, “I’m stuck in a cycle right now,” leading to stalled progress. Perhaps you feel stressed, binge on snacks, and tell yourself, “I just need more discipline to figure this out.” Or maybe, separate from eating, you skip the gym one day and decide, “I might as well give up entirely this week since I’ve already ruined my progress.”

In all these scenarios, a single momentary “setback” is being viewed as proof that something is wrong with you or your ability to achieve your goal. You’ve attached that moment to your self-worth. The language of “getting back on track” often reflects concern about the pace or appearance of progress rather than focusing on the actual destination or result.

Let’s get clear: one perceived setback has nothing to do with whether or not you will reach your goal. You don’t need to be perfect to achieve it. For instance, you can enjoy pizza on a Friday night, realize that it doesn’t benefit your goal, and then make different decisions the rest of the week. You don’t need to get a perfect score to lose weight. But notice how the thought, “The rest of the weekend doesn’t matter,” is what truly keeps you stuck.

This pattern isn’t about your progress—it’s about your self-worth. Your opinions about your self-worth have nothing to do with the data of where you’re actually at with your progress. Your brain may tell you, “I’m not doing enough. I’m failing.” But that’s just shame and judgment talking—it’s not reality.

When setbacks happen, your brain will likely jump to dramatic conclusions: “This is impossible. I’m doing it wrong.” None of this is true. These emotional reactions make the setback seem much bigger than it really is. Instead of spiraling into shame and inaction, you can learn to see setbacks as valuable data. They’re opportunities to figure out what works for you.

The goal isn’t to stop reacting to setbacks altogether—you’re human, and it will happen. The goal is to minimize how much time you spend in that doom-and-gloom mindset. The key is to move from reacting emotionally to responding deliberately.

For example, let’s say you overeat during dinner. Instead of making it mean you’ve failed, take a moment to pause. Notice what you’re telling yourself about the setback. Are you thinking, “I’m out of control,” or “I always do this”? Neutralize the story by separating the facts from the judgments. Maybe the facts are: “I ate three slices of pizza. I ate because I was stressed and wanted comfort.” Then, ask yourself useful questions: “Why did I eat three slices? Was I not satisfied with one? What could I add to make one feel like enough?”

Notice how the best questions are kind yet firm. They aren’t harsh or disciplinary—they’re caregiving. This approach fosters learning and growth, which is essential for creating long-term results.

Finally, decide your next step. If you overeat at dinner, plan a more balanced meal the next day. If you tend to stress-eat after work, create a comforting routine that doesn’t involve food, like taking a bath or listening to music in the car before heading inside.

By treating setbacks as data rather than failures, you’ll stop spiraling and keep moving forward more efficiently. You’ll approach healthy eating with curiosity and confidence instead of shame and inadequacy. Your results will become inevitable because setbacks won’t derail you—they’ll propel you forward.

Setbacks are a non-negotiable part of learning and growth. Think of mastering healthy eating as developing a skill, not chasing an A+. Failing well—evaluating your progress and learning from mistakes—is how you create sustainable, long-term success. Imagine losing weight and changing your eating habits without ever feeling “off track” again because you trust yourself to keep going.

This is possible for you. It’s what I want for you.

Thank you for being here, as always. I’m excited to see how you take this perspective and run with it. Here’s to failing forward, embracing your setbacks, and trusting yourself to figure it out. You’ve got this. I’ll see you next week.