I saw a patient a while back who went on a new medication that changed everything.

We’d been working together for a year or so and she really, really wanted to see if she could get her health sorted without taking any prescription medications.

It doesn’t matter what she had going on, or what medication was on the table because this story isn’t about the condition, or the medication, it’s about choosing.

This patient worked hard over the course of the last year, and did her best. She would make progress, then at some point get off track, then come back to center, and start the cycle over again. She worked hard. She was aware of her road blocks and she understood that it was her own choices that would get her off track. She worked to not go into shame or self-doubt, and continued to get back on the horse.

In the end what she was able to do within her current bandwidth wasn’t quite enough. After a long conversation she started on medication. When she followed up at her next appointment she told me that with the medication she had the energy to put another 25% into her workouts, had increased focus to assist her in making healthier choices, and she had dropped 3 pounds to boot (icing for her, as she was hoping to lose a little weight…not the goal for everyone of course, but one for her nonetheless.)

The answer for her wasn’t the answer that she particularly wanted, nor was it the answer that was most ‘natural.’ But, it was the best answer for her. And not taking the medication for a year, while she leaned into her new lifestyle choices, was also the best answer for her. Her answer. Only hers, and no one else’s. She’s now on track in a way that makes her feel great about herself. She’s meeting her health goals.

Bottom line, there is no one answer for everyone.

Only your values, your goals, guidance, trial and error, commitment, and the knowing that even the most dedicated of us shift gears, change plans, and falter. It’s all ok. 

So what do you do if you get off track?

• Recenter, figure out what you need, and hop back on the horse.
• Look at why. Do your work. Decide if it’s a therapy issue…compulsive eating, undermining yourself, or maybe even just being lazy.
• Consider your values are and if your choices are lining up with those values.
• Assess your overall load, and whether you have too many things on your plate, or too much to manage.
• Be clear about your values and goals, decide what is most important.
• Work with a provider who can support you to know exactly what is most important…for your body and for your state of mind.
• Set your sights on one change at a time.
• And (shameless self promotion warning) grab my book. I promise that working through the 4 steps will allow you to figure out exactly what YOU need, now, to live the life that is most lined up with who you want to be.

If your path doesn’t look like what you expected, well that’s to be expected.

And don’t forget to be kind to yourself. Truly. You deserve it.

Yours in Health,