I am finding that it helps me to count every good decision as a victory. Every workout I didn't want to do but did, every meal I made or ordered the healthier choice, every time I drove by DQ and didn't stop!, every time I split a meal into smaller portions to eat throughout the day; those are each a victory. At that point in time, in that moment, I did what I knew I needed to do. That is a victory.
For me it works much better to view each of these moments as a victory instead of trying to grasp the big picture lifestyle change that is going on. It is extremely important to have a plan and long term goals, but if I spend too much time thinking about (or staring in the mirror at) how far I have to go to reach those goals then I feel overwhelmed and sometimes more than a little panicky. But if I view my progress as one victory at a time I don’t have to fret about the big picture.
However, I certainly do not see every bad or less healthy decision as a defeat. Not working out because its freaking hot outside and I’m tired, or stopping to eat that delicious DQ cookie dough blizzard is NOT a defeat. It is an opportunity lost. Yes, it is one less victory, and it most certainly slowed my progress, but I don’t let it diminish the victories that came before nor the ones that will come after.
I have realized that when my weight loss and increased fitness has been the most successful has been when I string days or weeks of those victories together, and limit the opportunities lost. It is too easy to get bummed out or off track and let one opportunity lost turn into a week and then 6 weeks of bad decisions and missed opportunity. Each moment is an opportunity for a victory. Each victory is a step towards the new lifestyle and the new me I am striving for.