Guilt

Many people feel guilty in their fitness journey due to the times when they fall short. This has some use because we need responsibility. We need to be aware of when we are failing.

However, guilt has the tendency to be overly negative. It makes us feel bad, and it makes us more likely to give up entirely.

This is very tricky to balance with the notion of responsibility and accountability. However, guilt tends to come with unhealthy excessive criticism, and it tends to be more focused on the past ("I failed") and the present ("I am a failure"). Because of it, it also tends to be fatalistic. Hence why it contributes to giving up. Why keep going if you're going to fail?

There are three aspects that are important when dealing with guilt.

Compassion

Forgive yourself for having a slip-up. It happens, and it's OK. That is not incompatibile with responsability.

Future

Be future-oriented, which contrasts with guilt. The future is open, and you can do things differently. You are not a failure because you failed at a particular point in time. This is a long-term journey, and you will grow and improve over time.

Reconsider your systems

Double-check the systems you have in place. As it is covered extensively here, you shouldn't rely on willpower alone to achieve your fitness goals. Therefore, if you are not making the progress you want, it might not necessarily be because there is something wrong with you or you're not trying hard enough. Maybe it's about how you are doing it that is making it difficult to achieve. And this can be changed! And of course, a coach is tremendously helpful in order to help you with this and help build a plan that is more sustainable.

Remember that hiccups on your journey are normal. And failures do not determine your moral worth.