Everyone’s pretty tired of talking about 2020, but there’s still no denying it was a scary, uncertain year for many people.

A lot of people in the Code Red community stuck to the plan and ended quarantine thinner and healthier instead of fatter and sicker.

New people found the Code Red Lifestyle™ and took their lives back.

But there were also people who coped with the disruption of 2020 by going off the rails – including people in the Code Red community who’d been successful.

The program works when you work the program. Stop following – whatever your reasons – and results stop coming.

Maybe you’re at a point now where you get that. You’re tired of feeling like crap. You’re tired of feeling out of control. You’re disappointed in yourself and ready to lose the weight and feel better again.

You’ve even returned to living the Code Red Lifestyle™…or at least, that’s your intention.

But you’re finding it harder to do the second time around.

So what the heck is going on?

First of all, when you FIRST joined the Code Red Lifestyle™, you had momentum from the excitement of the new.

The second time around, you don’t have “the new factor” to keep you going.

Not only that, you’re dealing with baggage from succeeding on Code Red, then failing and gaining weight back.

In other words, you’ve reaffirmed your worst fears – that you’ll just gain it back – and added to that giant heap of “evidence” that you’ll never keep the weight off.

Finally, you’re probably disappointed in yourself. Success was yours, and you lost it. Again. There’s a lot of shame attached that, and few things in life are as hard to shake off as deep, heavy shame.

So how do you handle all this?

First of all, forget the shame. It’s not gonna help. Focus on the fact you succeeded once, and that means you can do it again. How many times you’ve failed is COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT. All that matters is you succeeded once, and you can do so again.

Next, here’s my four-step process for getting back on track the second time around.

1 – STAY CONNECTED.

Most people who fall off the wagon also disappear from the community. Lean on the community to hold you accountable. You’ve GOT to have the support to drown out the voices of your past failures and unhelpful habits. You’ve also got to have the positive reinforcement. Share your wins so your Rebel family can support you and help you feel good about what you’re doing.

2 – REMEMBER THE WHY THAT MAKES YOU CRY.

Sit down and ask yourself why you’re doing this. Keep asking why until you find that one (or ones) reason that triggers you into feeling emotional. You’ve got to be honest with yourself or this lifestyle cannot work for you.

3 – CONFRONT WHY YOU WENT OFF THE RAILS.

The problem is the problem, so just work the problem. You’ve gotta do that too – for example, get the junk food out of your house – but if you fell off the wagon and got dragged behind it, take a deep look at why.

Don’t stop at “because of COVID,” or “because my elderly dad’s sick and I’m his caretaker.” Use the ask why technique. Write down your reason, then ask why. Answer. Then ask why. Keep doing that until you find that real, raw reason that triggers emotions.

Oh, it’s uncomfortable for sure. But like I said: You’ve GOT to be honest with yourself.

4 – FOLLOW THE FOODS AND RULES. This one’s so obvious I shouldn’t need to say it, but I’m going to. If you’ve slacked off on your water, get to guzzling. If you’ve stopped getting on the scale, face the music and get back on.

Clean out your cupboards and get weight loss mode-approved foods back in your house. Don’t wait until you feel like it, either. Shut off your monkey brain’s chatter and analyzing, and just do it.

These “get back on track” tips work if you use them. So don’t just read this post and go, “Huh, interesting,” and then dive into a half gallon of ice cream.

Post in the Facebook group that you’re starting again, and would appreciate encouragement.

Complete your two “why” lists. (Why you want this and why you went off track.)

Grab your water and get to drinking. Tomorrow, get on that scale.

Clean out your cupboards and place an online grocery order of weight loss mode-approved foods. (Or just go to the store.)

You did this once, and you can and will do it again. Get moving, okay?