This week, David Stern and the overlords in the NBA stated that it will begin to fine for flopping starting this season. There has already been outcries from the flopingest of the floppy such as Blake Griffin. For those of you who don’t watch the NBA, flopping, like in soccer, involves faking a foul like a hit in the face. This usually results in a fall to the ground, which reminds us all why we all hate fakers.

Here’s some of the worst of the worst…

So how is the Fotographing Fat Kid going to parallel this to weight loss? (I’ve never used third person before. Hmmmm…)

When you are trying to change your diet or trying to exercise more, you tend to start out really strong and full of excitement. Then around week 6, you tend to give in a little. Maybe you’ll skip a day at the gym, you might eat that piece of cake that you wouldn’t usually eat, or you do both. Then, you flop. Something goes wrong and you throw yourself down to the floor like a kid going in to a tantrum. “OMG MY DAY WAS TERRIBLE! A BIRD POOPED ON MY CAR AND THE CASHIER AT THE BANK DIDN’T TELL ME TO HAVE A NICE DAY WHEN I LEFT AND MY DOG TOLD HIS THERAPIST THAT HE WAS SICK OF MY ANTICS!!!!!!!!” That’s when you go to the fridge, look at that tub of ice cream and say “you’re all mine.” Then… you binge.

It’s easy to get tied up in thinking about what you think deserve when you want something that you know you shouldn’t have. Usually, you know deep down on those kinds of days that you want to cheat on your diet or your exercise. You want to find a reason not to keep your routine. So, you flop and while you think you have earned it, you are just pushing yourself further away from your goals. These are the kinds of days that make or break your health fortitude.

My advice on how to handle these days? Really think about whether you need that cheating trigger. Odds are, you can talk yourself out of it. Right now, I can hear the internet trolls wringing their hands, “but FFK, you shouldn’t deprive yourself!!!” Well know what? Half of my success so far has come out of doing things that others think are crazy, like having self control on things like full-fat dessert and things like that because I knew how much extra time running or lifting I would have to do to burn that off instead of burning off the weight that I have already gained. I’m absolutely not saying I’m perfect, but I have seen what works for people and it usually involves going outside of the “if it feels good, do it” mantra.

So the next time you’re ready to flop, think to yourself “is my healthy really going to benefit from this?” and then remember you’re ultimate goal and move on. You got this!