What a fantastic holiday weekend. It was filled with all the things it was supposed to be… family, friends, food. And of course, kids fighting… I mean making memories LOL!
So now that the famous “Stuff Your Face” holiday is over… how do we get back on our path.. THE RIGHT WAY???
No need to panic because you ate your Nan’s famous pie or had a double helping of dinner. Let me share with you how to get back on your journey without the struggle.
STEP 1: Don’t Beat Yourself Up. Start by making sure you don’t feel guilty for indulging. It’s Thanksgiving—you should enjoy yourself, guilt-free. What is the point of showing up and taking care of yourself all year if you cannot ENJOY these moments to the fullest. This is a time to connect with friends and family, not to get bogged down with anxieties over food choices. After all the say in true… “It’s not what we eat on holidays that ultimately make us gain weight; it’s our eating habits over the other 355-360 days of the year.”
Step 2: Get Back to Your Normal Routine. Just like every other week get your meals organized and planned. Do your weekly grocery shopping and get it figured out what you will be having for meals and snacks this week.
Step 3: Don’t make it a MULTI DAY FOOD FEST. Yes. That’s right. You can enjoy your day yesterday but today it must not continue. Someone has to polish off those leftovers over the course of a few days, right? Not so fast… One day is just a blip, but if you go four days making those kinds of choices, it’ll be harder to get back into a routine. Give out the leftovers, stay away from the desserts and don’t fall into the trap.
Step 4: Eat. Don’t Skip Meals. Trying to compensate for your overeating… skipping meals to help?? That’s a definite DON’T… That’s only affecting your metabolism. Instead eat healthy options… proteins, whole grains, less sugar. Protein helps keep you satiated while the vegetables and leafy greens supply most of your micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and the extra fiber will help with pushing all the stuff out of your body (**cough cough … bowel movement**). Your body (and mind) will thank you.
Step 5: Start Up Your Activity Again. Your workout doesn’t need to be super intense; the point is to get back into your specific fitness routine the very next day to get a jump-start on fitness goals and put all that extra calorie consumption to good use. Moving the body makes everything feel better. The bloat, the guilt, the lack of energy all disappear after 30mins of moving.
Step 5: Get More Potassium. Eating potassium rich foods can help in the coping with the food binge. After we eat foods high in sodium, the potassium helps to naturally flush your system. Some options are:
- Bananas, oranges, cantaloupe, honeydew, apricots, grapefruit (some dried fruits, such as prunes, raisins, and dates, are also high in potassium)
- Cooked spinach
- Cooked broccoli
- Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes
- Mushrooms
- Peas
- Cucumbers
- Zucchini
- Eggplant
- Pumpkins
- Leafy Greens
Step 6: Drink More. But not by downing another beer or few glasses of wine. Water, water, water!! Thirst can sometimes be mistaken for hunger, and it can be difficult to tell the difference, especially during the post holiday buzz. Always keep water on hand. It’ll keep you hydrated, and it will help keep food temptations at bay. Also consider clementines, which are healthy and packed with moisture—a snack food win-win! Water plays an important role in digestion which is a bonus after the binging that just went down. Consider teas, too … chamomile help support digestion and are one of my favs.
Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas or the day after your big Birthday Party… you want to get focused right away with a simple plan to get back on your path. Clean up the system and support it to feel your best.
Get In Mah Belly!!!
