What To Do (And Not Do) When You Overindulge

So it’s Monday morning and you wake up feeling about 200 pounds heavier than you were on Friday, acutely aware of that ice cream sundae, 3 glasses of wine, 2 slices of pizza and oh that chocolate bar you ate last night at 12am while catching up on Netflix.

“Well, it’s all over. I’m a butterball!” you say as you roll yourself out of bed and morosely head to the mirror to evaluate the damage.

Oh god, you say, rotating and looking closely.

IS THAT A NEW ROLL?

WERE MY LEGS ALWAYS THIS GINORMOUS?

WHY DOES MY FACE LOOK LIKE A PANCAKE??!

 

STOP.

 

Back away from the mirror.

 

Listen, we’ve all been there. That moment of truth when you know full well you ate a little past your hunger cues and maybe took the treat yo’self concept just an inch too far.

It’s so easy to start blaming yourself or the universe or proclaiming that you are a failure who will never be healthy so what’s even the point so let’s go order pizza for breakfast.

But instead I want you to remember that today is an entirely new day with new foods and new opportunities. You are not defined by your past, and overindulging a few times does not negate your healthy lifestyle or make you a failure. So the first thing is…

Start the next day on a healthy note

Have a detoxing lemon water or peppermint tea, blend yourself up a satisfying green smoothie full of vitamins and nutrients, and go for a nice walk outside.

One bad meal does not an unhealthy eater make. Yes you’re probably bloated and feeling overall blah right now but force yourself to snap out of it and do things that you know are good for you. Plus our bodies are smart and usually after a few days of treats, they crave lighter fare.

 

Make a healthy plan for the week

This may be just me and the J in my personality type (any Myers-Briggs geeks out there?), but planning always helps me feel better and like I have a handle on the situation.

Plan out some workouts for the week, meal prep some healthy snacks or lunches, go grocery shopping. Make sure you feel like you got this health thing in the bag, and your overindulging will be a distant memory that ain’t got nothing on you.

 

Give yourself some love

As cheesy as this one sounds, it’s probably most important. Look, I know you’re probably not feeling like a health god/goddess right now, and it’s so easy to let thoughts of “you’re a failure” or “you’re a cow” get the best of you.

Kick those sh*ts to the curb.

YOU ARE A FRICKIN DYNAMITE OF A HOTTIE!

So treat yourself like one. Dress in your most confidence-inducing outfit, do your hair that sexy way, and go spend time with people who don’t give a crap if you ate 3 pints of ice cream in the last 3 days.

 

And…equally important, here’s what not to do.

 

Don’t go crazy hard at the gym trying to burn it all off

Trust me this is one of the worst things you can do. Not only is your body not running at it’s full capacity since it’s trying to digest the previous day’s feasts, but also going to the gym with the purpose of “burning off” food is a very easy way to develop a very negative relationship with exercise.

Humans need food. We need it for brushing our teeth, for going shopping, even for laying on the couch.

Exercise was never meant to “cancel out” the food you eat. It’s super important because our bodies were meant to move, and it has endless benefits for heart health and bone density, but it is not the enemy of food. In fact, what you eat is directly going to impact how effective your workout is. If you’re underfuelled, your workout won’t be nearly as #beastmode, and without the proper refueling you won’t see the results you’re looking for.

If you want to move your body because you truly feel like it, and you’re not motivated by getting rid of the food you already ate, then go ahead and work out. Just be sure to tune in because chances are you won’t want to go super hard.

 

Stop body checking

Body checking literally helps no one. Did you know that what you see in the mirror is largely impacted by your mental state at the moment? Meaning you could look exactly the same on two consecutive days, but if one of the days you’re feeling irritated or insecure or upset, you will see yourself as looking worse than you were on the other day.

Obviously after overindulging you don’t feel awesome about yourself so even if your body looks exactly the same, you will see a bunch of crazy changes and just freak out.

Plus it’s totally okay to be a little bloated and full of water for a few days after; you did not magically gain 10 pounds. It’s just your body dealing with the excess of food, and in a couple days you’ll be right back to your normal self.

Remember, it takes 3500 extra calories to gain 1 pound! And I’m pretty damn sure you did not eat THAT much.

 

Don’t restrict food

I think a lot of people fall into this trap of eating a lot or eating super unhealthy one day and then the next they go on a juice cleanse or make sure all their meals are composed of vegetables.

This is probably the absolute worst thing you can do.

Not only are you setting yourself up for a binge if you restrict your intake but you’re also using food as a punishment, which is NOT what food was meant to be.

Repeat after me, food is nourishment and energy and fuel. It’s necessary in adequate amounts every single day of your life, not just the days that you’re super active.

You should never ever feel that eating something deserves a punishment.

Cake and pizza have just as much importance in your diet as kale salads and green smoothies; yes, maybe they should be a little fewer and further between but they’re still just as key for living a life of balance and moderation.

Yes, you should probably try to make some more nutritious choices today, but make sure you’re not decreasing the amount you’re eating or doing anything too crazy like totally cutting out one macronutrient.

Your body needs adequate sustenance no matter what happened the previous day, so be kind to yourself and give it what it needs. Trust me, it will reward you later.

Finally, just remember that overindulging is a part of life! Why else are 10 course meals a thing or huge banquets? What, you think they were designed for you to eat exactly as much as your normal dinner portion?

It’s healthy to sometimes break out of your routine and go a little crazy. And you’re much better off letting yourself enjoy whatever it is to its full capacity than spending the entire time feeling guilty.

You are not going to lose all your progress or health from a couple days of eating more indulgently, just like you won’t magically reach all your goals from a couple days of eating perfectly.

It’s a journey, and you’re much more likely to stick to it if you remember to give yourself some grace.

 

Xoxo,

Nicole

 

Anything strike a chord with you here? What do you do when you overindulge?

 

Linking up with the wonderful Amanda for Thinking Out Loud!