What to Do if You Overindulge
If you feel like you overdid it with cookouts or cocktails this weekend...
And you're feeling a little uncomfortable or guilty...
Here's what to do:
1. Watch Your Language
You weren't "bad."
Food doesn't have any moral value, and the foods you choose don't make you "good" or "bad."
You don't need to get "back on track."
You're still moving; you just need to make choices today that support your goals.
2. Remember the Positives
Our brains are wired to focus on the negative, which allows us to get sucked into a guilt & shame spiral about overindulging in food, missing workouts, etc.
What positive things happened over your weekend?
For many people, Memorial Day is the kickoff to summer, but for those who've lost loved ones who were serving our country, it's a day that hits extra hard.
If you had the day off work, got to spend time at the beach or the pool, had the opportunity to gather with friends and family and share a meal, that's a gift.
Focus on that. What you ate and drank over one weekend literally does not matter in the overall scheme of things. You'll be just fine.
3. Drink Water
This is especially important if your holiday weekend indulgences included alcohol, which is dehydrating!
Being adequately hydrated boosts energy levels, improves digestion, and helps you feel better inside and out. Drink up!
4. Get Moving
It doesn't have to be a super intense workout. Just a walk and some stretching can make a huge difference in how your body (and your brain) feels.
It's not about "working off" what you consumed. (That's not how it works.)
Just get your heart pumping and your joints moving.
5. Make a Grocery Run or Order
The best way to "start fresh" on eating well is to stock up on things that aren't leftovers or to add extra nutrients to the leftovers you have.
Try to get protein and veggies at each meal if you can. The protein will help you feel full and the fiber and water content in the veggies will aid digestion.
6. Don't Panic
Any time we travel, switch up our routines, eat things we don't usually eat, or drink more than normal, it can affect our sleep, digestion, water retention, and energy levels – and all of that impacts how we feel.
Give yourself a few days to get back to "normal," whatever that means for you.
7. Ignore Diet Culture
No matter how you're feeling after a holiday weekend, it's not a good idea to fast, do a cleanse, start a super restrictive diet, or spend too much extra time at the gym.
The programs, supplements, and influencers who are trying to sell you on those things will absolutely prey on your worst insecurities, especially right at the beginning of summer when they know people will feel more vulnerable because...
Guilt, shame, and fat phobia sell products. And the people selling them don't actually care about your well-being; they care about their own wallets.
You already have all the tools you need to feel like yourself again. Focus on getting back to basics!
8. Reach out if you need help
Unlike most of the people behind the ads or product placements you might be seeing, I have zero financial stake in selling you anything. What you eat or don't eat, what supplements you do or don't use, whether or not your workouts are benefitting you, it literally has no impact on me.
It does have an impact on you, though. It can have long-term effects on your physical health, self-image, and body confidence, and if you're reading this, I genuinely care about your well-being.
If you have questions, please ask. I'll give you an honest, no b.s. answer.
If you need more support, my availability for personal training and nutrition coaching is limited heading into summer but if I can't accommodate you, I'll connect you with other trusted resources because you deserve long-term health, and you deserve to feel good about yourself.
Email me at coachjustineh@gmail.com
