5 Ways to Recover From Holiday Binge Eating
We’ve all been there. You’re sitting back after a holiday meal so stuffed you feel like you can’t feel your body, and the thought crosses your mind of whether this is the end of your diet, this means failure in achieving your health and wellness goals, or worse, will be a moment you’ll use to decide there’s no going back. It’s not the end! Here, we are going to share some advice from our fitness expertise to help you get back on, or get on track after over-eating – without starving yourself or doing hours of cardio.
GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION
1st things 1st – Stop beating yourself up! “Feeling guilty doesn’t lead to healthier eating and is more often associated with depressive emotional states and binge eating behaviors,” says Junior Leoso, CPT and owner of PB Training. It’s simple – tell yourself that everything is perfect and you are committed to start making healthier decisions starting now.
MOVE
A proven strategy on Thanksgiving day or before any heavy holiday meal is to work out an hour or two before dinner. That way, your muscles will be primed to take advantage of all the food you are going to eat. Your blood sugar levels will be more stable, and you will feel better the next day. But it’s Thanksgiving, you say! Most people are not going to work out. However, even a simple walk with family before or after you eat will help to move oxygen into your tissues and to pump cellular waste products out through your body’s lymphatic system. You won’t burn enough calories to matter with a walk, but the other changes to the way your body functions will help you feel better the next day.
TAKE NOTE OF THE DAMAGE, BUT DON’T LET IT DEFINE YOU
If stepping on the scale the day after Thanksgiving or another holiday meal will help you get back on track with a healthier eating mindset, then do it, but don’t assume the scale shows true weight gain. There are 3,500 calories in a pound, so to have actually gained three or four pounds, you would’ve had to consume more than 10,500 to 14,000 extra calories! Even though experts estimate the average American might take in 2,000 to 4,500 calories over the course of a holiday mean, that still only adds up to about a pound at the most.
DETOX TEA
A proven and simple method for healthy bodies is to start each morning with a detox tea. As soon as you wake up and before eating anything, brew a cup of tea with the following ingredients:
- Juice squeezed from 1/2 of an organic lemon
- 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
- pinch of cayenne pepper
Drinking this tea will jump-start your metabolism and wake up your stomach and body, helping it to more effectively and efficiently process food for the rest of the day.
PLAN TO WIN
Consider working with a trainer to develop systems to:
- Track your food intake and develop healthy routines
- Calm your stressed system with stretching and/or yoga
- Create a health and wellness routine incorporating group classes and workouts designed to increase your metabolism, promote healthy living habits, and bring a sense of community around you as you work to achieve your goals
The trainers at Pacific Beach Training are all accredited personal trainers with extensive experience in developing whole-life solutions for individuals, and companies interested in using fitness and nutrition goals as benchmarks for tracking progress in achieving a happy, healthy life. Even after binge-eating during the holidays! For more info, please reach out: [email protected].