Indulged Over The Holidays?
Tis the season to indulged over the holidays with stuffing, turkey, buttery rolls, and pie, pie, and more pie. With all the office parties, cookie swaps, and holiday potlucks this time of year, it’s especially hard to avoid overeating. Hey, it happens to the best of us. But the real problem is usually what happens after—in our body and our mind.
Are you filled with regret, dejectedly pondering starting a juice cleanse? Do you wallow in the damage for hours or even days?
Don’t fret. Sometimes reframing the situation and having an action plan is all you need to rebound ASAP.
Don’t Panic
The guilt and anxiety that sets in following a food binge can be more damaging than the actual overeating session itself. Realistically, even if you gobbled down an entire pint of rocky road the night before, you’re not going to pack on a whole whack of weight from a single night of overindulgence. Look at a single binge as a temporary setback, but not like it’s the end of the world. The best food binge comeback is simply resuming your balanced, healthy diet and moving forward to avoid regular food binging.
Rehydrate the Body
After a night of salty-deep fried indulgence, water is key so drink up! We all know that when the body is thirsty we often feel hungry. However, following a night of consuming sodium and Trans fat-rich foods you will even feel more dehydrated. So be sure to drink a few large glasses of water first thing in the morning and keep a large water bottle nearby to sip throughout the day to flush out all the salt in your system.
Ignore the Scale
The scale is not your ally the day following a food binge. So ignore the scale, particularly if your night of binging featured a lot of foods that were high in sodium. The excess sodium consumed will increase your normal weight by a couple of pounds of water weight, and only deter your motivation for resuming healthy eating. Instead, drink water and resume to eat a healthy, balanced diet for at least 72 hours. This will ensure the sodium is flushed out of your body.
Don’t Starve Yourself
It’s tough to wake up after a night of binging without guilt. However, if you starve yourself as a form of punishment you’re only triggering another inevitable—yet another binge. Instead, realize that you are only human and concentrate your energy on resuming a healthy, balanced diet and exercise routine.
The Takeaway
Admit that to indulged over the holidays on food is the human condition. We all have our moments. As a popular inspirational quote says, “You are not defined by your mistakes, but your reaction.”
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About the author
Ashvini Mashru, MA, RD, LDN is a Registered Dietitian who has 15 years of experience in helping individuals achieve healthy lifestyles.Through her own practice, Wellness Nutrition Concepts, LLC located in Malvern, Pennsylvania and through virtual online sessions for out-of-area clients, Ashvini provides a number of nutrition and wellness consulting services. Ashvini assists individuals to effectively lose weight, change eating habits permanently, understand their bloodwork and medications for conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, weight loss, etc. and how it aids in establishing a healthy body, gaining more energy, increasing motivation, gaining better sleep and reducing food cravings. Ashvini assists individuals and their families to discover and learn new ways of eating healthy, new ways of shopping for healthy foods, and how to “makeover” a pantry and refrigerator so it’s organized with healthy foods that meets their lifestyle and nutrition needs. She provides proven step-by-step customized nutrition plans that allows her clients to attain fuller health and feel fabulous. Ashvini has been published in many publications and writes a monthly column for The Main Line Times. She has also been featured as a guest on various radio programs. She was voted The “Best of Main Line”, Best Dietitian/Nutritionist 2015 by Main Line Times and was a nominee for Philly Health Hero Challenge 2014. Her work is recognized by the State Senator and Representative and was recognized as People on The Move 2015 by Philadelphia Business Journal. She is also a proud Author of her book Small Steps to Slim. Her book provides busy moms with an almost effortless approach to change their lifestyle that is achievable by even the busiest of women. It breaks the process into simple steps so that they don’t feel overwhelmed or frustrated. And it’s a quick read so they can get started today with the program. For more information and to purchase the book please visit http://tinyurl.com/nh6vf6f Ashvini holds a Master’s degree in Nutrition from Immaculata University, Immaculata, Pennsylvania and also completed a dietetic internship. She is an accredited member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Dietetic Associations and a member of various dietetic practice groups. She also completed her Certificate of Training in Adult Weight Management from Commission on Dietetic Registration. She is also an ACE- Certified Personal Trainer and a Wellcoaches- Certified Wellcoach and specializes in weight loss and weight management. If you find yourself struggling and ready to take control of your life and your health, please contact Ashvini at 610-648-6260 or schedule a 30 minute complimentary consultation on her website www.wellnessnutritionconcepts.com or email her at ash@wellnessnutritionconcepts.com. Check out her Nutrition Tip video: https://vimeo.com/112353786 and her Client Testimonial video: http://youtu.be/bK0idJSZjcw