Part 1 of 2: What not to do
We’ve all been there: where we have over indulged at a family function, a restaurant, a special occasion/event, had too many drinks on the weekend, turned to food for comfort. Whatever it may be, we’re human and we’ve all done it. The thing is, this is part of life. These moments are going to happen but it’s important to become aware of the situation and to not beat yourself up about it. Instead, give yourself some grace. Overeating one time does not automatically make you a failure and does not ruin your chance of reaching your goals. All this means is that YOU are human and as humans this is normal, we aren’t perfect. Don’t give up on your goals and habits because one day didn’t go as you had planned. This is why having flexibility and knowing what works best for YOU is SO important.
With that being said let’s dig into what not to do:
What not to do:
Restrict yourself the next day: As you can probably imagine this is going to lead to more of a binge and restrict cycle and we don’t necessarily want to encourage that. What we do want is sustainability, you don’t have to punish yourself for not being perfect (reading that probably sounds silly, right? Because no one is perfect.)
Start a crash diet, detox, fat burners or crazy plans promising results that seem too good to be true: If this isn’t something you can stick to as a lifestyle then what makes you think you’re going to get long term results from it? I’m sorry but starving myself, or doing a detox that is essentially a laxative doesn’t sound like fun. I’d rather eat food than drink some fake magic tea.
Cut out food groups or specific food items because you are labelling them as bad: There isn’t such a thing as good food or bad food. There’s less or more nutrient dense items but nothing is particularly labelled as good or bad. The way you word things to yourself matters.
Beat yourself up about not being perfect: If you’re setting expectations for yourself to be perfect all the time then I’m sorry to say it but you’re setting yourself up for failure. You know when the week you had planned to go SOOO well doesn’t go as planned and you slip up. It’s OKAY – nothing in life goes 100% as planned. Pivot, make adjustments, make the best choices that you can in that situation. If you don’t have time to get your full workout in. Well 30 minutes of movement is better than none. If you get a phone call that a friend wants to go out for lunch and you really want to go... GO! Choose a meal that you feel aligns with your goals and make modifications to it.
Work off the food that you ate: I promise you don’t need to do a bunch of cardio or workout more often to burn off the extra calories. Please don’t do this! You aren’t doing anything for yourself other than create a poor relationship with exercise and food. Accept the fact that you overindulged, you enjoyed it, you’re aware of it, and now you can move on.
Feel guilty: There’s no need to dwell on something in the past. Reflect on the experience. What went well? What other choices could you have made for the better? Did you enjoy yourself? Associating guilt around these situations can cause the all-or-nothing way of thinking leading to the binge and restrict cycle.
Step on the scale the next day: Why do this if you know it is going to upset you or dictate how your day is going to go? You have more food in your body. Food is weight, you likely had more carbs than usual, carbs are going to pull water into your muscles which means an increase in the scale weight. Give your body a couple days to adjust and things will come back down.
Broadcast your overindulgence: You don’t need to tell everyone how much you ate or how fat/bloated you feel. Nobody actually cares how much you ate except for you. The more you talk about this, the more you’re going to start feeling guilty about the situation. This is a form of negative self-talk and the more you do it, the more it is going to cause a negative impact on your life. Saying these things may also be a trigger for some people so please be aware of what you’re saying to yourself but also to others. If you wouldn’t say it to your child, your little cousin, niece, nephew, sibling or grandchild then why say it at all.
In the next blog we’ll go over a few things you CAN do instead.
These points are mindset skills we develop with our clients within CFL Coaching. For a personalized support system that encourages a sustainable approach to nutrition and fitness, see our coaching team and services at courtneyforlife.com/coaching