Part 2 of 2: What you CAN do instead
In the previous blog post I discussed what not to do if you over indulge, now let’s go over what you CAN do instead.
What to do instead:
Get over it & focus on what you enjoyed: Yup, I said it – get over it! Occasionally eating beyond the feeling of fullness and/or overindulging is okay. We are human and it’s going to happen. Dwelling on it and bringing up a past experience does nothing for your present or future self. It’s not going to change the situation. All you can do is move forward.
Get back into your usual routine of eating a well balanced diet as soon as possible: The sooner you get back into routine the easier it is to stay there and the better you are going to feel. Eating a balanced diet most of the time will help you feel strong, energized, keep you regular, and it’ll nourish you. If you don’t know how to do this then I highly suggest you hire someone that can help teach you. (hey, we’re here! Link at the bottom of this post.)
Take the experience and learn from it: Think of it as practice and you are going to practice again next time there’s an event or occasion. Take this as a learning experience for what did work and what didn’t. How you felt and how you would like to feel. We never stop learning about our bodies. As we get older our bodies change and what worked for us one day may no longer work for us now and that’s okay. We are constantly evolving and changing.
Be aware of business marketing techniques: “Lose 20lbs with this detox tea” – in other words “drink this laxative that is in the form of a tea bag, it'll make you poop.” Nobody has truly gotten healthier physically, mentally or emotionally by only drinking a specific juice or tea to kick start their health. I’m sorry but nothing is being cleansed or detoxed by doing this. You have a liver and kidneys for this.
Have patience: Be patient with yourself as you get back into routine and give yourself some grace. You still need and deserve to nourish yourself. Exercise is a privilege that we GET to do, don’t abuse it or your body by trying to work off what you ate. Use the extra calories as fuel for your next resistance training workout.
Journal: Write down some of your thoughts and feelings. Was it an occasion that you overindulged on? Was it stress, anxiety or emotions? Who was around you? What were the triggers? Having awareness around your feelings, thoughts and emotions is only going to help you further along your journey by knowing and understanding how to cope with them.
Hydrate: Drink LOTS of water, even more than your usual intake! There’s a chance you consumed higher sodium than you're used to. Drinking plenty of water will help you get back to feeling like normal.
At the end of the day this is YOUR life and you only get one shot at it so focus on being the most present version of yourself with those you truly care about. Yes, this also includes yourself – you should be your number 1 priority. Remember that this is all part of life, take each day as a new opportunity to learn something new about yourself, about your journey.
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