This month’s theme is all about detox but today let’s talk about the other side of detox…Binge eating!
You know how you have those weekends, weeks months (like the holidays, summer parties, Easter weekend) where it just seems like there is a celebration around every corner and access to yummy rich foods is in crazy abundance? Those weekends where if you you’re not careful you could easily ride the slippery slope to life on the dark side?
Ya feel me? Yes, that’s my weekend… My birthday (Saturday), our anniversary (Sunday) and then on to a trip to California a few days later for the family Easter feast!
Today I want to share a few tips with you (and a few strategically placed food puns) about how to head into and then hit the reset button on a weekend like this.
Conquer Binge Eating Successfully
Make A Decision
Even when you have goals it is so important to be able to enjoy life in the midst of you achievements. When you are looking at a string of days where the temptation level will be high, make a decision AHEAD of time which events or foods you will really indulge in and ENJOY. Will it be that once in a year Cadbury Egg or Aunt Helen’s marshmallow chocolate cream pie.
I don’t want you to over obsess about the food headed your way but it is good to take at least a few minutes to think about your approach before it takes over and suddenly it has eaten you up (*chuckle)
Make a choice that will be a good balance between your goals and your enjoyment. Be with it. Go for it. No guilt.
Make A Plan
Make a plan and prepare to have healthy snacks on hand AHEAD of time. You know how it is, all of a sudden treats are everywhere and when we don’t make the right foods to eat the easiest foods to eat we will always default to sugary, starchy and quick foods.
Do this:
- Have cut up veggies on hand for snacking
- Boil eggs and grill or bake some chicken breasts to have protein at the ready
- Make a big salad ahead of time to munch on between feast-fests
When we have a weekend of fun, food filled activities planned we can easily let one meal roll to the next and throw our goals out the window. There will be meals and snacks in between where we can do our best to eat healthfully and stay on course. Choose those times to eat foods that will boost your nutritional intake with the best foods possible
I like to make a plan to do my best each day and select the meal that I will indulge a bit more rather than binge eating the entire weekend, feeling physically terrible at the end and then recovering. I just feel better physically, more on course and more in control of my choices this way.
For example, I chose to have the cake my daughter made for me on my birthday yet asked for a balanced meal of Tri Tip, grilled onions and grilled romaine for my birthday dinner. For our anniversary we went out to dinner and had soup and salad because we know that the wedding food today is probably going to be delish and we want to enjoy the celebration without feeling “overdone”
Face the Feast
Begin by drinking 2 large glasses of water within the hour before the feast begins. This will help fill you up a bit so you don’t over do it.
When you hit the buffet table use these ninja tips:
- Fill your plate with all things veggie first
- Slap on some protein (about the size of your fist
- Finally find a really good looking yummy carbohydrate filled food and put a spoonful of that on the side
Eat it in this same order. By the time you get to the carby stuff you’ll be filled up with the fiber and protein from the veggies and meat and you be less likely to overindulge on the carbs. I also like this technique because it really makes me pick my carbs wisely as there isn’t much room on my plate. I’m going to pick the one that looks like someone really put some love and time into it…not some lame cracker form a box (Sorry if you love lame crackers, hahaha)
Get and Stay Active
On a weekend stuffed full (see what I did there? lol) of goodies and fun events like the one I’ve described it is really helpful to get as much exercise
and activity as you can. When we move more we feel better and we tend to make better food choices. When we’re out busitn’ a move, we are less likely to wander through the kitchen to grab a munchie.
- Grab a friend or family member and go for a post meal walk.
- Do a HIIT workout before the feast, this will tend to reduce your appetite as well
- Go for a fasted walk in the early morning
When all has settled down and it’s time to get back on track.
Here’s your plan!
- Ramp up your water intake to help the body eliminate toxins and rid itself from extra water you might be hanging onto from excess sodium and crab consumption
- Get active. Make a plan to get right back into your workouts. Put them in your schedule and make them a priority. Do this from a mindset of wanting to feel great and get back into the swing of things rather than a mindset of trying to work off what you at last weekend. Check out this article to learn why it doesn’t really work this way. At the very least heading out for a long walk will keep you away from leftovers
- Get plenty of rest. It’s a lot harder to get back on track when you’re fatigued and that fatigue is driving you to eat starchy, sugary foods.
- Do a fasted walk the day after a feast meal. Your blood sugars will most likely be higher than normal and going for a walk before you eat will help get rid of those (If you don’t use them up through exercise they will be stored as fat) as well as help you get in to using fat as a fuel source.
- Make a plan. This is THE best way to get back on track. Without a solid reset plan it is very difficult to steer clear of the foods that made their way onto your plate ding the food fest. The 7 day fat loss guide is a perfect way to jump-start and get back on track …Grab it here
- Get some accountability. If your family members and friend were your “partners in crime” during binge-fest, be the encourager and help them get back on track! Invite them for walks, send each other daily accountability texts, challenge them to a step challenge
See Part 2 (Signs Your Body Needs A Detox) of the detox series HERE
Ok, go forth and be awesome and may you have an awesome holiday taking some time to remember why we are celebrating in the first place…
Need more motivation to keep yourself on track?? Check out our New Year Program, Back to You in 2022!!
