For those of you who celebrate Easter another food holiday is over and for those celebrating Passover you are still in the midst! So what do you do when there is a day you just can’t control? Maybe you are scheduled to go to several different places and expected to have a full meal, dessert and candy at each one. How can you approach a day like that and feel good at the end of it?
There are a few ways to approach this type of situation, some of which I wrote about in December. Step #1 – Try to keep up your normal eating habits and routines as much as possible. Step #2 – Keep portions of high calorie foods small. Step #3 – Pass on those things that are not really “worth it” to you. Step #4 – Spend time with family and friends doing special things together. If you do a little planning ahead of time, you will be prepared when temptation hits. What do you when things haven’t gone according to plan and you realize that you are overdoing it? OR when you realize on your way home that you have overdone it and you feel a little ill…. Don’t panic, follow these steps instead!
Step #1 – Don’t beat yourself up! We are all human and things happen. Put what you have already done in the past and move forward. A lot of us “fall off the wagon” from time to time but that doesn’t mean you should just give up. Say to yourself “Wow, today was crazy, but tomorrow will be back to normal!” One day isn’t going to be your downfall, it’s what you do on the other 364 days that really make a difference.
Step #2 – Move forward in a positive way. One day (or one meal or one hour) of irrational eating doesn’t have to undo all of your typical healthy eating behaviors! If you had a bunch of candy after breakfast, make sure you give yourself a healthy and satisfying lunch. If you had a big lunch at your mother’s and then a dessert buffet at your in-law’s like I did (I’m totally serious, just dessert and candy; lots of fun!). Just make sure your next meal is a good one.
Step #3 – Take some time to really evaluate what happened. How were you feeling when you overate? Were you feeling some anxiety or stress because of family dynamics? How did you feel afterwards? Evaluate your physical sensations (bloating, discomfort at being over-full, head-aches, and sluggishness) then compare those feelings to the way you feel when you are eating a more balanced diet. Being able to really assess what happened and why, as well as how it made you feel afterwards can be very helpful in making sure that history won’t repeat itself!
The spoils of Easter at my house