During the holidays it’s super easy to find yourself over indulging in all the food. It’s the day after a holiday meal, you’re feeling stuffed to the brim and honestly just annoyed with yourself. So now what do you do when you overeat? The good news is there are simple steps you can take right after and you’re not alone!
Why Do We Overeat?
To be fair it’s not just the holidays where we’re likely tempted to be overeating. Everyday you’re seeing commercials on TV about the newest food item they’ve added to the menu at McDonald’s or a new snack appears in the grocery store. We’re constantly being shown foods that make our brains light up and feel we must have these items.
Another popular reason is due to the fact we try and limit ourselves from food because we think it’s “bad” for us. By doing so you may find you can only restrict yourself from that food for so long before you cave and then binge eat because it tastes too good not to.
How to Handle It
Thankfully if you’re finding yourself feeling down after a large meal, there are a lot of ways you can handle the situation!
Don’t Fast or Skip your Next Meal
If you think that you’ve eaten too many calories the previous day or the previous meal, skipping your next meal to “make up” for overeating isn’t going to help. By doing so you can actually cause the same cycle of binge eating to continue. Your body needs energy from food to survive.
Make Your Next Meal Healthy & Satisfying
Try getting back into your normal eating routine as quickly as possible. Enjoy a balanced meal filled with protein, vegetables and fat to get your body back in alignment. Of course if you truly aren’t hungry after a big meal don’t force yourself to eat too. Or if you’re too bloated from the meal try adding some foods in that help with easing bloating. Celery, cucumber, spinach, and bananas are some de-bloating all-stars. Ginger is also great for easing bloating and stomach pain. Try this smoothie recipe if you’re looking for something light but full of good nutrients!
Don’t Spend Hours in the Gym “Making Up for It”
Unfortunately many people think they need to exercise aggressively after a holiday meal or if they overeating. That may have some negative side effects though. By associating working out extra hard after you overate your sending a message to your brain that working out is a punishment to your body. You should never have to punish your body for indulging here or there. Also, if you are still full from your meal, by going too hard at the gym you could make yourself physically sick.
Take a Walk or try Some Yoga
Instead of beating up your body try and honor it with some light movement in order to let your body digest the food properly. This will also help with your mindset if you’re feeling down based upon experiencing another binge or having ate too much at a holiday meal. Walking outside and getting fresh air is a great way to clear our minds. Focus on the fresh air your breathing and be on the lookout for all the beauty that nature has to offer us. If the weather isn’t ideal to get outside, light a candle, dim the lights and do a Zen Yoga session to calm your body.
Don’t Try a “Detox”
I’ve been down this road too many times. The juice cleanses, diet pills, teas, the list goes on. These companies are just waiting for you to overindulge so they can sell you your products that unfortunately aren’t going to really do much good for your body. Trying a detox means you’re trying to rid your body of toxins. While overeating may feel uncomfortable and that you need to rid everything you’ve eaten, your body is fully capable of handling what you’ve over consumed. Plus, by eliminating foods again to go to a juice cleanse can also lead back to more bingeing once the cleanse is done.
Do Drink Water
Water is a great way to flush out some of the sodium that may have been consumed in a large meal. Be sure not to overdue it though. This could actually lead to you feeling even more full. Try and limiti it to 4-8 ounces of water after a meal. Also, be sure to skip the bubbly waters. The carbonation can definitely add more to your fullness.
Don’t Say ‘ Screw It’
I’ve been here too many times! You overeat at one meal and then it turns into the next 3 weeks because ‘why not’. You might find yourself thinking you already ‘ruined’ your diet so might as well just enjoy everything else in sight. Your meal or day of overeating is just that, it’s ONE day. There are sill 364 days in the year and not everyday will be perfect. Do your best to get back on track and feeling good the next day.
I hope these tips can help you navigate ways on how to handle what to do after you overeat. If you’re still feeling stuck in this cycle please schedule a 30 minute Free Connection Call so we can discuss how we can work together to get to the feeling of food freedom!
