Ate too Much? Erase the Damage with this Simple Plan

Whether it’s Sunday morning or the Monday after a long weekend, many of us have felt this way before: Ugh! I ate too much and blew my diet. Now what? Before you decide to bury your troubles in a plate of cookies, use these simple action plans to undo the calorie damage and start fresh.

You may have woken up feeling fat, bloated, and mad at yourself. The first thing you should do is to stop beating yourself up. Admit that yesterday was a challenging day, but recognize that you’re only human and it’s okay to make a fresh start today.

Do not skip meals. Skipping breakfast could set you up for overeating later throughout the day. Whether it’s a cup of unsweetened cereal with skimmed milk, low fat yogurt and a fruit, a whole wheat labne sandwich or even a light homemade fruit smoothie, it’s important to fix a healthy morning meal. Eat a lunch that's packed with feel-full veggies and boost your intake of protein-rich foods such as fish, chicken, legumes, beans and nuts. Stay away from refined carbohydrates (loaded with sugar) and fried foods. Eat slowly to make your dinner last longer. It is important not to skip dinner, as you may wake up the next day feeling twice the hunger and end up overeating early the next day.
Try not to order out for the upcoming days but if you feel obliged to have a meal outside, stick to the basics related:
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Start a food diary. Write down what you’re eating. I know this may sound odd but it is an effortless  research-proven weight loss technique that gets you focused on eating healthier foods and helps you track down your calorie intake.

Keep hunger under control. You might be feeling mid-afternoon hunger pangs and eyeing that leftover cake in the fridge. Before you reach for a slice, take a deep breath and assess what your body needs. Drink a glass of water and wait about 10 minutes to determine if you are truly hungry. It’s easy to mistake hunger for thirst.

Curb your cravings. Enjoy a healthy snack between meals, below are a few examples:

A small fresh fruit, 3 dried prunes/dates/apricots with a handful of nuts, a cup of tea/coffee, a rice cake with a teaspoon of peanut butter, cottage cheese with sliced bananas, fresh cut veggies with homemade light sauce, 3 cups of air popped popcorn or diet jello. 

Start exercising. Exercising after a binge can help you get back on track. It influences hormones that regulate appetite, reduces your anxiety and stress levels, and burns extra calories. Develop a regular exercise regimen indoors/outdoors and try finding a type of physical activity that you actually enjoy. 

Walk it like you talk it. Walking burns extra calories and helps you relieve uncomfortable feelings of fullness or bloating caused by overeating. Can’t make it to the gym today? Don’t sweat it. Research shows the little stuff you do to move your body adds up to serious calorie burn. Squeeze in exercises at home. In addition, stand more, take the stairs and move often. Don't just sit there, stretch and do a few calf raises, rising up and down on your toes or try mixing a set of squats with leg crunches to get a load of an exercise.

Sleep it off. Get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep for the upcoming days. Getting enough sleep is one of the best things you can do to get back on track after overeating.

Assess the damage. Get on the scale so you can face the facts and move on. If the scale says you have gained weight, don’t let the numbers ruin your day. Your weight can vary from day to day—even hour to hour. You could be retaining fluids from eating salty foods over the weekend.

Rid kitchen of temptations. You've committed to a healthy eating plan; get junk food out of sight!

After a couple of days, your pants should feel a little looser so what’s next? Continue tracking your calories and exercise regularly. Take a moment to appreciate your effort and remember today's positive mantra: "Strive for progress, not perfection."