Starling Fitness: Daily writings on Fitness, Diet, and Health

Maybe you had a plan and threw it all out the window. Maybe you didn’t plan for it and just thought you wouldn’t have any trouble. Maybe you decided to overeat before you even smelled the turkey. It doesn’t matter. You think you blew it and you’re here.

Guess what…

You didn’t blow it.

There’s no such thing as “blew it.” There are some days when you eat a lot, yes, but when you look at your health as an overall lifestyle change, those days are minute in comparison to changing your habits. One slip doesn’t mean you’ve “blown it” unless you continue eating as if you don’t care about your health.

Here’s how to get back on track:

• It takes 24 hours of eating healthy to feel better and back on track. There is a physiological reaction to overeating that makes you more prone to overeating in the next 24 hours, so just hold on until it passes. If you overate yesterday, count down the hours. It will keep you focused.

• Don’t try to make up for yesterday by eating less today. You’ll just end up making yourself feel deprived and you’ll be more likely to binge again.

• Make sure you eat every two-three hours. You might not need to do this normally, but during these 24 hours after a binge, it will really help you keep the risk of another binge down to nominal levels if you eat regularly. Don’t let hunger catch you unprepared.

• Give yourself a break. Quit beating yourself up. It was only one day. Now you know what doesn’t work for Thanksgiving. Next year, you’ll have another chance to figure out what DOES work. Until then, forgive yourself. You deserve to be loved, not reprimanded.

Thanksgiving is just one day. Don’t let overeating on one day, turn into the typical 10 pound weight gain associated with the holidays. You can eat healthy this season and stay in control of food.