Food melt down? Recover from Falling off the Wagon
Ate more at dinner? Had to take that bite of the food you were trying to delete from your diet? Did a taco get the best of you?
You were so decided and motivated…WHAT HAPPENED?
You are human, as humans we love food, that is what happened !
Just accept it, let it go, and move on. Your relationship with food is an everyday affair, it takes love and forgiveness.
Here are some ideas to help you get back in love with yourself and re-aligned with your health goals.
Step 1:
Forgive yourself. YES. Be extra gentle. Breathe, get present and pay attention. The idea is to identify what’s really bothering you … or whats really causing any emotional pain. make a note of it in your journal for reflection later. Meanwhile, get right back on track. A slip here and there will not have major repercussions. Beating yourself up, wallowing in guilt, and/or continuing to feed the pain or stress with food are what will truly harm you. Trying to be perfect all the time can trigger a negative mindset that actually fuels inflammation many times more than eating bad food. Studies show that guilt about food impairs your immune system.
Step 2:
Write in your food journal. It will help you identify the moments that trigger bad food choices. Reflect on your food journal at the end of each day and simply connect the dots. Making the connection helps minimize slip-ups in the future. Gaining this awareness also helps bring to the surface ant underlying root causes that need to be addressed with your physician.
Step 3:
Beware your false hunger: if you have a “food hangover” your blood sugar may vary wildly. This will cause false hunger and enormous cravings for sugar and/or carbs. Just make note of this and you will be able to get past it in a day.
Step 4:
Get back on track. If you can remember one thing this should be it: Do not restrict! Eat your breakfast! Go for nutritionally-dense satisfying and tasty meals. Main staples: protein, fiber, veggies and good fats. This will help curb the cravings you might get from a “food hangover” mentioned in the previous step.
Step 5:
Get moving! Whether it’s dancing or yoga, go sweat it out. Nothing better to fight negativity than fun, playful movement.
Step 6:
Hydrate. Nothing more essential for detoxification. Drinking water flushes all of the toxins away. It helps us get rid of wastes, reduces bloating and fluid retention, regulates bowel movements and fights inflammation. Your water bottle is now your best friend.
Step 7:
Use a meal plan. Stock your fridge and pantry with everything you need to eat according to plan. Its much easier to get back on track if you have a meal plan in place already.
Step 8:
Feed your soul. Share with friends, read, use comfy clothes, listen to good music, practice thankfulness by counting your blessings everyday.
There you have it , eight simple steps to reset your eating habits quickly and easily whenever you “fall off the wagon” with your diet. It happens to all of us. As long as we have a plan for when we don’t stick to the plan everything is going to be ok.
Love yourself to health,
Dr. T