HOW TO AVOID A DIET REBOUND:
Okay so it’s been a few weeks into the new year and you’ve been feeling awesome about your new healthy lifestyle. Or maybe not so awesome. By this time you might’ve given in to that extra snacking and are feeling like you’re just undoing the progress you’ve been working so hard for. Trust me- been there, done that. It’s discouraging at first when you give into the temptations and stray away from your initial goal. Eating clean isn’t always easy. When you get a good solid workout in 1 or 2 hours that’s awesome- but controlling what goes on in the rest of the 23-22 hours can be challenging! You’re going to have to make some sacrifices and alternations in your normal diet if you want to achieve results. Here are some tips on how to respond to and prevent moments where you may be feeling a little discouraged.
First...Relax! Don’t beat yourself up if you may have cheated a little extra on your eating habits. Just like one good meal isn’t going to make you fit, one bad meal isn’t going to immediately make you gain weight. Of course you don’t want to over play this card and use it to continuously make poor eating choices. However, it’s important that you don’t get extreme about it. Instead, take time to reassess and think about how it made your body feel. Not so great, right? Well you’ve learned from this experience and you’re ready to move on. The best remedy is to get right back on your clean eating and training routine and your body will adapt back to its healthy self.
Avoid overdoing it! Sometimes this may lead to you either working your body too hard or eating too little the following day as a means to punish yourself and make up for your actions. It could even lead one to start giving up and return back to poor dieting habits. All these paths lead to more harm to your body. When you under eat, it leads to muscle catabolism in which your body starts eating away at your muscle (not your fat!) as it thinks it’s in starvation mode. When you over train, you’re over working your muscles and not giving it the appropriate amount of rest and repair that it needs. This will leave your body feeling more fatigued and weak which is the opposite of what you want to go for.
Prevention Tips:
Eat Breakfast. Often times people enjoy eating a light breakfast and heavier dinner when in fact this should be the opposite. Eating a fully satisfying and nutritious breakfast is essential for having energy throughout the day and reduce cravings. Studies show that those who eat breakfast eat significantly less throughout the day.
Eat 5-6 small meals a day. Eating smaller portions every 2-3 hours is an excellent way to ensure your energy levels are high all day. You can much easily avoid the urge to binge or overeat as you are able to eat more consistently and lighter than if you were eating 3 large meals in a day.
Drink Water! Many times our body mistakes thirst for hunger. So before delving into a huge meal or extra snack, take in a glass of water and let it sit for a little while. Often times this will be able to satisfy your body until it’s time for your next meal or snack. If you’re still feeling some hunger pangs, go ahead and opt for a light nutritious snack to help keep up your energy levels.
Snack Prep. Prepping some healthy snacks to bring along with you is a great way to reduce any hunger pangs. I would recommend packing a small bag of almonds, apple slices, or protein bars to prevent overeating and give you that extra energy boost during the day.
