Cupcakes will be the death of me. Especially pumpkin ones. Shaped like teeny tiny bundt cakes. With cream cheese frosting. You know the ones. The ones that lured me in not once, but twice today after lunch. Good thing this post isn't about self control. This post is about what we should do when we go a day, a week, a month, or even longer without consulting our conscience about what we are putting into our bodies and whether or not we are exercising. I don't know about you, but my first response is to punish myself for such "shameful" behavior. My self talk turns into sarcastic character bashing... "How dare you eat that chemical compound of sugary deliciousness?! How can you even say that you care about your health? You're going to have to do extra cardio (I hate cardio) and eat nothing but salad (I also hate salad) and protein shakes for a week. Seriously. This is what you've done. You deserve to be punished." It's the strangest thing though, because I would never say these things to someone else. The amount of grace that I show myself needs to mirror what I show to others. I really do believe that it's all about balance. If I did nothing but eat tiny, wonderful bundt cakes all day, then yeah, maybe my reality check would include cardio and some salad. But if all I did was do cardio and eat salad (remember, I don't enjoy these things. If you do, that's wonderful! I'm jealous!) that's not quite striking the right balance either. Because it is typically our go to, I wanted to share some of things I turn to, rather than self shaming, after a not so impressive day of eating and/or exercising.
Remember that enjoying life is not a crime. Food is a huge part of everything in our culture. It's how we celebrate, it's how we get together, it's how we show love. It's all about finding a balance of eating for fuel and eating for fun. Guilting yourself will not get you anywhere.
Drink lots of water, especially if your indulgences are high in sodium.
Make a plan for whatever you eat next to be something with good nutritional value. Veggies and protein have helped me bounce back quickly after a junk food binge.
Do something active. If I've had a particularly unhealthy day and don't feel up to a full workout, I'll make plans to do a relaxing yoga sequence or go for a walk.
Start where you are and do what you can. Strive for progress, not perfection. We can very easily overwhelm ourselves by thinking and acting as though we should be much further along than we are. Starting over is nothing to be ashamed of- don't pressure yourself because you aren't currently what you think you should be, but take small steps to get there.
Be done with it and move forward. Continuing to come back and feel guilty will not fix anything, we can only move forward and do better next time.
Do things to show your body some love. Take a bubble bath, paint your nails, do some stretching, wear your favorite outfit. Remembering that we love our bodies and are grateful for them will prompt us to make more decisions that reflect a healthy state of mind.
How do you get back into the swing of things after a few days off?
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