Overdo it this weekend? Don’t throw in towel! These tips will help you nourish and rebalance your healthy routine.
Sometimes we get a little lax about our diet and exercise routines over the weekend, and a long weekend or vacation can really throw us off course. But that’s ok! We also need to take occasional breaks from routines to help us stay in it for the long run, and believe it or not, weekend bloat can be part of a healthy long-term weight loss/weight maintenance plan.
A study out of Cornell tells us that those who successfully lose weight or maintain a healthy weight do so during the weekdays, and tend to gain a little over the weekend. This could be an argument for “cheat days” or “cheat meals”, but the main takeaway is that to hold onto a long-term healthy lifestyle, we need to indulge here and there. Hello, weekend.
So, you’ve indulged and the Monday morning scale isn’t what you were hoping for. Now what?
First, fluids.
Fluids are key since extra salt, sugar, and alcohol can dehydrate your body. Start the day with a tall glass of water or warm cup of herbal tea, then drink throughout the day, aiming for 64 to 100 ounces to flush out the pollutants from the weekend.
Don’t skip meals.
It’s a tempting quick-fix, but we all know that those vanity pounds come right back after your body goes into “starvation mode” and the cravings kick in. Plan to eat three meals, with lunch four hours after breakfast and dinner between 6 and 7. Focus on nutrient-dense foods that are low in calories but high in vitamins and minerals since weekend fare tends to be the opposite: high-calorie and low-nutrient.
Go green from the get-go.
Set the tone for your week right out of the gates. A Superfood green smoothie will up your vitamin intake and have you feeling squeaky clean. We like to pack ours with spinach, avocado, Orgain Original Superfoods, and Orgain Unsweetened Almond Milk + Protein. With that combo you’re getting the vitamins and minerals your body has been craving after being stripped by carby foods and alcohol. BONUS: The healthy fats and protein from avocado and almond milk will help keep you satiated until lunch.
Get some turmeric in your life asap.
You’ll want to save this
Orgain Golden Almond Milk Recipe. Not only is a great daily mid-morning/mid-afternoon treat, but turmeric is widely touted for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Were you drinking alcohol and eating salty/carb-heavy foods? Then you need to think about anti-inflammatory/antioxidant rich foods.
Go leafy at lunch.
Get your greens! A big, raw, crunchy salad is packed with what you need - enzymes for energy and detoxification, chlorophyll for trapping and neutralizing toxins, fiber for building healthy gut microbes, and nitrites which have been associated with browning fat cells, meaning converting fat-storing white cells into fat-burning brown cells.
Snack smart.
It can be tough to transition to normal portions after a weekend of chips, dips, grillables and all the ice cream. So, don’t completely deprive yourself.
These healthy snacking tips from Healthy Grocery Girl will help you make smart AND delicious choices.
Move your body.
In short, never miss a Monday. The work-week can be anxiety inducing, but
research shows that a good workout can quel those anxious feelings and boost brainpower. It may take some willpower to lace up those sneakers, but moving around for as little as 15 minutes has been shown to help people manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Why? Exercise releases GABA, a neurotransmitter that helps keep you in control of impulses and can quiet anxious brain activity. Plus, you’ll sleep better and be more inclined to keep it up the rest of the week. Lace up!
Don’t overdo it at dinner.
Plan dinner in the morning so you aren’t making game-time decisions. Your stomach is probably still be in weekend-mode and a plate full of spaghetti sounds amazing right now. Instead opt for a brown rice bowl filled with roasted veggies, sprouts, and hummus. This
Vegetarian Brown Rice Bowl recipe from FitFoodieFinds is delicious and satisfying.
Get some sleep.
Lack of sleep can drastically throw off your body’s metabolism and your body will start to become resistant to insulin, causing blood glucose levels to rise, which is a common precursor of weight gain. Start your week with 7-8 hours of sleep per night.
Stick to this plan for two days straight, get some exercise, and you’ll feel back to yourself in no time!
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