Hello my fitness friends! You are awesome. I am cheering for you. You can do this.

Today I wanted to talk about something you may or may not have experienced, deviating from the path of clean eating and exercise. No matter the reason, you can recover from a fall.

What do you do when you’ve eaten that pint of ice cream, pizza, finished off that bag of chips, and made not so healthy choices?

1. Don’t beat yourself up. Food is not meant to control us. When we become obsessed with what we are eating and not eating, we aren’t living. The goal isn’t to become obsessive or compulsive about what we are eating, but to live a balanced life.

2. Grab some H20. Many of the foods that are not good for us contain an abundance of salt, preservatives, and sugar. These components help our bodies retain water and toxins need flushed from the body. So, guzzle some water and plenty of it.

3. Ask yourself why? Many times people cling to food for comfort, so unsettled emotions are dealt with by the consumption of food and lots of it. If you over-ate because of emotions or stress, think of other ways to deal with these emotions.

• Grab a journal. Write down what’s going on instead of eating, sulking, or fuming. What can you do to change the situation? If the answer is nothing, surrender the situation. I love the serenity prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”
• Get moving. Exercise though it’s normally the last thing we want to do when we are not feeling great, is one good way to deal with negative emotions and stress.
• Remove temptation. I know that I love salty foods like chips, etc…so I don’t buy them. If I am tempted to eat everything but the kitchen sink, the only options are fruits, vegetables, lean means, some dairy, and healthy options.   
• If you think you’re hungry, start with water. Sometimes I am so hungry and the truth is I am dehydrated. Water is our friend. Fiber is our friend. Veggies and foods that fill us up and have nutrients are our friend.
  
• Are you eating enough on most days. This past weekend I was so busy, I was not eating as much as I should. Therefore, when I did sit down to eat I ate and ate…my body really was hungry. We need to eat 5-6 small meals a day and at a minimum (1200 calories for women and 1500 for men).
• Are you sleeping enough? If you are not sleeping well, you will binge eat. The hormones that regulate hunger and telling you when you are full are not working properly when you are not sleeping.
• What are you eating? If you are eating processed foods, foods with tons of sugar, salt, or fat, you will crave more of it.
• Are you eating in front of the T.V or movie? Studies have shown that people eat more when they are in front of the television or a movie. The main reason is the mind is not engaged in what the person is putting in their mouth, but instead the mind is focused on what it is seeing.

I hope these tips encourage you! It does not matter if you have fallen off the wagon, you can get back on and keep going! I believe in you. 🙂