Confession: Over the holidays I got off track with healthy eating and exercise.Β
I didn’t plan it that way. The opposite, really. But it being the holidays and us getting engaged in Paris, it happened.
I ate, I drank and I didn’t workout — the worst possible combination.
Though I don’t really weigh myself, I did when I got back, just so I could come completely clean in this blog post.
Not a single pound to show for it.Β
Now before you start cursing me, just keep reading, because I’m going to explain why that’s so and also tell you why getting off track isn’t so bad after all.
Typically, clients come to me freaking out when they’ve gotten off track as if they’ve done something horrible and the world might end.
First, some perspective: Nobody is perfect — even if they appear to be on Facebook, so don’t beat yourself up.
In my opinion, getting off track once in awhile is actually a good thing because it offers a wonderful opportunity to learn something new about yourself and your body.
Think about how you felt the last time you ate too much sugar or greasy food or skipped too many workouts. If I had to guess, you were probably run-down, sluggish, bloated, cravings were out of control and you may have even caught a cold.
Nobody likes feeling that way, and trust that your body won’t want to for very long. If you’re new to healthy eating, you now have a lovely little benchmark for which foods make you feel your best and you have some serious incentive to get back on track. You know that kale makes you feel fab and french fries and cake are the devil in disguise.
If you’ve been on the healthy eating track for awhile, you probably noticed yourself craving salads, green smoothies and a run. Chalk these moments up to small victories. This is called listening to your body. Give it what it needs.
In some cases, your body needs a break. I can’t remember the last time I skipped 10 days of workouts. I was a little antsy the first couple of days, but then I realized that sleeping in felt good — luxurious even — so I went with it. No guilt attached. Getting back into a routine felt challenging the first day or so, but I eased into it and exercised intuitively. I was back on track in no time.
When you take care of yourself well with exercise and a healthy diet 80-90 percent of the time, you earn yourself some room for indulgence. This doesn’t mean rewarding good work with cupcakes and cookies. It’s simply making room to enjoy the things you appreciate, guilt-free. I happen to love mince pies, a UK holiday dessert tradition. I had a few and Β really enjoyed them because I know it’s something I don’t get in the US.
So next time you feel yourself getting off track, rest assured you’ll be back on in no time. Trust yourself, trust your body and if you need a little boost, I have two options:
1. The Real Food Reboot, a five-day jumpstart to help you detox with real food
2. The Total Reset Plan, a 4-week, seasonal meal planning service
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