It's distressingly common that a healthy diet will seem completely satisfying (or at least doable) until some sort of interruption comes along. Then, after a holiday or trip, you feel like your diet is ruined, and you don't want to give up your favorite foods all over again. If healthy eating is important to you, the attempt to get back to healthy eating after overindulging should be just as important. Luckily, it's doable. Here's tips to help you get back to a healthy lifestyle!
1
Recommit to healthy eating. Realize that although mistakes were made, you have all the same reasons that you did before to value healthy eating.
2
Start right away. It's always easier to think you will get back to healthy eating after overindulging as long as you can do it next week, but next week it will seem just as hard as it does today. If you absolutely can't bring yourself to start eating healthy right away, set a firm date to return to your plan.
3
Make sure you have plenty of healthy food options that satisfy your cravings. For example, if you've got a sweet tooth, try to keep fruit in the house. Doing this will help you feel less deprived as you start to get back to healthy eating after overindulging.
4
Consider a diet plan that includes the occasional indulgence. For example, if you allow yourself to eat any treat you want on holidays, or even once a week, realizing that this has happened won't make you feel that you have failed at healthy eating. Maybe it would be better to eat healthy food all the time, but the important thing is to make a constant effort and not become discouraged.
5
Maintain a positive attitude. Beating yourself up about what you've already done is unlikely to help anything. If you have trouble staying positive, remind yourself that you got back on your diet plan when it was tough, and you are now facing the challenges of healthy eating fair and square.
If you think you'll be in a situation that will tempt you to overindulge again, for example an upcoming holiday season or vacation, try to make a plan ahead of time about what indulgences you will allow and how you will stay healthy during this time.
Or try one of these easy snack ideas for 250 calories or less to keep your blood sugar level:
• 1 small apple, 12 almonds + ice water with lemon =170 calories
• 1 cup baby carrots + 1/4 cup hummus = 157 calories
• 1 cup strawberries + 2 Tbsp. non-fat plain yogurt =70 calories
• 1 cup cantaloupe + 2 small gingersnaps = 113 calories
• 1/2 cup nonfat cottage cheese + 1/2 cup fresh mandarin oranges = 122 calories
• Hard-boiled egg, sliced, on 1 slice whole-wheat toast with 2 tsp. Dijon mustard = 141 calories
• 1 small apple + 1 Tbsp. natural creamy peanut butter = 172 calories
