You've been dieting for a while, haven't missed many workouts, and you're starting to see some results. You're proud of yourself, feeling confident,and then all of a sudden overindulgence rears its ugly head. You're left with an empty bag of cookies wondering what the heck happened. Will power wasn't enough and the past can't be undone. So what do you do? Of course, you'll just skip dinner and do lots of cardio. Let's say about an hour to burn off everything. You'll just go to bed hungry and your body will be forced to eat up all those nasty calories you just ate, right? Wrong. The thing to remember here is that your body needs food. The idea that starving yourself as a way to make up for your mistakes is false.
A healthy relationship with food is the most important thing to maintain when attempting to lead a healthier lifestyle. You must always take care not to put aesthetics before your health. Work with your body, not against it. Plus, starving your body will cause it to store whatever you eat when you resume your diet.
If you feel really bad about eating something, working out won't hurt, but it's not a back up plan for overeating. You can go to the gym and hit the weights extra hard if it makes you feel better. Just don't beat yourself up. The wise thing to do here is cut yourself some slack and remember that everyone screws up. Then analyze the source of the problem. You need to know why you went so crazy so you can prevent a similar occurrence in the future. There are a few likely reasons why you finally caved into cravings.
- You're not consuming enough calories
There is a difference between wanting cookies because you saw a Pillsbury commercial and absolutely dying to demolish a whole bag. Sometimes cravings can be our body's way of telling us something. Most people assume that eating as little as possible is the best way to lose weight. While it may be fast, it's simply not smart. Make sure you are consuming enough calories to fuel your daily activity or a binge is almost inevitable.
- You're restricting yourself too much.
Every now and then, let yourself have something that you crave. Reward yourself for good behavior. Sometimes we want what we can't have simply because we can't have it. Psychological factors can affect your diet habits so be good to yourself. If your diet is too restrictive and you're eating plain, tasteless food all day long, you're bound to crack sooner or later. It's best to allow yourself treats in moderation to avoid overdoing it later.
- Simply because it was there. One of the first things you should do when beginning a new diet is completely rid the house of junk. How can you expect yourself to choose grilled chicken and veggies for dinner when there is a tantalizing bag of cookies in the cabinet? It's asking too much. No one should ever have to make that choice. Someday you might be forced to, but when you can control your conditions, do it! Empty the cabinets of temptation and you will be far less likely to give into it.
Any of these sound familiar? Once you know why you do something, it's easier to learn from your mistakes so you don't make them again. Everyone falls down sometimes. The trick is getting back up and trying again. Think of it as a minor setback for a major comeback. Keep that fighting spirit and over time you will reap the benefits of your commitments!
