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It happens to the best of us: you go for seconds (or thirds) at the family BBQ or have a fun weekend filled with brunches, ice cream shop runs, and big dinners out. Even if you don't mean to, it's easy to overdo it [3] with your favourite foods. This may leave you feeling lethargic or even guilty, but health and fitness coach Sarah Duff posted an Instagram photo of how you should actually handle these situations.
"Overeating can provoke feelings of negativity and stress [4], which for some people leads to a total derailment from any diet or efforts to make changes in order to live a healthier lifestyle," she wrote in her Instagram caption.
If you overate just one meal or during an entire week, here are Sarah's tips for how to recover:
- Don't punish yourself with endless cardio or skipping meals.
- Move your body and work out as you do normally.
- Get back on track with your plan.
- Try to put it behind you. If you feel anxious about it, tell someone.
"When you are conditioned to reacting to things in a certain way it takes time to build the habit of reacting differently," she wrote. "But over time it does become easier."
Next time you feel like you've gone overboard with the tortilla chip basket or had a particularly indulgent holiday, keep Sarah's pointers in mind. The best thing you can do is forgive yourself and get back on track [6].