Diet starts today!
I mean, it is Monday so it stands to reason that many of us are reeling after a weekend of indulgences and want to get back on track.
Or maybe it’s just me.
Today, I’m going to keep it short and actionable.
How to get back on track after a weekend, holiday, or over indulging.
There’s a simple framework that will help you navigate the summer indulgences and days when you completely shit the bed with your nutrition.
Of course, you can keep trying the old school method of beating yourself up, feeling lots of guilt and shame, swearing to do better next time, and then repeating the cycle over and over again.
Or you can try something different.
I like this approach but feel free to make any adjustments for yourself.
Here’s how it works …
You have 3 tiers of fuck ups.
Tier 1 – That wasn’t so bad.
Tier 2 – That was pretty bad but not the worst day ever.
Tier 3 – Send help.
Assign a value to each tier.
This part is simply a best guess. But it actually helps if you spend some time assessing the amount that you eat and drink during each of those tiers.
For example, I’ve estimated a tier 3 day for myself and it’s about 6-7,000 calories.
Tier 2 is about 5,000 calories and tier 1 is about 3,000 calories.
Again, this is just for me. You’re going to assign a value for yourself based on each of those tiers.
You can do this in one of two ways.
1. Actually do your best to track when one of those days occurs.
2. Estimate and calculate based on past experiences.
The goal is not to be perfect … just to be relatively close.
Get back on track by planning the rest of your week.
Now, you should have an idea what each of those tiers looks like with regards to the amount of flexibility you have.
So the next time you have an event or gathering or birthday or vacation …
You can assign a tier to those days in advance and easily get back on track.
Then, you simply subtract the number of calories associated with that tier from your weekly total.
For example, if you’re trying to hit 2,000 calories per day, that would equal 14,000 calories per week.
Let’s say you have a tier 2 day planned on Saturday, you would subtract the calorie total of a tier 2 day (in my case that would be 5,000 calories) and then spread out the remaining calories over the rest of the week.
So 14,000 minus 5,000 equals 9,000. 9,000 divided by 6 equals 1,500. So if my daily target was 2,000 per day and I had a tier 2 day that week, I’d aim for 1500 calories per day on the remaining 6 days.
This also works if you have an unplanned shitty day.
Like, you just decided to say fuck it one day and have a tier 3 day.
Rather than beat yourself up, just make the adjustment and move on.
Simple.
Work with a nutrition coach to reach your goals sustainably.
Now, here’s the tricky part …
I’m ONLY talking about the physiological side of things.
There’s that pesky organ that resides between your ears.
Often times, when we over indulge, we want to slash calories to punish ourselves or to “make up for it.”
Intent is extremely important.
If you do not have the mental / psychological side in check … this strategy can backfire.
It can create a restrict and binge cycle.
Which is why it makes sense to work with a coach who can help you with the mental side of things while implementing a strategy like this that provides a high level of freedom and flexibility.
Without the guidance and support, it can be tough to navigate on your own.
Consider how you currently handle over indulgences and fuck-it days.
Do they create a high level of guilt? Frustration? Stress?
If yes, you have two choices …
1. Keep doing what you’re doing and remain stuck in that cycle.
2. Reach out and get some help to break out of that cycle and actually achieve your goals sustainably.
There’s no right or wrong …
Simply a choice as to what makes more sense for you to get closer to what you truly desire.
