When it comes to quitting sugar and eating healthy, we’re all prone to the occasional slip-up. That’s right, even here at IQS!
While falling off the wagon isn’t ideal, it’s also no big deal. And certainly no reason to beat ourselves up! Instead, we pick up and hop straight back on again. And we’ve all got some tactics up our sleeves for better handling that overindulgence.
“Let it be.”
Totally berating ourselves for caving to a sugary snack isn’t going to do us any favours, says our in-house dietitian Natalie Bourke.
“What is the point of falling off the wagon into a delicious bowl of ice cream and then spending the rest of the time drowning in guilt? Absolutely none. I say celebrate the deliciousness, pick your (temporarily) sugary butt back up and move right on.
“I like to get outside for a hike and drink plenty of water. I also make an effort to base the remainder of my meals on high-quality protein and veggies for the rest of the day.”
“Don’t compensate by cutting back.”
The key is being gentle with ourselves and acting like it didn’t even happen, says our head of content Lorna. Nourish not punish!
“I remind myself that I’m human, that I didn’t kill anyone and that life is life, and is there for the living. And then I draw a line and pretend it didn’t happen. I might drink some extra water the next day (to cope with the inevitable headache) or add in some extra leafy veggies, but I don’t try and compensate by cutting back on portions or subsisting on green stir-fries for a week.
“Years of eating disorders have taught me where that kind of yo-yo behaviour leads to. Instead, I just carry on eating lots of yummy, fresh, real food and the sugar binge is soon a distant memory (until the next time!).”
“Be gentle.”
Our CEO Zoe is all about letting bygones be bygones. And roast chicken, apparently.
“I flagellate myself for an hour or so, then head out for a Big Mac. I mean, if I’ve slipped up once, I might as well give up, right? Wrong. Also – JUST KIDDING. I take a leaf out of Sarah’s book, and take a gentle approach.
“It’s only natural to fall off the wagon/accidentally indulge in Cadbury chocolate (personal kryptonite) on occasion. But when I do, I accept it and then get straight back into 98 per cent healthy eating mode. A roast chicken dinner usually leaves me feeling virtuous once more.”
“Recalibrate.”
Rachel, our writer, finds that the best thing is simply to eat your way back on track.
“When I fall off the wagon, I don’t just fall off – I roll down the road, tumble down a hill and fly off a cliff into the ocean. So, yeah, I do need something fresh and recalibrating to remind myself why I’m doing this. A good crisp salad or lightly sautéed veggies usually does the trick, and all of a sudden those Tim Tams I really shouldn’t have had are just a distant memory.”
“Own it and move on.”
Kate, our 8-Week Program manager, reckons the key to staying on track is ditching the guilt and negative self-talk (word!). By owning the lapse, you feel more in control and empowered to make healthy decisions moving forward.
“Falling off the wagon used to really get to me. It would send me into a spiral of guilt and self-loathing. But since quitting sugar, I have a much better relationship with food. If I do say ‘yes’ to dessert, I make sure that it’s something that I really want and I enjoy it. I don’t let myself slip into negative self-talk or regret, I embrace that moment for what it was and then move myself right along.”
“Flush it out.”
Marketing executive Alyssa accepts the sugar she has just eaten – and goes about getting straight back into healthy eating mode.
“For me, falling off the wagon can sometimes happen after, er, a big weekend. My tip is to accept it and move on. I wake up the next day and drink a huge amount of water, go for a big walk, drink a crap-load more water and then go on as usual with my healthy eating.“
“Be present.”
Even Sarah isn’t immune to a sugary slip-up from time to time. Because at the end of the day, life is life. For her, it’s about bringing it all back to you.
0 comments :
Post a Comment