Eater’s Remorse: How to Recover After a Holiday Splurge Without Gaining Weight

Your intentions were good. You only meant to eat a small bowl of mashed potatoes and few bites of that holiday cake with chocolate cream icing, but instead, you ate an entire plate of mashed potatoes, two pieces of cake and a hot roll with butter. And that’s in addition to the rest of your Thanksgiving meal.

Splurges happen, especially around the holidays when taste temptations abound. From boxes of holiday chocolates to parties at the office with an endless array of tantalizing appetizers, there’s a temptation at every turn. Even if you plan your holiday eating and exercise plan carefully, on occasion you’ll slip up and turn a meal into a splurge of epic proportions.

What’s the best way to recover from a meal that contained more than a day’s full of calories?

The Art and Science of Recovering from a Holiday Splurge

First, don’t beat yourself up. The extra stress you create with worry and guilt raises levels of stress hormones like cortisol, and that’s not good for your waistline. Too much self-flagellation also makes it harder to get back on track. Everyone slips up and eats more than they planned on occasion, and in the big scheme of things, it won’t make a big difference.

In fact, a splurge can sometimes be positive if you’ve been restricting calories and carbs. Calorie restriction causes leptin levels to drop, which lowers metabolism. A calorie and carb shock in the form of a holiday splurge raises leptin levels and gives your metabolism a boost.

Return to Your Normal Routine As Soon As Possible

After a splurge, refocus on clean again as quickly as possible but don’t try to compensate by skipping meals or drastically cutting back your calories. If the splurge was a big one, reduce calories by 10% for the next week to compensate or do one or two additional workout videos or a premix add-on over the next 7 days.

Watch your carbs more closely during the week after a splurge. Make sure the ones you’re eating come from high-fiber, whole food sources such as fruits and vegetables. No cheating with processed carbs the week after a holiday splurge. Eat lean protein at every meal to satiate your appetite. If you’ve eaten a clean diet up until the time of the splurge, continue to eat the same way afterward while closely watching your carb intake.

Drink more water during the week after a holiday splurge. All of the food you indulged in was probably high in salt, which means you’re retaining water. This can bump up your weight by 5 pounds or higher, so don’t be surprised if the scale reads higher and you feel bloated. Drinking more water and reducing the amount of salt in your diet helps to reduce fluid retention.

Should You Step on the Scale the Day After a Holiday Splurge?

After a big splurge, some people step on the scale the next day and are discouraged by what they see. Most of the gain is water weight, and it will disappear over the next week if you drink enough water and reduce salt intake. Psychologically, it’s best not to weigh for a few days after a major holiday splurge. Focus on getting back to your clean eating and regular workouts without focusing on the scale.

The Bottom Line?

An occasional holiday splurge, even one of the mammoth proportions, won’t turn you into a butterball if you exercise regularly and eat cleanly most of the time. Next time, do a little planning before sitting down to a holiday meal. That way you can enjoy decadent holiday treats in moderation.

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