Cleaning Up after a Weekend of Too Much Fun
I’m the girl who in college would be teased by my roommates because my idea of “drunk food” was peanut butter and an apple or fruit and nuts. As my roommates munched on large, extra-cheese pizzas and overflowing chicken finger orders with colossal fries, I’d join in on the fun with a plate of what they called “bird food.” One thing’s for sure, however. While my drunk eats were a tad abnormal and definitely not as fun, I’d wake up feeling somewhat better (minus the pounding headache).
You can image then why I feel so blah today after a weekend of “fun” eating. I have to say while it’s good to eat loudly and proudly most of the time, too much fun sometimes isn’t good…especially considering how I feel now. I always say it’s OK to treat yourself–every day even–but scarfing down chicken fingers, cheesy Reubens leftover from my roommates post-bar “snack” and french fries took things a little too far for me. Not to mention my sister was visiting all weekend, so what can I say? We wined and dined…hard core.
So while I am ecstatic I had a fun, event-packed weekend, I am now paying the consequences on this dreary Monday morning. Another cup of coffee please? Anyway, listen: this happens to the best of us and your body will not feel this way forever, and your diet is not, I repeat NOT ruined. If you follow my little tips to clean up after a weekend of “fun,” you’ll be back to your happy, feel-good, Healthy Chick self in no time!
1. Eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, eat: Yes, six times a day i.e. a wholesome breakfast, a healthy snack, a clean lunch, another healthy snack, a feel-good dinner and something refreshing before bed. So many times I see friends simply not eat the day after a food binge because they think that’ll be the easy Band-aide fix. NO. I’m here to tell you it is not. If you don’t eat for a day, your metabolism will shut down making things worse. Giving up food all day is not the miracle trick to skinny. Really, it won’t to anything but harm. Not to mention you’ll probably become ravenous late night and end up eating your roommates leftover pizza. So eat. And eat often. Really, don’t be afraid to.
2. Go Clean: No, I’m not talking about cleaning the house, although maybe you want to get that out of the way too (especially if these sink is piled high from dishes and your laundry is starting to smell). But back to the point. I mean eat clean. Clean as in fresh, non-packaged, wholesome, natural foods. Clean eats include raw nuts, fresh fruit and veggies, lean grilled chicken drizzled in lemon and herbs, olive oil, etc. Clean-eating is a surefire way to get you back on track by tomorrow morning! Your body and your mind will be thanking you later.
3. Guzzle the h2O: Think you already drink enough water throughout the day? Drink even more! After a weekend of overindulgence, you need to clear out your system with lots of fluids…and I’m not talking about vodka sodas. Guzzle water all day long: in the morning, at work, before your run, after your run, before bed. Don’t stop! Drinking tons of water will encourage you to pee which will clear out your system making you feel as good as new.
4. Go for a light workout: No need to go crazy and spend two hours at the gym today. Let’s be honest: your body isn’t quite ready for that yet. However, a nice two to three mile run outside or some weights followed by a 20-minute cycle of intervals on the treadmill will do the drink! Basically, you want to make your workout short and sweaty. If you break a sweat, you’ve reached your goal. And if you have access to a sauna or steam room I HIGHLY recommend it for the ultimate cleanse.
Cheers to a day of feel good fix-its!
XoXo,
The Healthy Chick
