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05.29.2017

4 Ways to Bounce Back after a Holiday Weekend


YES, we enjoyed Memorial Day Weekend! So now it’s back to our usual routine. I’m here with 4 things for you to do today to slide back into that schedule with ease.
First off, let’s get one thing squared away… I hope you thoroughly enjoyed your Memorial Day Weekend! I hope you had some yummy BBQ, snacks, sweets, drinks, the works. I hope you made memories. I hope you also took some time to honor those who served and continue to serve our great country. Basically, if you ate crummy and didn’t work out, don’t think twice.
Life is mean’t to be lived and our healthy lifestyle is there through all of that. Today, we will bounce back to our normal routine and feel great!
These 4 things I’m about to share are what I like to add in the day after a holiday weekend, a vacation or just on occasion after I’ve put my healthy meals and workouts on the back burner (there is NOTHING wrong with any of that). Personally, I thrive off a plan for getting back into my routine. Hopefully, a few of these things help you too!

1. LIQUIDS… NATURAL DIURETICS
I knew I needed this one when I woke up after our first party of the weekend and my wedding ring would fit haha. Our friends had an awesome party with a cook grilling street tacos and quesadillas by the pool. If there wasn’t such a thing as a forth helping, there sure is after that party! Anyways, my weekends of not-so-healthy, holiday eating are often high in sodium!
Sodium is one of the most common electrolytes in our bodies, playing a key role in fluid balance. Extreme changes in sodium intake (more or less than usual) can lead to imbalances. Remember, our bodies are constantly working to provide consistency and stability. If we eat a high salt diet (even just for a day or two), our bodies take some time to catch up in processing all that sodium; this then leads to water retention.
The solution? To help counteract this, I focus on fluids! Water is a great place to start because being well-hydrated helps reduce water retention. I also like to add in a liquid that acts as a natural diuretic. A natural diuretic can help combat electrolyte imbalances (such as from the high sodium) to reduce bloating. This is just a short-term trick I use and certainly not something I rely on for prolonged periods.
Natural Diuretics I drink on Occasion:

  • Lemon Water
  • Dandelion Root Tea
  • Strawberry Ginger Lemonade (I shared my recipe here)
2. LOWER CARBS
For just even a day or two following a prolonged period of excess snacks and sweets, I’ll slightly lower my carbohydrate intake. Carbs are one of the three macronutrients aka the main components of food. Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver; when they are stored, they also draw in water.
1 gram of glycogen stored = .11-.14 oz of water stored
Those numbers aren’t really important… I simply share it for you to know that if you’re feeling a bit bloated after a carb-heavy meal or day of eating, this is often one of the reasons why. Additionally, carbs cause a spike in insulin, which increases sodium in the body, leading to further water retention (by now you’re probably thinking, geez what did I do lol). But again, I share this to simply help you understand what goes on in the body and because I’m just a science nerd and find this stuff fascinating lol.
Simply reducing carbs a bit can help counteract this bloating. I don’t worry too much on the exact amount of carbs. Instead, I simply opt for some low carb options for a day or two. For example, I normally eat 5 meals per day and 4 of of those have a big serving of carbs. So, maybe I’ll eat carbs at only 2 of those meals or I’ll simply eat half the carb serving at each of those 4 meals. Just a little lower than normal is what I aim for.
3. LIFT LIFT LIFT
As you can see, after a weekend of lots of snacks and/or skipped workouts, we likely have some serious glycogen stored up. For some reason, many of us are usually pick cardio as the workout of choice on a day like today. That was always my go-to after I ate a bunch of junk. How about for you?? I always had this feeling of… I need to go sweat it out (as if that’s a thing lol). 
The smarter, more strategic option would actually be to lift. And, to really lift! Try a weight training workout that requires a lot of effort from you. This will help deplete some of the muscle glycogen (stored carbohydrates) we’ve been building up all weekend. Typically, I notice I am so strong on a day like today. Use all those munchies to your advantage and lift! If you want to follow my weekly fitness schedule, you can see it here
4. MIND > MATTER
Here’s the most important of all these 4 items… don’t worry about what you ate, what you did or what you didn’t do this past holiday weekend. A healthy lifestyle is a marathon not a sprint. One bad day (or one bad weekend) of eating won’t destroy all your results just like one good day of eating won’t instantly make you fit and lean. 
The mind games of guilt can creep up on a day like today, so don’t allow space for that. You enjoyed your weekend… so what. You overate… so what. You didn’t get to the game… so what! What matters is that you had a great time and are now ready to get back to the healthy routine that makes you feel your best. Keep that in mind!

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