I wrote this in 2009 & updated in 2010 but thought I would share again because some of us are just too hard on ourselves.

I was watching Extreme Makeover, Weight Loss Edition & the lady said this about falling off her program (paraphrasing):

"I thought that well now that I have eaten 5 chips, I ruined it & I might as well just keep on eating."

NOT! This is one of the many reasons that people get off track & keep them from losing the weight. So you ate & enjoyed - OWN IT & move on!!!!! Just get back to it - GET BACK TO BASICS & YOUR FOOD/EXERCISE PROGRAM. Don't fall into the trap of "now I screwed it up so I might as well give up". That is NOT acceptable! Honestly, you are going to feel worse if you keep on eating & keep gaining weight. So it takes 2 or 3 days to get it off. Big deal. In the scheme of things & life, that is a blip. You get it off & keep moving forward! Your health & life are more important!

If some of you woke up today feeling way too sluggish, the clothes were a bit snug around the tummy & the scale said something that got your blood pressure screaming .... stop, take a breath or a few breaths. If for the holiday you opted to  enjoy all day & get back to it tomorrow or maybe Monday, then do just that! If you ate all that fun & fattening stuff over the holiday and maybe had a few drinks too many then think about it. Probably a lot of the food you ate was higher in sodium than your body is used to. Sodium makes us retain water which in turn causes temporary weight gain until we flush it all out. So, just get back to your healthier eating & within a few days, all will be fine. If you ate & drank to your heart's content then the scale is obviously going to add some pounds (3-4 if it is me!). Again get back to basics & the body will return to "prior holiday" soon enough.

Here are some things you can do:

*First & foremost, just get back to basics & your regular healthier eating pattern! Don't fall for the "I ruined it so now I might as well give up". This is NOT an option!

* Don't stress! I know, easier said than done & I am one to stress easily! BUT, many studies say stress can cause weight gain so try to do your deep breathing & move on!

* Drink a lot of water to help flush out the extra sodium. Many of the holiday foods are packed with water retaining sodium, so get back to your normal workout schedule & eating habits & all should be fine in a few days at the most.

*If you want to speed things up, you can always step up the workouts for a few days with increased intensity to burn more calories AND change the protein/carb ratio for just a few days to get off the added "bloating" that makes you feel so UGH! Eat a bit more of your lean proteins & cut back on some of those starchy carbs for just a few days. Keep eating your veggies & keep that fiber & water flowing too! Flush it all out! That should help get rid of that bloating that is tightening up the pants/shorts.

All in all, if you just get back to basics & your normal eating and workout schedule, you should feel fine within just a few days or less. Life is to be lived so don't feel guilty about any "fun" you had yesterday. Yesterday, today & tomorrow on are new days so just keep moving forward & not backward!

Are you back to basics today? What, if anything, are you doing to get off the holiday bloat? Did you have a nice holiday? Share!!!!

Me, I celebrated last weekend & really, it is all just another day for me. I tend to eat healthy & plan for treats. I was at the gym early Thanksgiving morn. Hubby & I just enjoyed & relaxed. He needed that with how hard he has been working. A nice chill out day & yes, I will have my treat cookies this weekend!