Subscribe to our newsletter!

Email Address

First Name

Submit

If you’re a normal human being, chances are you’ve come across a challenge or two while working towards a goal, health-related or not. Many of us have a mindset that associates challenge with failure and we end up giving up on our goal all-together. Sound familiar? I know it does to me because I recently went on vacation where I was surrounded by unlimited tropical drinks, fancy buffets and desserts, chips and guacamole, and of course a beach and ocean that left me with little motivation to exercise. I didn’t think I would ever be able to get back on track when I arrived home, but by using the following strategies, I was able to bounce right back with healthy eating and exercise habits! Whether you’ve fallen off track because of a holiday, travel, sickness, work, school, or whatever else life throws at you, I know these will help you too!

When you’re finished reading, I’d LOVE to hear from you!  Leave a comment at the bottom with your favorite strategy that helps you get back on track :)

Think Positive. The first step to combat a setback is to tell yourself that IT’S OKAY to indulge every once in a while. You might be off track for one meal, one day, or an entire week, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start over. Instead of telling yourself you’re a failure for eating one too many desserts, focus on the fact that you treated yourself to something delicious that hopefully brought you pleasure and excitement. It’s easier to move on from the indulging when you think about it this way.

Focus on choices. Every time you eat, you are making a choice. You’re either choosing to eat for nourishment or choosing to eat for enjoyment (or both!). When you’re trying to get back into a healthy groove, every time you eat, say to yourself “what can I eat right now that will nourish my body and make me feel by best?” This will allow you to center yourself to really focus on nourishment i.e. what’s best for your body.

Replenish your fridge. After a holiday or vacation, your fridge is probably pretty empty. There’s no better time to head to the grocery store or farmer’s market to stock up on healthy food. During your shopping trip, choose seasonal produce, local meat and eggs, and healthy fats. When your kitchen is full of nutritious foods, it will be much easier to make better choices.

Fill up on veggies. After an overload of sugar, unhealthy fats, alcohol, and whatever else throws you off, your body craves nutrition. While you should always try to include at least one serving of veggies at every meal, it’s especially important to focus on them when you’re trying to “reset.” My favorite “reset” meals are green smoothies and HUGE salads.

Be good to your gut. Off days or weeks can really wreak havoc on your gut. A lot of people report having digestive issues after the holidays and traveling. To prevent this from happening, it might be best to avoid potentially irritating foods like grains and nuts for a few days or even weeks after you return. You also might want to avoid red meat for a little while because it can be difficult to digest. Concentrate on foods like veggies, fruits, eggs, and healthy fats like avocado and coconut oil to give your digestive system a break. It’s also important to incorporate some probiotic-rich foods like kombucha, sauerkraut, and kimchi to get your healthy bacteria back up to speed. Probiotic supplements, like this one can also be helpful. 

Start slow. If you’ve taken a significant amount of time off from working out or eating healthy, it’s important to take one step at a time as you get back to your regular habits. Don’t try to do too much at once, as this can be overwhelming and make you feel like giving up.

The most important takeaway from this post is to NOT get down on yourself for falling off track. If you put yourself down for indulging, you’ll be more likely to do it over and over again. Instead of dwelling on a little slip up, forgive yourself and move on.