Weekends are full of social gatherings that can often lead to a blowout – and a few too many wines and fast food meals here and there can really add up.
So if you find yourself eating healthily during the week only to fall off the bandwagon during the weekend, you might need to put some strategies in place to stop yourself from going over your total calories.
Australian nutritionist and personal trainer, Sophie Guidolin, 29, said it’s important to find out why you’re craving unhealthy food and to get back on track as quickly as possible.
Australian nutritionist and personal trainer, Sophie Guidolin (pictured)has shared her top tips on how to beat a weekend blowout
1. Stop beating yourself up
Sophie said the key to eating well, is to ditch the ”all or nothing” mentality.
‘Consistency and sustainability count more than one binge,’ said Sophie.
‘You haven’t ‘blown it’ even after a blowout – don’t use this as licence to eat badly for the rest of the weekend.
‘Instead of feeling defeated, find out why your cravings came about and learn how to pick up on signs earlier.’
2. Go straight back to your macros
‘After a blowout, your natural instinct might be to reduce your food intake to make up for the calories you have overeaten,’ said Sophie.
‘Don’t do this! Apart from triggering ”starvation mode” through extremely low calorie intake, this kind of punishment mindset is one we want to avoid.
Sophie said there’s no point in trying to sweat off the calories you’ve overeaten with an intense gym workout because exercise shouldn’t be a punishment
‘Any kind of dramatic reduction in calories will cause your metabolism to slow down to conserve energy,’ she added.
‘Keep your metabolism firing by getting straight back onto your macros.’
According to Sophie, one meal won’t make you lose weight or gain weight.
‘Consistency counts, so after a blowout, just eat normally,’ she said.
3. Don’t stress
Stress leads many people straight to comfort foods like pizza and chocolate.
‘Studies have shown that stress increases the intake of fatty, sugary food,’ said Sophie.
‘Consistency and sustainability count more than one binge,’ said the mother-of-four
Sophie said it’s important to ditch the ”all or nothing” mentality and avoid restrictive diets
‘And if you reward yourself for a tough day, achieving a milestone, or simply making it past the kids’ bedtime with a treat, you’re reinforcing this comfort food thinking, which can soon become a habit.’
If you still find yourself reaching for a treat, she said make something at home.
‘Choose nutrient-dense comfort foods – creamy Greek yoghurt with nuts and cinnamon; oven-baked sweet potato wedges with paprika; or home-made bliss balls where you can control the ingredients.’
Sophie said she doesn’t diet to achieve her enviable figure.
4. Exercise
Sophie said there’s no point in trying to squeeze in an intense workout after a blowout.
‘Don’t try to sweat off the calories you’ve overeaten. Exercise is an act of self-love, not punishment,’ she said.
Instead, the mother-of-four recommends just getting the body moving regularly.
‘Adapt your workout to where your body is at – a walk after dinner aids digestion,’ she said.
Sophie shares her fitness tips and advice on her website and is the founder of fitness and nutrition program, THE BOD.