So, I’ve noticed something at the gym this week: PEOPLE.
People everywhere……
The gym has expanded in number for 2x what it was when I left Saturday morning, AKA: Halloween.
Gyms and fitness centers see a spike in attendance between Halloween and Thanksgiving, only to be followed by a severe drop until the New Year.
It’s an interesting turn of events usually brought on by one common thread: overindulgence. 
Guilt by food is fascinating to me because I can now look at from a different vantage point. I too was riddled with guilt following every Reese’s peanut butter cup and loaded cheeseburger, but things have changed as I see things for how they are. Want to join me? Read on for some tips on how to bounce back from any overindulgence.
- Realize that 1 meal, or 1 day, or even 1 weekend will not completely derail ALL progress. If you are CONSISTENT with your workouts, you’ll be OK. Treats can even help the fat burning process along if you are in a fat loss stage that requires lower calories (I try to stay away from those personally…).
- The more you think about it, the worse it gets. We rarely give the mind credit for how powerful it really is. If all we focus on is a “misstep” in the nutrition game of life, then our body will remain focused on that instead of the all-consuming task of building muscle or burning fat. So, take a deep breath and, like a favorite Disney character….let it go.
- Use your overindulgence to your advantage. You have some extra energy stored up now, so use it. Take this opportunity to ramp up your strength training, try out that new class, or test out your endurance. Food is fuel and even treats can be useful when you’re working on your fitness.
- If you are like me and follow carefully calculated macros (cause nerds like us dig that), you can usually factor your treats into your macros and move on with life.
- Be prepared. Don’t be a statistic of the holidays due to being ill-prepared. Keep foods on hand that give you energy and either limit yourself to a certain number of treats per week OR sprinkle them into your macros throughout the week.
The way I want you to see it is this: health and fitness is a large scale project and any slip up is just a blip on the radar. Dust yourself on and move forward, no tedious cardio sessions required.
If you find that you do have some serious issues with food and feel as though you LOSE CONTROL, consider signing up for the Fall Challenge and learn to live and eat in balance.