It is natural to feel compelled to eat more during special occasions, holidays, social events, or family gatherings. But other thoughts seem to creep in - you’ve worked so hard to get in terms with your diet patterns, win over cravings, and lose those extra pounds… So what now? During the event and the day after you might feel stressed because you have eaten less healthy foods that will probably reflect on your weight. However, this is not a cause to be stressed, everything is just fine! When stress during diet appears, it results in being a catalyst that acts against you and your wellbeing. Simply take a deep breath and let go of stress, you will balance your diet on other days.
Stress during diet
In fact, there is a simple solution to everything and such things are not worthy of stressing over. Did you know that being stressed will only increase your yearning for unhealthy snacks? So simply take time to contemplate the important things like creating memories, refreshing family bonds, or honoring your friends during these special days.
In essence, the main thing that causes anxiety when breaching your diet patterns is the fear of losing control. But we are here to tell you that you are and always will be in control. Even if you slipped a little, this can easily be managed and brought back to balance. Nobody can be perfect all the time, and that is totally okay! The only thing that you will need is will. For that reason, we have compiled a comprehensive guide on how to lower your stress during diet and bounce back on track with our tips! Take a look:
Tips for getting back to your diet patterns
Do not procrastinate with reestablishing your healthy lifestyle
If you are wondering about when - the perfect day to reinstate the diet patterns is always now. It is when the realization sinks in, at that precise moment. If you wait for tomorrow, or a week after, that may cause greater problems and cause a lot more stress if you don’t act fast. Begin by planning your next meal, regardless of whether you have consumed several pieces of cake several hours earlier.
Avoid sweetened drinks and beverages that have calories
When the first craving slips into your mind, quench your desire with plenty of water or consume calorie-free beverages. Often, hunger can be easily confused with thirst, so remind yourself what you ate before and whether your body is simply asking for water. If this proves unsuccessful, then making a fresh juice or a smoothie will do the trick.
Mindfully choosing nighttime snacks
Stress during diet may cause you to indulge in snacking, especially when you sit down in the evenings and try to unwind from it. Instead of choosing a bag of potato chips to soothe your cravings, opt for a healthier snack that contains less than 100 calories. This will allow your body to process the snack before you get to bed.
Don’t cut everything altogether
If you break your diet patterns with something that is high in calories, like a pie for example, and you are dreaming about having two more slices the next day, then go for it. But this time, take a small portion. We are strong believers that you will be less stressed when eating what you want but with a focus on moderation.
Controlling your appetite
After having several full delights that made you shift from your healthy diet, the cravings are going to be stronger, thus it is vital to control your appetite. So how do you do that? By having more meals but less in calories. Try to eat 4-5 a day but smaller portions. This will both keep your stress at bay and also help your body burn them more efficiently. Let’s say that your diet allows 1500 calories daily, breaking that number down into more portions can make a huge difference!
Fridge makeover
Remove all the leftovers from the family event and donate them, or if you have some comfort foods, clear them out. Shop smartly and fill your fridge and cupboards with healthy food. Vegetables and fruits are your friends, so keep in mind to stock them. That brings us to our next point:
More fruits and vegetables
Thinking about something sweet? Consuming fruits will lower your desire and elevate your mood. Sugars in general have the power to reduce stress but only for a short while, while the fructose will unfold in your system more slowly, having a longer effect. Additionally, include more vegetables, both cooked and as a salad, for your main courses. This will make you fulfilled while staying on track.
Plan your meals
Planning ahead will give you more control over what you eat throughout the day and reduce anxiety. Think of meals that are healthy and delicious, which will give you something to look forward to.
Don’t overstress, change what you can
Like we previously said, no one is perfect all the time. Putting great pressure to change everything will only have a counter effect. It is fine, just change those things that you can. Focus on both small wins and on goals for the long run. Swapping a doughnut with an apple is definitely something that we would call a small win!
Activity is your friend
Even if you are not into sports, plan some activities to get your body moving. Gardening or walking in the park can be excellent solutions that will definitely reduce your stress during a diet.
Tips for when attending a special event
Attending a special day’s event and having stress during a diet is something very common. For that purpose, we have come up with several tips that will benefit your attendance at the celebration and your health:
Your date should be someone who supports your dieting
It is easier to break your diet patterns if you have someone who encourages you to try out everything. Bringing someone who supports you and will help you stop from overindulging into the holiday or event feast can do wonders.
Avoid consuming more alcohol
Of course, sometimes it is great to enjoy and even opt for more glasses, but it is wise to keep it moderate. In case you exceed your own limit, make sure that the next days are completely alcohol-free. Furthermore, consuming too much alcohol, which is a depressant, can only increase the effect of stress during a diet.
It is okay to turn down food politely
The safest and oldest trick in the book for turning down food is “Thank you, maybe later”. Feeling like some meal would be too much for your lifestyle? You shouldn’t feel obliged to eat.
Hunger is your enemy, so eat before going
Consuming a handful of nuts, soup, smoothie, or a light meal before you go will decrease your cravings.
All of these tips will help you battle stress during dieting and make you feel content. Maybe a friend or a family member struggles with the same, so it is also important to support and share the tips you’ve just discovered. We would love to know if you found our advice beneficial, so log into Vivoo and feel free to share your thoughts!
