If you woke up on the Tuesday after Easter feeling like you let yourself get a little too crazy with the chocolate bunnies, creme eggs and glasses of wine, then you’re not alone.
You may have also passed on the exercising front for some much needed couch/nap/Netflix bingeing time (after all, the new season of ‘I woke up a vampire‘ has just dropped).
There’s nothing wrong with indulging occasionally, but the reality is all good (unhealthy) things must come to an end. The last thing you want is an indulgent weekend leading into weeks, or months, of bad food choices and a lack of exercise.
It can be a little overwhelming going straight from tasty chocolate to kale salad, so here are some handy tips on how to recover from the post-Easter binge.
1. Get back into your workouts … slowly
Don’t go crazy and plan to exercise six days a week following Easter – ease yourself back into it. Pre-planning your sessions is key, and will help you get back into a routine. Bring a friend along and make the sessions fun – it’ll also help with motivation. If you’re on a budget, try an at-home workout – maybe ‘cozy cardio’, the TikTok phenomenon will work for you:
@hope_zuckerbrow take a shot every time I say “cozy cardio” 🥲 #fyp #cardio #cozy #walk #walkingpad #walking #workout ♬ Music Instrument - Gerhard Siagian
2. Crack down on your portion sizes
In order to get back into a healthy eating pattern, it’s all in the portion control. Not overfilling your plate and not going back for seconds is a good start. Make the majority of your main meals salad or vegetables, but have a little bit of everything – the more colour, the better. (Note: does not include m&m’s).
3. Increase your fibre intake
Getting into some fibre-rich whole foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, will help keep you full for longer and less likely to reach for that leftover chocolate.
4. Set a goal
Goals are the jam. Setting a date in the near future for a mini goal will help motivate you to train harder. If you’re in Sydney, grabbing a pal and walking the City2Surf on 11 August might just be the motivator you need. And who doesn’t want to support a charity and dress as WonderWoman?
Remember, goals work around process, not outcomes – so try to avoid extreme dieting and exercise, as this is hard to keep up long-term. Moderation is the key.
5. Drink plenty of water
Drinking water after an indulgent weekend will help hydrate you and enable the digestive system to process the extra food consumption more efficiently. It also does wonders for your skin. Aim to drink 2-3 litres per day. You can do it!
6. Up your skincare routine
Those pesky chocolate breakouts are pretty common post-Easter. Along with eating healthy foods, exercising and getting plenty of sleep, a good skincare regimen is also important. Try a hydrating mask or a purifying skin treatment to clear congestion and promote a bright, radiant complexion.
