This past weekend, one of my girlfriends got married, (Congrats Amanda & Sean!) and I had such a blast celebrating with them. I also took great advantage of the rare date night/overnight away from our baby boy, and indulged in sweets, booze, fast food, and staying up late dancing and chatting (instead of sleeping). I can easily remember a time in my life when a weekend like this past one would completely ruin my whole week. Come Monday morning, all I would be able to think about is how lethargic and bloated I felt, how mad I was at myself for eating terribly and getting so off track from my healthy goals, and the extreme measures I'd take that week to "fix" what I'd done (NO sugar/treats all week! Salads for every lunch and dinner! Never drinking again!). I'd be in punishment mode and was coming from a completely negative place, even if I had just had the best weekend ever. But now, it's different. When yesterday rolled around, I had a bit of a slower start than I usually do, but I woke up and asked myself, "What can I do to feel good and take care of myself today?" I started my day with a 3 mile run, several tall glasses of ice water (including one with a shot of apple cider vinegar), and absolutely zero regrets or bad feelings about any of the not-so-healthy choices I made over the weekend. No negativity, no scolding myself, no punishment. Just a recognition that it was a really fun and out-of-the-ordinary weekend, and that I could easily and instantly get back into my usual habits by just taking care of myself. After countless days, even weeks of my life ruined with negative and self-punishing thoughts, I can't tell you how refreshing it is to benefit from making this simple mindset shift. I want to help you do the same.Here's all that you have to do:1) If you wake up with instant regret and negative feelings about a weekend over-indulgence, recognize the negative thought as soon as you have it, and stop yourself right there. No more starting your day off on the negative!2) Instead of thinking of what you can do to punish yourself for your weekend decisions, turn it positive and think: If I want to take impeccable care of myself and feel fantastic, what do I need to do today? 3) TAKE ACTION on those impeccable care ideas and do them ASAP. 4) Reap the benefits and enjoy the rest of your week: you'll be feeling good and like yourself in no time!Now I want to hear from you. How did you feel starting your week this week? Did you start off on a positive or negative note? Have you ever felt like your whole week was derailed after just one night of unhealthy food choices? If you try out my above steps, let me know how it goes! Share with me by responding to this e-mail or posting a comment on the blog!
