Madeline Holt, RD, Virtua Nutrition & Diabetes Care

Holidays are often filled with family, friends, fun, and food. Between the joy, festivities, and time spent with loved ones, it’s easy to go overboard on treats, drinks, and holiday meals. While you might have enjoyed the indulgence in the moment, it’s common to feel sluggish, both physically and emotionally, once the festivities come to an end.

You CAN recover from the effects of holiday overeating, but it starts by putting in a little work to get your routine back on track. Try these tips to start feeling better quickly.

The effects of unhealthy eating

If you indulged in a few days of eating uncontrolled portions of foods high in fat, sugar, and sodium, you’re probably feeling certain signs of discomfort, including:

Constipation:

Foods high in fat and carbohydrates and low in dietary fiber may lead to constipation (difficulty passing bowel movements). The biggest culprits are cheese, red meats, and processed foods like cookies and chips that are high in fat and have little to no fiber.

Bloating:

Cheese, soups, sauces, and processed foods like potato chips and salad dressings are notoriously high in salt, but even bread can be high in sodium. These salty foods can make you retain water, leading to a bloated feeling. Higher-fat foods may also take longer to digest and can further contribute to bloating.

Emotional effects:

If you’ve been eating a healthy, balanced diet and then overeat high-fat or high-sugar holiday foods, it’s normal to feel as though you’ve sabotaged your efforts. You may feel disappointed with yourself or even have trouble sleeping and focusing due to discomfort. These emotional effects are common and temporary.

How do you overcome the effects of overeating unhealthy foods?

While you may think you should skip a meal or two, that’s actually the worst thing you can do. Instead, simply return to regular healthy eating as soon as possible. Try to eat a balance of healthy foods, including:

• Whole grains
• Fruits and vegetables
• Legumes such as beans, peas, and lentils
• Low-fat, no sugar added yogurt or low-fat dairy
• Protein such as lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and soy-based products
• At least 6-8 glasses of water a day

You’ll find that having a healthy eating plan in place before the holiday can help you when you're at parties and faced with sugary, salty, and high-fat options.

Don’t arrive starving or think: “I’ll skip breakfast/lunch so I can eat more later.” This typically leads to over-eating later on. Eat your regular healthy meals, then go to the party and eat the portion that you would normally eat.

Be mindful of what you’re eating, choose the foods you most want, and eat them slowly—enjoying every bite.

Will extra workouts burn excess calories? 

Some research shows that regular exercise during a period of overeating could protect people from negative metabolism changes. Both cardiovascular exercise and weight training are recommended, especially for weight loss and maintenance. Just be careful not to overdo a workout thinking it will help you burn the excess calories you consumed, and keep in mind that drastically increasing your exercise level might also increase your appetite.

Are you trying to eat healthier and need help?

A Virtua Health registered dietitian can help you develop a healthy, well-balanced eating plan, or work with you on sports nutrition, weight loss, diabetes, GI conditions, or heart disease management. Find a Virtua Nutrition location near you and schedule an appointment online today.