The After-Holiday Plan

Not that anyone I know might have this problem, but what do we do to get back on track if we happen to have spent the holiday weekend, well, celebrating?

First, as The Hitchhiker’s Guide says, don’t panic.  Panic will only cause a surge in stress hormones, which, among other things, tell our bodies to keep All The Calories.  This will not help.  If we are tempted to panic, we should perhaps keep in mind the other important advice from the Guide:  know where our towel is.  That is, take a hot bath, or a swim, or do some other thing that is both calming and foodless.

Second, we need to do our cardio.  It burns calories.  That is what it is for.  It also improves our mood, our brain function, and our ability to sleep.

Third, we need to lift some weights.  Not all the weights.  Not all in one day and never again.  But we do need to do it in order to change our body composition and to ramp up our metabolisms.

Finally, we need to eat the good foods, the ones that help us love our bodies, the ones that help us keep a clear head, a good digestion, and a healthy heart. 

If we really really over-celebrated, it might take a week or so for the new plan to get us feeling better, but we can do this.

(The photo is advice from a sidewalk in Berkeley, which is not necessarily a reputable source, but I think the advice is pretty good anyway.)