Ok, you screwed up, big time! Fortunately, it’s not one of life’s major problems. But from an eating & fitness point of view it was a write off. Not only did you miss your planned workouts, you went massively overboard on your daily calorie allowance including consuming alcohol. Okay, what’s done is done. For a sensible approach to enjoying weekend treats read our article Binge responsibly.

The bloat you get temporarily is due to your body absorbing extra water from all the carbs. Now let’s cut our losses and undo some of that damage, shall we? First thing to remember is that if you’ve trained hard and eaten healthy (approx. around your calorie allowance) you will not totally loose those benefits. So immediately,

1. Get back on your plan – Do the workout that’s scheduled (reduce load and/or duration if you are “hungover”) but get it done! Eat the healthy meal that you have planned (ideally prepped beforehand) & get on track. We are amazed at the attitude of people who just say “I’ve blown it” & completely go off the rails.
2. Drink double the amount of water you usually do – Your body will probably be dehydrated due to excess salt in the food (junk food you ate over the weekend) & also not drinking enough water over the weekend. Higher water intake will also curb your appetite. Drink 500ml as soon as you wake up.
3. Fasting – This may be slightly controversial, but we want you to fast. Do this with No. 2 above and it will improve your “insulin sensitivity”. This fancy term in plain English means it will improve your ability to burn the next meal you eat as energy or store it as glycogen/fuel in your muscles rather than store it as body fat. We encourage you to fast till lunch time, ideally a full 16hrs, the next day. This will also automatically cut calories and put you in a deficit.

If this is not an option, then eat a high protein & high fiber breakfast. An omelette or egg-based breakfast is ideal with maybe some grilled bacon or sausage. Having a cereal based high carb breakfast in the morning, especially after a binge weekend is a VERY bad idea as your “insulin sensitivity” discussed above will be low and you will store fat easily. Eat some fruits for fibre.

4. Eat vegetables especially greens – You don’t need a full blown “detox” after a weekend binge. The best detox as always is to do the above. A low sugar greens smoothie or green tea is a great option. A greens powder can also help. Eating green vegetables will “alkalize” the body.
5. Eat fruit – Don’t go overboard as fruit does contain sugar but they are also full of nutrients that will help you heal your body after a weekend binge.

Apples & Strawberries are great options due to the fibre and vitamin C content. A banana will have Vitamin B for energy production and also plenty of potassium which is needed to hydrate your body.

6. Take this “hangover” helper – This awesome tip is from coach Lee Hayward. He recommends a morning drink containing apple cider vinegar. A good health food supplement in its own right. Be sure to buy organic apple cider vinegar. Drink the following mix first thing in the morning. This will hydrate & Alkalize your body.

1 glass of warm water

2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

2 tbsp Lime/Lemon Juice (fresh or bottled)

Mix everything together and drink