How was your weekend? 

An innocent and very common question for a Monday morning. But if the answer leaves you feeling guilty and full of disappointment in yourself because you had an indulgent one - then we’re here to tell you that you don't need to feel bad, and you really can pull it back. 

You may not even feel guilty about a full on weekend, after all, it was a friend's wedding or it was your birthday - hurrah! But now perhaps you’re looking for ways to get back on track. So either way, you had fun at the weekend and maybe overdid it on the calories, so here’s how to make this week one to be proud of.

• One of the best ways to shake off a calorific weekend or perhaps an overindulgence of alcohol is to sweat it out, quite literally. So start your week strong with a high energy, high intensity workout. We know you OYG Warriors love a retro workout, and Old School Aerobics with Lily ticks all the boxes! 
• Now that you’ve started the week strong with exercise, it’s time to eat a healthy, protein fueled breakfast and plan to do the same for the rest of the week. Protein is a macronutrient that provides energy. Unlike the other macronutrients (fats and carbs) protein keeps us fuller for longer as it releases energy in a more sustained way. Starting the day with a high protein breakfast, such as this super quick and simple Scrambled Egg with Pepper and Onion or the classic Peanut Butter and Banana Toastie will keep you energised and full, right through the morning, meaning that you’ll be less likely to want to snack.
• It can be tempting to skip meals when you’re feeling bad or trying to ‘cancel out’ an indulgence. But this is a bad idea, since it simply isn’t sustainable. Regardless of what you ate yesterday, you still need to eat today. If you go through the day eating very minimally, you’ll cause an imbalance in blood sugar and the hunger regulation hormones, ghrelin and leptin. Eventually these imbalances will catch up and you’ll be more likely to binge eat in the evening. 
• Hydration is important for two reasons - if you’ve been drinking alcohol, you probably need to replenish your water levels, since alcohol is a diuretic. Plus, we can confuse thirst with hunger - we might think we’re hungry, so we snack, but we don’t feel any satisfaction, because actually, we were thirsty. So drink plenty of water and keep a bottle nearby and topped up. 
• At lunchtime and dinnertime, fill your plate with a rainbow of different salads and veggies - aim for around 50% of each meal to comprise of veg. Vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which are important for whole body health, and their levels may need topping up after not so healthy food at the weekend. Plus, veggies are a great source of fibre, which is good for a sluggish bowel and for keeping us full which helps to prevent overeating. 
• Most importantly, let it go. It’s in the past and we all deserve a weekend off. Make peace with having an indulgent weekend and make a promise that this week, you’ll make healthy choices. A big weekend doesn't have to be a setback, make this week count and you’ll be back where you want to be. You’ve got this!