How I recover from a pizza binge
I am perpetually trying to be more healthy, and recently I have been doing quite well in the renewal period we all go through at the start of the year. Yesterday I made a tasty and healthy Japanese noodle soup, which inevitably ended up huge enough to serve a small army (cooking for one is THE WORST), so I had every intention of eating the leftovers for dinner today.
The day was going fairly well; I walked my usual hour to work, ate only the soup and healthy(ish) snacks I had prepared for myself, then I walked home. My main stumbling block came when the long walk introduced some Thinking Time, which was promptly invaded by a case of The Sads (or the SADs maybe, being as it is winter). There’s nothing like feeling a bit down in the dumps to make me want to eat everything in the world ever.
So, here’s where I reveal my little fib. Not only did I eat one whole pizza, I also ate four donuts. I stopped at the shop on the way home to get some Popchips for lunch tomorrow, and left with two chocolate bars, a bag of donuts, a bottle of Crabbie’s ginger beer, and the Popchips as an afterthought. I tried to talk myself out of it, but sad me isn’t very assertive against greedy me. It had begun, the evening of Pigging Out.
When I got home, I found Louise in the kitchen struggling to find some bread that wasn’t really old. She was gearing up to have a nice healthy soup for dinner, just like I was. And then the question was asked. The fatal question:
“Who wants a pizza?!”
She had given up on the soup when it turned out all our bread dregs were a bit too far gone. I tried, I really did, for one or maybe even two moments I tried to tell myself that no good would come from eating a pizza. That’s if you don’t count all the delicious enjoyment it would bring to my mouth. The words “I LOVE PIZZA!” came out before I could stop them. I had fallen into the triple trap of feeling sad, hungry housemates, and the old “well I’ve already started eating bad, why not continue!”.
So it happened. My food diary for this evening is as follows:
- one Wispa Gold chocolate bar
- four custard donuts
- two jalapeno poppers
- one spicy vegetable pizza
I am now past the enjoyment stage and at the bloated blob stage. Luckily I have been through this truly terrible experience many times before, and I know how to handle it.
- Take immediate action and re-hydrate. There’s nothing more important for the human body than hydration, so immediately after such a salty and unhealthy meal I drink a big glass of water. It instantly makes me feel less clagged up, and it helps my body to deal with what I’ve just done to it. I follow this a short while after with a massive cup of peppermint tea, which is known for its many health benefits including helping with digestion and reducing bloating. I don’t know to what extent it really helps, but I do know it makes me feel like I’m already on a healthier path, and it’s better for me than a fizzy drink or a cup of coffee.
- Remember, it is a blip. The pizza does not need to set a precedent. To make myself really believe this, I am planning my healthy meals for the rest of the week and making a shopping list. Sometimes I take it as an opportunity to plan for a couple of weeks and order a shopping delivery. This way I can also encourage myself away from the shops – something I already know helps me to eat better and spend less money. It’s always a good idea to shop when you’re full up, and I am never more full than after the likes of a pizza binge.
- A little bit of self-care can go a long way to recovering from the binge. I always feel at least a bit naff about myself when I’ve stuffed my tummy full of heavy foods, so it’s important to break that cycle as quickly as possible. So I ran a nice long bubble bath and watched some Netflix. I used my special fancy Lush hair products and put up the fairy lights so it was special, and now I feel a bit special too. I’m still full of pizza, but I don’t feel terrible about it. I’ve put myself in a good position to get back on the healthy track I was on.
I’m going to continue my recovery in bed with another cup of peppermint tea, and hopefully get an early night so I’m bright and fresh in the morning. Tomorrow is another day 🙂
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