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Answered in 8 episodes

What should I do after a bad day of eating?

Answered by Nikkiey Stott and her guests · Updated

The short answer

Get back on plan at your very next meal, not next Monday. Nikkiey says not to beat yourself up: one bad meal does not ruin your diet. Ask what led to the slip, adjust, and if you overate earlier, lean on protein for the rest of the day instead of restricting or giving up.

Hear it from the show

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  1. Krista on choosing better at her next meal instead of letting a bad day spiral

    Plays from 21:18 · Ep. 331: Gained Weight at 40 Despite Working Out? What Worked

  2. Nikkiey on what to eat for the rest of the day after a heavy lunch out

    Plays from 30:07 · Ep. 95: How to Keep Promises to Yourself and Stay Consistent

  3. Nikkiey and her guest on adding protein and a salad after an unplanned treat

    Plays from 20:01 · Ep. 112: How to Stop Yo-Yo Dieting: Macros, Bulking and Mindset

  4. Nikkiey on asking why you slipped and not waiting for Monday to restart

    Plays from 20:03 · Ep. 31: How to Stop Quitting Your Fitness Plan After a Mistake

  5. Nikkiey on why you shouldn't beat yourself up after overeating

    Plays from 11:46 · Ep. 40: How to Find Your Why and Stay Consistent With Fitness

The full answer

The real damage rarely comes from the overeating itself. It comes from the spiral afterward. On Ep. 95, Nikkiey describes the snowball that turns a slip into a quit: "I can't do this, I can't eat right." Her fix is a growth mindset. Look at what led to the slip, recalibrate and keep going with the rest of your day. On Ep. 331, Krista describes the shift that worked for her. When she has too many cookies, she no longer tells herself she might as well keep going. She makes her next meal a better one. Not the next day, not next Monday.

What that looks like in practice, from the episodes:

  • If a lunch out was heavy on carbs and fats, Nikkiey suggests prioritizing protein with minimal carbs and fats for the rest of the day (Ep. 95). Skipping food entirely is not the answer either.
  • After an unplanned treat, she tells people to just have more protein for the rest of the day. Her guest on Ep. 112 adds: think about what you can add, like a salad, instead of what you need to take away. One cookie only becomes a big deal if you let it turn into a binge.
  • Ask why it happened (Ep. 31). If you missed your macros because you didn't plan ahead, the lesson is to make planning a priority so tomorrow goes better.

Nikkiey also says the guilt does nothing for you. On Ep. 40 she says off days are inevitable and the most important thing is not to beat yourself up. Learn from it and move on. On Ep. 151 she talks about taking extreme ownership of why a meal went sideways. During her bodybuilding years, that honesty gave her answers for handling the next situation better. A bad day is information about your plan, not a verdict on you.

From The WarriorBabe Show with Nikkiey Stott. For education, not medical advice: talk to your doctor about your own health.

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