5 Ways to Save Your Diet after Memorial Day

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By Hea

ther Ashare - DietsInReview.com

You promised yourself you would eat just one hot dog, a couple bites of potato salad and a small slice of cherry pie during this Memorial Day picnic; but two hot dogs, one cheeseburger, four beers, and a half a pie later, you're left wondering how you'll ever undo the damage.

Fear not! Indulging in a holiday food fest like Memorial Day doesn't mark the end of a diet, nor signify that you've thrown it all away, just be prepared to wake up the next morning right where you left off. Even though you've worked hard to fit into your bikini for the upcoming summer season, we have five sure ways to put you right back on track with your weight loss and beach plans.

1) Do Not Starve Yourself: Don't allow yourself to fast the day after your Memorial Day binge. You risk sending your metabolism on a roller coaster ride and set yourself up for further binging. Instead, reduce the amount of calories and portions of food while increasing the frequency of meals. Aim for five small meals throughout the day, with each one totaling 200 - 300 calories.

2) Fill-up with Fiber and Protein: You'll want leafy salads with lean protein, egg white omelets with bell peppers and grilled salmon with steamed broccoli. The fiber and protein will aid digestion and give your metabolism an extra boost.

3) Sweat it out: Exercise will make you feel much better physically and mentally, plus the burst of activity will reduce bloat and kick your metabolism into high gear. Rather than a long 40-minute run at a constant pace, try interval training. A study in the Journal of Applied Physiology showed that exercising at a high intensity increased the body's fat burning capabilities. You'll want to exercise hard enough for one to four minutes so that you're out of breath, recover for three to five minutes and repeat until your workout is complete.

4) Eat a Clean Diet: This won't be too hard to accomplish after eating all that processed food, but committing to eat a whole foods diet for one to three days following your Memorial Day feast will help clean your system and provide your body with the nutrients it needs. Try oatmeal and berries at breakfast, salads for lunch, steamed greens and lean and plain proteins for dinner.

5) Flush the Bloat: Sipping green tea throughout the day will keep hunger at bay and give your metabolism a healthy boost. A study in the International Journal of Obesity showed that green tea extract increased calorie and fat burning to support weight loss. Green tea also contains powerful antioxidants which may help to reduce risk of heart disease and some cancers.

Remember, it takes 3,500 calories to gain a single pound. While consuming that much is easy to accomplish on food-focused holidays like Memorial Day, cutting back on calories and portion size and committing to your exercise routine for a few days will put you right back on track with your weight loss goals.

Here are a few healthy grill recipes for your Memorial Day celebration.

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