There are a good number of us young, college-going women who have a tough relationship with food, myself included. With advertising constantly shoving pretty pictures with greasy, sugary masses of food in our faces and parties where chips and cookies are in plenty— the temptations are not as easy to shrug off as it may be for some. Especially with midterms, we may find ourselves grabbing a box of cookies and locking ourselves in our room until that paper we've waited till the absolute minute to do it finished. Once it's done though, we may feel stressed about our over-full stomach or the eventual consequences we're sure to see later on our waistline. Instead of panicking, try one of these methods to come to terms with that bit of eating you had:
1. Drink some water.
This may seem silly because you feel very full and that the last thing you should do is filling up your stomach even more — but hear me out. Most likely you've eaten a food item that was processed, which likely translates into large amounts of sodium in your body. For your kidneys' sake, it'd be best then to flush all that sodium out, as well as help your body digest all that food you ate. I recommend cold water, which will also help you feel refreshed!
2. Go on a walk.
Although you probably rather nap after a binge, it's actually best if you go for a leisurely walk. Maybe it's just a shuffling around the house cleaning up or maybe you throw on a comfy sweatshirt and circle the block— either way, getting the fluids moving in your system like this will help your digestion as well as clear your head.
3. Follow along to a yoga video on YouTube.
This one has effects similar to taking a walk with some added benefits— although it depends on the situation. If your super full, you might avoid this option because it may hurt to stretch, but if you feel up for it, this method will work better than walking. Not only will you be loosening up the fluids in your body, but also have the added benefits of relaxation attained through stretching. I recommend the Yoga With Adriene Youtube channel (found here: https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene) since the instructor herself is an overall inspirational person.
4. Read some fiction.
This one is very different in nature from the other three if you couldn't tell already. When you're really not mentally capable of any physical activity, reading seems to be the most helpful choice of past time. Netflix is nice, but melting into your couch while your binge-watching a show may do more harm than good to your mental stability. At least with reading, you can get your mind off what you just did and do something productive as well as entertaining. It doesn't have to be challenging fiction either! Some cutesy, cheap romance novel or old-ladyish mystery novel will do just fine. I recommend fiction specifically because it allows you to step into another world for a bit, as opposed to non-fiction which would likely consist of facts that you could directly relate to your life and cause anxiety.
Although all these methods have their differences, they all have one thing in common: self-care. It's not about making up for the weight gain and it's not about fearing if this will happen again. Let the future stay in the future and come when it comes. Of more importance is the present— this uncomfortable, guilt-ridden moment where you just want to throw up— and making the best of it. Amidst all the self-care, take the opportunity to take note of the strength you're showing in this moment by searching for coping skills and feel yourself growing stronger as a person for overcoming this uncomfortableness to still seize the moment.
