You’ve been so good on your diet. You’ve dropped a few pounds, and so when the weekend comes, you figure giving yourself a little leeway to enjoy some yummy treats won’t hurt.

However, Monday morning comes, and you step on the scale only to find that you’ve gained five pounds or more! How could that be? Is that even possible? You didn’t think you had cheated that much!

We’ll put your mind at ease… It’s unlikely that you’ve actually gained five pounds. You would have had to consume an extra 17,500 calories over the weekend, equalling 8,750 extra calories per day! Unless you spent every waking moment scarfing down pizza, potato chips, and martinis, it’s more than likely that the weight gain you are experiencing comes from excess water.

Your body will retain water, in part, so that you don’t absorb toxins too rapidly. It is also likely that the junk food you ate was laden with salt, causing your body to hold on to water weight. In all likelihood, you may have gained an actual pound or so.

So how do you get that number on the scale to go back to what it was Friday morning?

4 Ways to Get Back On Track With Your Diet

1. Sleep

Your body needs sleep to repair itself and to detox. Sure, you might have had a couple of late nights on Friday and Saturday, but try your hardest to get to bed early Sunday night so that you have a full night’s sleep.

Lack of sleep increases stress on the body, which, in turn, increases the release of stress hormones that encourage weight gain.

2. Get Back on the Wagon, Diet-Wise

Your first instinct might be to skip meals and eat very little on Monday. However, what your body really needs is to rid itself of the toxins from all that junk food. In order for this to happen, you need to consume nutrient-rich foods, such as hearty greens, whole fruits, and lean proteins.

3. Sweat it Out

Sweating is a powerful detoxifying tool. Make sure you hit the gym for some cardio that will boost your metabolism back up and sweat out the toxins causing you to retain water.

4. Drink

Drink water, that is. The more dehydrated you are from salty foods and alcohol, the more your body will hold on to precious water.

It might seem counter-intuitive, but to get rid of water weight, you must drink more water. This signals your body that you have plenty of water coming in, and it doesn’t need to store extra in your tissues for later.

Water is also one of the best means to detoxify from all the chemical-laden junk foods you consumed. It keeps the liver and kidneys clear so that they will flush out those nasty toxins.

What to Do Next

If you’ve been holding on to excess pounds even though you’ve been eating properly and exercising, it might be time for a more serious approach to detoxifying.

Check out our ebook, Sugar Cravings? Maybe it’s Time for a Cleanse. You’ll learn about whether or not a cleanse is right for you and the science behind cleansing, plus we’ll answer some of your most serious questions about cleansing.

Check it out today, and get ready to say goodbye to that sluggish, overweight feeling!

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• Are Stress Hormones Making You Fat? (atlasdrugandnutrition.com)
• Kiss Your Inflammation Goodbye with a Detox (atlasdrugandnutrition.com)
• 9 Rules for Going on a Cleanse (atlasdrugandnutrition.com)