Bouncing back from a bender!

I hate Mondays. Ok, hate is a strong word, but after a long week and an even longer weekend, Monday morning isn't always something I look forward to (as much as I adore my job!). Here's a breakdown of the past 5 days:
Thursday -- Birthday. It's a new decade for me people...need I say more? Awesome, delicious, long and relaxing birthday dinner with my girlfriends at Rayuela in the Lower East Side, sort of a pan-Latino mix with great seafood and possibly the best lobster ceviche I've ever tasted. And of course the birthday girl had a few bites of cake...well, cake wasn't on the menu, but a few spoonfuls of chocolate mousse is a close second (see picture at left, a log-like take on chocolate mousse, darn tasty).
Friday -- long car ride to DC for the weekend. Caught up with close friends over dinner-- a salad, half a chicken burrito and a glass of red wine.
Saturday -- friend from college's baby shower. Lite brunch food and babies go well together! Later that evening, a nice dinner out with my family in DC -- salad with dried cherries and a sprinkle of blue cheese along with a halibut entree. (thankfully this multi-day/meal birthday celebration only occurs once a year!). Met back up with friends for a drink.
Sunday -- friend from college's bridal shower (different friend, we just like to jam-pack weekends every so often!). Lunch and homemade orange sorbet (unbelievably light and refreshing...and served in a scooped out orange rind!) LONG drive back to NYC. I have no love for the Jersey Turnpike. Lame attempt to catch up on sleep and go to bed 'early'.
Monday -- recovering and ligthening up my plate a little

As you can see, it's been quite an eventful past few days. We all have heftier eating or traveling weekends now and then, and once in a while, a bender of a night thanks to one too many margaritas or glasses of wine. How do you handle it without wrecking havoc on the scale? A small secret called PACING! You're heading into a long weekend, you recognize this so take a second to think before your fork dives in at every meal. Here are a few quick tips for social-heavy weekends and getting back into your groove:

1. choose 1 meal (not 5) to live a little, try something new and exciting
2. portions - do your damnest to watch em at meals, restaurants typically serve 2-3 times what a normal serving should be!
3. alcohol - just watch the intake (do you seriously need that 4th vodka and soda?), sip slow and drink some water over the course of the evening to stay decently hydrated
4. the best way to bounce back from a heavy night out with a healthy breakfast and lunch, I swear.
5. lighten it up come Monday morning -- you're back home and your normal routine is back on track. Lots of water, fresh fruits and veggies. skim back on eating out this week and be mindful of working portions back down to their normal state...your stomach often expands a little after heavier weekends/holidays etc and you may find you're able to eat more food than usual.