When we’re trying to change long-standing habits, there will naturally be times when things don’t go to plan.

It’s totally normal to eat too much food or drink too much alcohol from time to time. Perhaps you had a special occasion, perhaps you just felt like a treat after weeks of hard work.

One difficult meal, day or weekend does not erase the healthy changes you’ve been making. What matters most is how you respond afterwards.

The key is to pause, reset and return to your usual routine as soon as you can.

Here’s how.

1. Check in with your liver

The first thing is to make sure your liver is ok. After eating or drinking more than usual, it’s common to feel uncomfortable, tired, sluggish or unsettled for a day or two. High-fat foods, large portions and alcohol can temporarily increase inflammation and put extra strain on the liver, especially if you already have liver disease.

In most cases, these short-term changes will settle once you return to your normal routine.

However, if you have liver disease and feel significantly unwell after drinking alcohol or overeating, it’s important to pay attention to warning signs and seek medical advice if needed.

Seek medical attention if you experience:

• persistent vomiting
• severe stomach pain, especially on the upper right side
• yellowing of the skin or eyes
• confusion or extreme tiredness
• very dark urine that doesn’t improve

These are not typical hangover symptoms and may need urgent medical attention.

2. Let go of self-blame

Shame, guilt and recrimination make it harder to get back on track. If you’ve been strict with yourself, slipping up can feel like a catastrophe. It’s easy to think you’ve blown it, and there’s no point going on.

These emotions increase your stress levels and make you feel even more like comforting yourself with food. The harder you are on yourself, the longer it will take you to get back on track.

Be kind to yourself. We’re not saying you should let yourself off the hook. It’s more about understanding why you did this, so you can prevent it from happening in future.

Instead of responding with self-blame, try responding with curiosity.

Ask yourself:

• What was happening before this happened?
• Was I stressed, tired, emotional or unprepared?
• Were there patterns or triggers I can learn from?
• What might help next time?

Try describing what happened factually rather than critically. For example:

• “I ate a larger dinner than I planned”
  rather than
• “I failed” or “I have no self-control”

Remember, one difficult moment does not undo your progress. Healthy habits are built over time, not from being perfect every day.

3. Restart your routine

One of the most helpful things you can do after a slip-up is return to your usual routine as soon as possible.

That doesn’t mean punishing yourself by skipping meals, over-exercising or trying to “make up for it.” Restrictive behaviours often make it harder to maintain healthy habits in the long term.

Instead:

• eat your usual meals at your normal times
• return to your regular portion sizes
• drink water regularly
• get back into your normal movement routine

This helps turn the slip-up into a temporary interruption, rather than something that completely throws you off track.

4. Reset your body

After eating or drinking more than usual, your body may feel out of routine for a day or two. You may feel hungrier than usual, crave sugary foods, feel tired or notice your sleep has been disrupted.

You can help your body recover by:

• Drinking plenty of water
• Eating at normal times of day
• Going for a walk
• Getting some sleep

5. Learn from the experience

Once things feel more settled again, take a little time to reflect on what happened and what you might do differently next time.

Occasional slip-ups are a normal part of changing habits and are unlikely to cause lasting harm on their own. What matters most is the overall pattern of habits over time.

If you find that overeating, binge eating or drinking alcohol is happening regularly, extra support may help. Speaking with a doctor, dietitian, psychologist or support service can help you better understand the habits, emotions or situations behind these patterns. You can also find more information about support services here.

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