HOW TO STAY HEALTHY DURING THE HOLIDAYS
Grab your calendars, sit down and buckle up! The holidays are full of social events, that is partly why the holidays are so much fun! And, I get it, focusing on friends and family is tricky if you’re stressed about sticking to your nutrition plan and are constantly surrounded by tempting treats. Being a parent that is cooking the christmas meal or a CEO thats attending the 12th function of the period can make this extremely challenging. Thankfully the BASE.TRAINING personal trainer is here to help, so here is a guide to ensure you crush it this holiday season:
Step 1: Define Success.
Head into the holiday season with a clear vision of what success looks like for you. Take time to sit down with your BASE.TRAINING personal trainer , this will give you guidance and aspects to consider when you’re making decisions about where, when and if you’d like to indulge. Where are you in your journey towards your goal, and how would you like to feel on January 1st when the hustle and bustle of the holiday season ends?
If your goal is to lose/maintain weight and not to stray from the healthy lifestyle and strict nutrition lifestyle you’ve created for yourself this year leading up to Christmas, then make sure you focus on having fun this Christmas, not on food. Or you’re happy with the progress you’ve made, you’ve worked hard and want to cut yourself some slack and allow for a few more Christmas cookies. That’s cool too and there’s no right or wrong answer.
This definition of success will allow you to clearly assess if your actions are bringing you closer or further from this vision. Then, you can tweak and change behaviour accordingly!
Step 2: Prioritise.
Grab a calendar, write down all of your engagements and commitments and prioritise! Depending on the vision you’ve created from step one, and the level of flexibility that vision allows, you can decide which holiday events are most important to you.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
– What foods can you get any time of the year? Think store-bought brownies at the office party.
– Which foods are truly special and only come around during the holidays? Think grandma’s homemade Christmas pudding and custard.
– When will it be easiest to stay on track? Think restaurant meals with menu options.
– When would you like to be more lenient? These are probably the occasions when those special foods may be around! Think the biggest – Christmas dinner!
Once you have the dates and events laid out, decide where and when you want to indulge and when it makes the most sense to stick to the healthiest options possible consult your BASE.TRAINING personal trainer for some “what if” plans should you get thrown a curve ball.
Step 3: Optimise.
Consistency over time is where the magic happens. To ensure that a few more indulgent meals don’t add up and slow down your journey to your goals, optimise the days when you don’t have much going on and really commit to making the healthiest choices that fuel your body.
Step 4: Create Accountability.
Partner, friend, BASE.TRAINING personal trainer, you name it! Enrolling others will let them hold you accountable when you’re needing a little extra support to stick with it. Tell them what events you might indulge at, as well as the events where you want to be strict with yourself, they will be able to help you, and keep you on track when you need it. As an added bonus, telling others about your goals will also make them more real for you.
Step 5: Trust (and Be Kind to) Yourself
No one is perfect and it’s important to remember that balance and flexibility are necessary parts of any lifestyle habit that is going to stick long term. Remember that the hard work you’ve been putting in leading up to Christmas, but remember it is okay to relax and cut yourself some slack every now and the so that you can enjoy the moment without being too strict on yourself.
Enjoy the Christmas period, you’ve earned it!