It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Cookies, parties, drinks, family, cold weather! With all this excitement, it’s easy to lose sight of what you’ve been working towards all year long, but it doesn’t have to be like that.
If you’re like me, then you travel for the Holidays and are gone for an extended period of time. This makes it crucial that you remember your goals since it won’t just be a one day affair. Through all of this, one thing remains the most important…keep your schedule as close to your weekly routine as possible! Too much change in your habits could lead to uncomfortable digestion issues, or bad habits that last longer than just the Holidays.
#1 Plan, PLAN, PLAN!!
- I’ll be going into planning specific events a bit more in the other categories, but first we need to talk about why you need an overall plan. Having a plan holds you accountable. Whether you prefer to write it down, have it on you phone, or verbally explain it to whomever you’ll be around; having a legit plan makes you more likely to see it through. Your plan should consist of workouts, personal time, daily tasks you must get done, and meal plans. I, personally, like to write down my daily plans or goals on a calendar to look over each day and cross out when finished. Doing this gives me a sense of accomplishment and also keeps me on task. If you go into your Holidays with no plan, it is likely you will feel overwhelmed, and then be filled with regret when you look back on the choices you’ve made. Let be safe. Construct a plan.
#2 Have an Accountability Partner
- There’s no shock that it’s harder to stomach the idea of letting down another person more than letting down yourself. Having a “partner in crime” this Holiday season may just be your saving grace. For this, you have 2 options: appointing someone who will be with you, or finding a great friend who will be there virtually. Having your accountability partner with you is great. They can go do workouts with you, remind you of your goals when you want to binge eat, and also help with meal prep! For this, be sure to find someone with the same goal as you. If having someone there physically is not an option, virtual support is also great! To make a virtual accountability partner work, there needs to be some rules.
- Lay out your plan and their plan ahead of time
- Be honest with each other
- Set guidelines of what your check-ins will consist of
- Weight, workouts, nutrition for the day, etc.
- If should be noted that when you have a friend hold you accountable, there needs to be trust. You shouldn’t feel judgement for the other person, and be sure to lay out beforehand exactly WHY staying on track is so important to you. If the other person understands how serious or not serious you are about your goals, then it will be easier to determine just how involved they need to be!
#3 Have Your Nutrition Planned
- Just because it’s the Holiday’s, doesn’t mean meal prepping should disappear! Before you make that drive to your in-laws house, prep some extra food (especially if you’ll be there more than one day). Prepping your meals early will give you that extra bit of will power to stick to your goals. Your meal prepping should be the same as it usually is, so if you eat chicken, rice, and broccoli every week, then that’s what you should bring with. You’ll want to keep your nutrition as close to what you’re used to as possible. This will ensure you do not end up with extra bloating or other digestive issues.
- Plan your “cheats” out ahead of time. If you’re there for one day, this isn’t an issue. Enjoy the meal and the company. If your Holidays last longer than one day, then listen up! Plan your cheat meals out according to celebrations. If you have a Christmas party at night on Saturday, then eat your NORMAL AND PREPPED meals leading up to Saturday. Once Saturday comes, eat your normal meals, except replace your dinner with the food from the party. Don’t track macros. Just enjoy yourself. The big thing here is that you contain it to one meal a time, don’t let it spill into the next day.
#4 Get Moving!
- If your normal weekly routine consists of 5 workouts, then why would it be any different over the Holidays? Get those workouts in people! Again, if you have Christmas party at night and still need to get your workout in, do it in the morning! Just because you have parties going on, doesn’t mean you should abandon your physical health. I do understand that going to the gym takes time away from seeing your family (which could be seen as a good or bad thing, depending on who you ask). Here are some tips when it comes to working out over the Holidays:
- If you’re not in your usual location, be sure to locate a gym to use
- Workout early, as to not miss time with family
- Superset your lifts to make your workout go by faster
- Keep your workout routine as close to normal as possible
- Do not over-workout to make up for the meals you’ve enjoyed
- Do cardio with family; take a walk, go to the store, run around with the kids
- If you are unable to get to the gym on a scheduled workout day, be sure to have a back up plan! Below is are some great at-home options for full body workouts that require no equipment! (Feel free to add dumbbells if you have them)
Full Body Circuit- :40secs work/ :20sec rest
x4 Rounds
-Squats
-Lunges
-Burpees
-Quad Superman
-Jumping Jacks
-Mountain Climbers
Full Body EMOM(every minute on the minute) x4
*Complete the reps, the remainder of the minute is your rest before starting the next exercise on the top of the next minute
– 20 Squat Jumps
– 20 Glute Bridges
– 20 Bicycle Crunches
– 12 Push Ups
– 20 Plank Shoulder Touches
– 30 Weighted Punches
- The important thing is to remember to keep moving! Too many days without the gym can spark bad habits and could carry on into your life after the Holidays.
#5 Hydrate and Sleep
- With the Holidays comes the Holiday “spirits”. Be sure to monitor your alcohol consumption and drink plenty of water. Not thirsty? Drink it anyways, your body will thank you later. Staying hydrated will keep you energized and more likely to get up and go to the gym. Drinking water over alcohol also helps with the choices you make. When alcohol is consumed, it affects the mindset of the individual and is more likely to result in bad nutrition decisions. I’m not saying don’t drink, I enjoy alcohol as much as the next person, but be mindful of your choices after you drink. Please, stay hydrated!
- With all the festivities going on, it is also important that you get your sleep! When you get below the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep, it can cause you to become irritable, which will put a damper on peoples’ Christmas Spirit. If you are unable to get that much sleep per night, be sure to schedule naps during the day. Sleep will also directly affect your fitness goals. It’s crucial to be well rested in order to have a awesome gym session, if your sleep is lacking you may find that your motivation is also.
#6 Mental Health is Important!
- Not only should you keep on track with your physical goals during the Holidays, you also need to look out for your mental health. Seeing relatives for an extended period of time can cause stress. We all know it true… it’s stressful to be around family for that long! There are also other stressors that surface around the Holidays as well, such as; finances, traveling, and being out of your routine.
- Make sure you have a plan set in place to take care of yourself when you start feeling overwhelmed. Here are some suggestions:
- Bring a book to read
- Have you favorite playlist/Podcast on hand
- Go to the gym
- Get out of the house
- Journal
- Go over your goals
- Whatever you find that works for you, just go with it! More people deal with depression and anxiety over the winter than any other time of the year. Make sure you have someone to talk to and strategies that are easy to implement.
Remember, this time only comes once a year. Enjoy it BUT remember your goals. Try to keep your routine as normal as possible and plan, plan, plan! Having a plan and following these tips are sure to help you have a less stressful Holiday season and be able to keep your goals in mind.