Here’s that time of year again, parties, drinking, lots of food you wouldn’t normally eat and catching up with the family members you only see once a year.
For some reason this seems to be a good excuse for most to let all their hard work for the year go to waste and start from scratch come January with yet another New Years Resolution ‘This will be my year to get fit’ etc etc.
Sound familiar?
News flash,you don’t have to lose all your hard work!
If weight loss has been your goal for 2013 and you have put in a lot of hard work, (like I know all of my clients have) then why would you want to ruin that over Christmas and New Years? Of course you can enjoy yourself, I’m not being the Grinch, I’m just saying there’s a line between enjoying yourself and maintaining your hard work and totally destroying everything you have done.
By the way my main reason for writing this was actually because while in hospital last week I was asked by some of my doctors and nurses about what they can do to not put on weight over this holiday period. It’s quite humbling having them all asking me for advice I must admit 🙂 (had to laugh at myself here, I’m re-writing this article two years later and the exact same situation happened, yes I was back in hospital just before Christmas!)
Anyway back to it. We all know there’s going to be a few of your friends at these upcoming parties who will just totally let themselves go, eating and drinking whatever’s in sight, this is no reason you have to do the same. Here are a few things your friends might be saying to get you to go overboard and what you can do in response:
1) Its the holidays…
So just because Christmas is here you throw everything out the window, all the hard work you have done this year to keep your body in great shape by going on a binge eating and drinking whatever you want? I know this isn’t you, but I have no doubt this will be some of your friends. Take a look at these people for a second, do you realize who they are? They are the ones who can never stick with any commitment towards staying healthy like yourself so as a means of self defense they use whatever they can, in this case the holiday season to let themselves go. I bet they also often complain about how they look and feel, yet another good reason not to follow their advice because you don’t want to look and feel like them, right?
So what do you do instead? find someone who has positive body image and projects good vibes – I guarantee they will be eating healthy, not over doing it and definitely drinking moderately.
Sure let yourself go, but in a controlled way. Christmas food is very enjoyable so by all means do enjoy, there’s just no need to stuff yourself until your so full you can’t move!
2) You deserve it…
This is a sense of justification for those people who fly off the rails at parties, eat what they want because they feel they deserve to spoil themselves.
Sure, if you have worked hard at sticking with your training and diet then a reward is always a good idea just try and come up with healthy rewards which will keep you on track, not unhealthy options that will derail you, pushing you further from your goals.
The other way to help keep on track is to plan when you’re going to reward yourself. You know this party is happening at the end of the week so set yourself the target of x amount of training days and x amount of meals based on what you need so when you hit the target you know you can have that little sneaky thing at the party or whatever healthy option you came up with. A planned reward will always serve you better than a random temptation.
3) You can burn it off tomorrow…
First of all, the amount of calories you eat does not mean you just burn those calories off and your body is even, not by a long shot. The days of calorie counting is out the window! Food goes in, has a bunch of changes within your body, changing your metabolism, your liver, heart rate, blood pressure…you name it, food changes everything! So you still think by eating 500 calories of unhealthy cake can be undone by burning 500 calories on the treadmil? Go ahead, try it..see how you feel.
If you want an effective training program that you can do anywhere, anytime and keep you on track, fit and healthy over the Christmas period, email me andrew@a2zpt.com.au and we’ll set up a kick start session for you for 2014.
If you have been following my blog for a while I can tell you’re the type of person who is dedicated so I can safely say that having to do all that extra work doesn’t sound like something you want to do so simple solution – stick with your normal meal plan, there’s no need to jump off the wagon just because everyone else is. You can thank me later, but in the meantime this will help you feel more committed and motivated towards achieving your goals.
YOU CAN HAVE RESULTS OR EXCUSES, NOT BOTH!
4) Give it a try, it tastes so good…
It may taste good now but your body won’t appreciate it later. Which do you think is better? The taste of chocolate cake or the taste of satisfaction and pride that comes with achieving your goals showing all your hard work, dedication and focus throughout the year? On that note, maybe, just maybe, there’s actually some extremely healthy and very tasty chocolate cake recipes out there and for those who take up my offer above, I will share it with you!
5) You Already Look Amazing…
Exactly! And how did you get there? We all know by now that a great body doesn’t just happen. A transformation takes place which tests you and if you’re at the point of having that amazing body then you passed.
To really pass the test you need to be able to stand against those when at social settings, around the kitchen and in the grocery store. If you can master temptation in these places you will master your body.
6) Consistency Is Key, It Always Has Been and Always Will Be
Again, it’s holidays, you have a few weeks off work, you’re going to be eating and drinking certain things that you wouldn’t normally do, ok go ahead. The one thing you can and absolutely should do without question is keep training. One of my clients yesterday had 9 days off training, which for her is very unusual so naturally she felt weaker than usual. Mind you, she did everything I asked of her so I was happy. My point is she could feel the difference in not having trainer for as little as 9 days, so is it really worth dropping off your training so you can get that sleep in or whatever excuse you’re telling yourself?
The answer to that question, if you’re wondering, is NO, it’s not worth it and I guarantee you will pay for it when you start up again in 2014. May sound harsh and that’s fine, it’s also 100% true.
You’re in control, it’s your body and at the end of the day you only have yourself to answer to.
I hope this leaves you with some accountability over the holidays to keep you somewhat on track.
Enjoy this festive season, just keep yourself in control
Andrew Zagami
Related Posts
Healthy Christmas eating