Tips for Navigating the Holidays
Indulging at a few social gatherings over the holidays isn’t going to make or break your progress. It’s when you let it seep into the days in between and start stringing together weeks of lazy eating that you might start to notice some backward steps.
By focusing on your food preparation and staying active during the days and weeks between parties and get-togethers, you’ll stay on course for smooth sailing into the new year. While everyone else is doing “damage control,” you can easily pick up where you left off fitness-wise and still say that you had an amazing holiday break!
Stick to your norms. Many people lose motivation due to the lack of diet and exercise consistency through the holidays. When you’re used to your usual routine for the rest of the year, the festive season can feel like a real wrench in the works. This makes us more inclined to overindulge all season long. When you’re home alone and going about your daily grind, make the goal to be consistent and leave the party food at the party. This means your progress may slow down a bit, but at least you won’t step backward. That is progress. Keeping indulgences at the party and not bringing them home is a massive win.
Try a meal prep service. Even with the best of intentions, the holidays are a very busy and stressful time. How are you going to stick to your diet when you also have a ton of shopping to do, parties to attend and Grandma Dolores (who’s staying in your guest room) to host? If there’s any time of year to enlist a meal prep service, it’s the holidays. Have your nutritious meals delivered straight to your door so you can open up some mental space for the rest of the season’s “to do’s.”
Keep fitness the focus. Food can pose a bigger challenge than usual around this time, but there’s little standing in the way of your fitness routine. That’s why it makes sense to focus on the variables within our control and set specific goals with your physical activity. This could mean really pushing the envelope with your training, or finding the exercise solutions that work for your busy schedule!
Here are some ideas:
• Walk 30 minutes every day, even better if it’s after a big meal.
• Commit to working out a certain number of times per week. This might be less frequent than you’re used to, but the goal is to commit to something manageable.
• Get in some at-home sweat sessions with bodyweight movements or email us at info@hillcountrymvmt.com for a few travel-friendly holiday workouts you can do just about anywhere!
Remember, the key is to focus on what we can do. During busy times we may have to redefine what 100% looks like, but 100% is still 100%!
