By Chris Golv, NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Strongfirst L1 Kettlebell Instructor, A.S. Personal Training
1. Have a plan
The holiday season is already upon us, and with that comes time off, travel, and lots of food! This isn’t a bad thing. It does however get us out of our day to day routines that have been keeping our health and fitness goals on track. Knowing that we aren’t going to be perfect with our food choices and exercise time is the first step to combat this. Make a plan that works with your holiday schedule, not against it.
You already have a good idea of when the bad days are, so plan some GREAT days! Work out the day before and the day after the holidays. Don’t over eat the leftovers to turn one bad meal into a few bad days of overeating. Finding balance during the season is possible with a great plan.
2. Track the good days….and the bad!
You have been diligent about putting your food into a tracking app like Myfitnesspal, right? For my clients this can be difficult, but one strategy I have found to help them stay on track is consistency. Making it a part of their daily routine is the best way for them to stick with it. Understanding what you are putting into your body is half the battle in making a positive change nutritionally.
With the holiday season, I find many clients are nervous to put a holiday meal into the app, because they know it is going to be too many calories, or not fit their macronutrient breakdown for the day. That’s ok! Sticking with the routine of tracking and having a bad day is better than not tracking and getting out of the habit. Tracking a bad day or a bad meal can motivate you to get back on track towards your health and fitness goals faster as well. Enjoy the meal with your family, track it, and move forward.
3. Consult with the experts
What’s the best way to keep making progress towards your health goals this holiday season? Talk with your trainer. Don’t have a trainer yet? It’s not too late to get started. Helping people work through obstacles that are standing in between them and their fitness goals is what we do best.
A trainer can give you so much more than a great workout once or twice a week. A good trainer is going to help you set realistic, measurable goals. They will then help you game plan a workout and nutrition plan to help you reach those goals. Not only that, but they will support you every step of the way. This might be answering questions you have on healthy food choices, or keeping you accountable to working out during a busy week. Having another person who is invested in your health and someone to lean on for support can make all the difference.
I want to wish you all a safe and happy Holiday season. Enjoy the great food and great company, and use these tips so you can continue to work towards a better you as we wrap up 2019.