Your calendar is booked with office, neighborhood, and family parties every weekend in December, even midweek events fill your nights. No way can you maintain any discipline with your eating and exercise! 10 extra pounds around your waistline is staring you in the face, or is it?
Self-accountability is the secret sauce to maintaining your goals and gains throughout the year. Yes, it is easier said than done, I understand. The process is simple and only requires a little motivation to keep you on track. You can use these tips all year, they are especially helpful heading into your resolutions next year. No special equipment or apps are needed, and everyone can do it.
Tip #1: Write it down
Tracking your food is always the best way to figure out where your eating pitfalls are. The awareness and accountability of writing down everything you eat, and drink brings you face-to-face with the truth. If you're being accurate, recording the chips, cookies, candy, soft drinks, cocktails, etc., you consume is a tough pill to swallow! The process makes you rethink everything you eat and drink because you know you have to see it on a piece of paper. Yes, I said a piece of paper! The process of writing is more powerful than recording your food into an app with predetermined menus. The same for your exercise. Write down your activity each day and be honest with yourself. The CDC says you require 150 minutes pe week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. No mention is given regarding taking off December.
Tip #2: HIIT for workouts
Nobody has time for two-hour workouts during the holiday season! I don't know how anyone has time for two-hour workouts overall. The best bang for your time buck is doing HIIT workouts. You get cardiovascular and strength done in 30 minutes or less. You can even do them Tabata style in your living room with a set of dumbbells or a resistance band. Spotify as Tabata playlists you can use to keep the time so you can focus on the movements and not check your stopwatch app on the phone. You can do any of your existing workouts in a HIIT by reducing the rest time between your sets and creating a superset or circuit. Doing a set of bench press, waiting 3-5 minutes, then doing another is time consuming and accomplishes little. Instead, do a set of bench press, immediately followed by goblet squats, followed by pull-ups, then rest 60-90 seconds. You get three body parts done and keep your heart rate up. HIIT is a great way to maintain your results in minimal amounts of time. When your week is stressed with travel or events, do a full-body HIIT workout three times a week for 30 minutes each. You feel better, burn calories, maintain your strength and muscle, and get yourself back to the normal routine the following week.
Tip #3: Sleep and hydration
Staying up later than normal on weekdays, higher alcohol consumption, traveling, and sleeping in hotels/extended family extra bedrooms can all wreak havoc on your immune system. Stress raises cortisol levels and opens you up to being sick. Add to that meeting people not in your regular circle who have sick kids at home, now you're exchanging new germs to your stress gumbo. Besides the previous tips of eating healthy and exercising, making sure you're keeping up with sleep and hydration are important to fighting off the creepy crud! Drink half your body weigh in ounces each day. That may seem unnecessary if you're not exercising or in cold climates where you're not sweating as much. Your body still needs water, not sports drinks, to keep your immunity levels up. Have a glass of water between alcoholic drinks to stay hydrated and sober for the drive home. Do your best to get 6-8 hours of quality sleep regardless of where you're at. If necessary, use a natural sleep aid like CBD oil or lavender and chamomile supplements. Talk with your doctor about more complicated sleep issues when you travel. Being well rested and hydrated allows you to have more fun with friends and family during the holidays.
Holidays are meant for all of us to be present and grateful for our experiences with the people we are closest to. You can't do that when you're overly fatigued, highly stressed, and eating junk food consistently. Scheduling 30 minutes of exercise, drinking your water, and eating healthy, when possible, make a huge difference in your mood and energy levels. When you look in the mirror and see you're maintaining your pants size, you have more self-confidence to keep your momentum going into January and avoiding the resolution rollercoaster. Be well and stay healthy this December!
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