If you’re like me, you have kicked butt in your workouts this year! You have hit new PRs, you eat healthy 80% of the time, you get good rest every night. You feel healthy and positive.
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And now December comes around and it’s holiday time.  We get busier and we make excuses about why we don’t have time to workout, we allow ourselves the extra sweets and alcohol. Then January comes around, it’s a new year, you feel blah, and you’re back to square one.
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 Come on, stop it!
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 It’s time to stop that nonsensical cycle.
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 Just because it’s December and there are freshly baked cookies on the table doesn’t mean you have to cave and undo all of the results you got this year.
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Here are some of my favourite tips to navigate your healthy lifestyle during the holidays. Why? Because you still need to take care of yourself. You’re busy this month – you’re finishing work projects, you need to shop, wrap gifts, cook, probably have a holiday party or two to go to.  It causes a lot of stress. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good stress, it’s fun stress, but it’s still stress and you need to take care of yourself to get through it all.
1) Think better, not perfect
I need to you just to maintain consistency. If you’re only getting to the gym three times instead of four, that’s ok.  If you’re eating out a bit more, fine.  But keep your goals in mind.  I call it the 80/20 rule.  Stay focused on the good, healthy habits 80% of the time, the other 20 you enjoy.  No one is asking you (unless you’re asking yourself) to compete and be absolutely perfect in December. BUT – the key is to stay focused. As I said, keeping a good workout routine. If you go out to eat or to a holiday party, is there something being served that is better for your goals than not? For example, if you go out for Italian food, maybe you skip pasta and get chicken or veal instead. Make the effort to make a better decision and not to be perfect with your whole routine.
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2) Workout
Probably obvious, right? Of course.  I would schedule my workouts like you schedule your meetings and other appointments. It’s on the calendar, so you’re more likely to do it.   Since you’re busy, don’t sweat if your workout isn’t perfect or what you usually do.  If you can get it for 30 minutes instead of an hour, 3-4 times a week.  You are getting it done and staying on track.
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3) Protein
Make sure you eat protein in every meal.  Protein helps not just keeping your muscles strong and gives you some of the nutrients you need to be healthy, but it also keeps you full! SO – if you eat some protein before you go to a party, guess what? You won’t eat as much. You will still enjoy and eat those good foods and treats, but you won’t overdo it.Â
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4) Stay hydrated
You want a nice egg nog or adult beverage, fine. Go for it. But make sure you drink your water as well. I always tell my clients to alternate and have a bottle or glass of water in between glasses of alcohol.
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5) Make time to de-stress
How do you de-stress? Do you meditate? Journal? Take a shower? Read a book? This time gets busy, you need to make time for you to do the things you need to do. You need to take care of yourself to take care of everyone and everything else.
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6) Get outside
Go for a quick walk. Yeah, I know it’s cold. But that fresh air and sunshine will be great for you! It will give you energy and you will feel better mentally. Aim for 15-30 minutes, especially with the weather and how much you can handle the cold.
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7) Rest
 7-9 hours of sleep every night.  Rest is the key to good health. In fact good sleep is the baseline for your whole day.  When you get a good night’s sleep you have energy the next day to do all of the things you want to do. And when you DON’T get a good night’s sleep – not only do you get sluggish that next day, but that sluggishness affects you both physically and mentally.  Mentally you make poorer decisions – you’ll probably skip your workout since you’re tired, Grab a sugary coffee drink at your local coffee shop for the extra caffeine, probably a fast food lunch or a trip to the vending machine in the afternoon to get that extra energy to finish the work day. 7-9 hours of sleep is a good range. Figure out what works for you. Maybe you feel good at six and a half. Maybe you need closed to 9.  It depends on you.
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8) Enjoy!
Look, this IS holiday time. Go enjoy your time with your family and friends. Enjoy the fun food and drink.  In other words, indulge a bit. Give yourself permission. You don’t need to overdo it, but you don’t need to feel guilty for eating pumpkin pie, either.
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Happy Holidays, everyone!
And if you want more help on staying on track during the holidays this month, I would love to share with you my Healthy Holidays Checklist. A great eguide to help you make sure you stay on track with all of your goals.  Want a copy? Email me below and I will send you a free copy!
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Ken Sandler
Ken Sandler is a certified personal trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine. He has been coaching for ten years. His goal is to help people live their best lives both mentally and physically. He focuses on fitness, good nutrition and managing and controlling stress and good sleep.
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