Posted on December 19, 2016 by Kate Halsall
It happens every year. People start to cancel personal training sessions and classes due to Christmas dos, we hear people saying “ahhhh but it’s Christmas” or “I’ll start again in the New Year” or “it won’t make a difference now because it’s Christmas”……It’s nothing new, and without doubt is THE most irritating thing about December! Here’s the deal – Christmas does not mean that you have to become a feeder, it doesn’t mean you have to eat food types that you wouldn’t normally eat, it doesn’t mean that you have to over indulge. Enjoy it sure, but don’t go crazy! If you’ve worked hard all year, why would you let Christmas ruin your fitness mojo? If you’re acknowledging or worrying about putting on weight over the Christmas period – why aren’t you hitting the gym and doing something about it?
Here’s our Top Tips to help you to stay on it!
- Don’t let your Christmas fuddle be a brown or beige buffet! It doesn’t need to be pork pies, cocktail sausages, chicken goujons and quiche! Take vegetable crudities and dips like hummus or babaganoush, frittata or our breakfast muffins, our on the go nut bars or protein balls or sweet potato brownies! Take melon slices, mixed nuts, fresh prawns, boiled eggs – anything but a pastry item!
- Get into or stick to your gym routine NOW! Limit the damage! So what if there are deals on gyms in the new year – there are always deals on gyms in December and we have pay as you go classes right up to the break for Christmas. NO EXCUSES. There’s no point “starting again”. If you know you’re going to over eat, do something with those excess calories now – don’t make it harder for yourself after Christmas (weight goes on quicker than it comes off!), and don’t waste the progress you have made leading up to this point.
- Set yourself a January goal. This isn’t a New Year’s resolution – this is a goal that you can be working towards now. It will help keep you smashing your workouts, help you to apply a little will power (or certainly more than you would normally) during the Christmas Festivities, to act as a reminder as to why you’re not shoving your face full of chocolates like everyone else. Don’t lose sight of that goal, tell people about it, and stick to it.
- Allow yourself 1 cheat – whether it’s a meal or a snack. There’s no point us saying don’t eat mince pies or don’t drink loads of booze – it would only make you want it more. Sometimes we have to be realistic – and this is the same no matter what time of year it is. Let yourself have 1 (and only 1) guilt free cheat over the Christmas period. Yes – just 1!! But it’s your choice what this is. Just make sure it’s not 1 day of cheats (or a week of cheats)…you know who you are!
And if none of these is enough to keep that fitness mojo going, speak to one of our trainers – as we’ll happily give you a kick up the backside as a Christmas present!