Getting back on track with your health and fitness after the holiday!
Do the holidays stress you out when it comes to keeping up with your health and fitness? The social norm of "taking off" during the holidays, treating yourself to not just a few cheat meals, but overindulgence can make it really challenging. The important thing to remember during this time is to be kind to your body and focus on maintaining or returning to good habits, rather than overcompensating.
With Thanksgiving behind us now, many of us are feeling the repercussions from the added calories and, perhaps, the few days off from exercising. It's not uncommon for people to jump into this week with unhealthy expectations of what your body can handle after it's little vacation from your normal habits. Try these tips to get yourself back on track the RIGHT way!
Avoid diets and cleanses - These can be restricting and can keep you from your consistency. It’s better to just get back on track by resuming your normal healthy habits like drinking lots of water, eating whole foods to fuel your body with nutrients, eating more protein, minimizing processed foods, and doing your regular fitness routine. Diets and cleanses are a quick fix that doesn’t sustainably help you.
Be consistent - If you lost $5, would you let that frustrate you and give up on everything and just blow your entire bank account? No, you would chalk it up as a setback and continue on. The same mentality should apply to your health and fitness. If you get off track for a few days, just jump right back into your normal routine and remain consistent. That consistency will help your body recover and you will be feeling like your normal healthy self in no time!
Don't punish yourself - Your body can handle a few days of indulging, and actually, the break from the normal routine can be a positive. Skip the guilt and what has already happened. You can't uneat those five pieces of pie. Instead focus on what is in your control, the future, and what healthy habits you can reinforce going forward in your normal routine. Punishing yourself with intense or extra-long workouts can lead to extreme fatigue or injury which will likely set you even further back.
Healthy habits are the essence of any and all progress, including after a fun week of holiday celebrations. When you focus on your habits, you are more likely to lose the weight you want to lose, gain the muscle you want to build and see the definition in your body that you have been hoping to see. You will feel better about yourself, you will be happier, healthier, and stronger.
The holidays are just ramping up, we still have an entire month of parties, celebrations, holiday treats, and hopefully some vacation time to navigate through. Keep these same principles in mind during this time and keep at it!
Ready to get back on track and crush your health goals? Join my Body in Motion community to stay consistent with your fitness routine and start feeling your best! Sign up today for personalized support, expert tips, and motivation to keep you going strong throughout the holiday season!