This is a copy of the weekly email I send to my clients……. thought a few more might benefit from the help!
Ok first of all F%$K the title
No-one needs to survive Christmas
Its a time for ENJOYING…. so we need to minimise the damage whilst STILL having fun!!
Yes eating, drinking AND being merry can still be on the cards without it making a huge dent in your excellent progress you have made the last year
So here we go in a non judgemental list of how to make Christmas 2018 a great one
1. FUN .. (see above)
Fretting about the consequences will put a dampener on things
You are going to see people you haven’t seen in a while and you dont want them thinking the new fitter healthier you is also now a humbug, non partying, lonely miser. Family, friends and socialising are what we as a species is about and we actually thrive off of it… it helps raise the feel good hormones, de stresses us, puts you in a good frame of mind (especially if you have been in a restrictive PERIOD for a bit) AND is a wonderful boost of confidence when they tell you how great you look!!!
2. PLANNING
Boring but true…. you DONT have to go out to EVERY party you are invited to
NOONE want to join Derek at the yearly accounts department Christmas Karaoke party
Choose wisely, pick the ones you will enjoy and plan around them (see below)
3. CALORIES ARE STILL KING (even when drunk)
If you are hitting it hard, going ‘out out’ and know you will lose ALL modicum of self control….. then having done number 2 and planned for this, you can also plan that you will try to negate all the calories taken on board at the free bar and dinner by having a lighter / lower calorie day before and after.
Lighter breakfasts, fasting, maybe no lunch are all ways to minimise the calorie intake on the days around the onslaught.. plan, try to reduce, allow for the monstrous amount you will consume and enjoy whish takes me to my next point
Fill up on protein first and vegetables to avoid the sweet sweet taste of more calorific foods and deserts later.
BOOZE
As stated drunk calories do count
some more than others
heres some good options
Vodka, Gin, Clear spirits, Champagne, Prosecco, Red wine
Poorer choices are strong lagers, cider, cocktails, anything colourful
Mixers make a difference… diet drinks (don’t come back with the sweetener issue… it isn’t one) watch for fruit juices
ie a vodka diet lemonade (my fav drink btw) comes in at 50 calories… a pint 250… and a mojito a whopping 500
YOU DO THE MATH
4. TRAIN HARD
Theres a thing called nutrition partitioning….which basically means pointing where those excess calories go… turning to blubber OR creating some lovely non blubbery lean muscle… simple choice right
So if using no.2 (again.. its boring but so useful) you hit some heavy resistance based, large volume training sessions around those extravaganza’s as much as the calorie overload thats possible will be diverted to making muscle rather then turning to fat… im not saying it ALL will but we are trying to minimise the damage …not make it disappear (we are not the magic elf)
5. MOVE MORE
After 5 pints, half a bottle of red, 3 vodka lemonades and 3 sambucas training MAY just may be off the cards….. im not judging here
But throughout the WHOLE festive season… for some of you this is the 1st December to the 2nd of January … its a great idea to move as much as possible
Lets not kid yourselves and tell me work hasnt slowed right down…. you are getting in about an hour later then normal, heading home an hour earlier and lunch has now taken on a whole ne time zone of itself….USE IT
STEPS…. move more walk more shop more
Want a challenge? what about a steps competition…. one of my clients laughably thinks she will out walk me over christmas (my steps are pretty poor daily despite being the worlds biggest advocate of steps)
First to 100k steps in the 10 days from the 18th …. absolutely ZERO chance of losing this one
Or maybe total steps over the 10 days from the 21st to 31st same here for anyone else wanting to try
Either way a) iots a great way to minimise the collateral damage and b) i AINT losing
Thats it
Any more and its (im) annoying
Putting on a little weight over the festive period wont kill you
maintaining the same weight is a win
January is the time to think about that
Now is the time to consider what tipple is your favourite personal trainers drink of choice or what size tshirt he is!!!
OH YEAH …BOOK THOSE SESSIONS IN
The post A Christmas Health, Nutrition & Fitness Survival Guide! appeared first on My Fitness Pro.