Holidays and family gatherings are often viewed as a mountainous obstacle standing between us and our health and fitness goals. With the holiday season in full swing, here are three valuable rules that can help you avoid devastation this season.
1. Enjoy yourself.
The hardcore fitness fanatic might argue that the only way to preserve your physique throughout Thanksgiving and Christmas is to carry a bag of prepped meals, complete with grilled chicken, rice, and broccoli. After all, MyFitnessPal doesn't show any results for "3 servings of my grandmother's chicken and dressing." Friends, family, and food are meant to be enjoyed and it is possible to enjoy all of them without crushing your fitness goals.
2. Have a plan.
While one meal alone won't annihilate your physique, it can hinder your progress. The best defense against this is to account for that large meal with the rest of your meals throughout the day. By allotting the majority of your food to be consumed in one meal, the damage done by that meal will be minimized or even eliminated. For example, if you plan of having a huge dinner, you might only eat 80-100 grams of lean protein leading up to dinner with only as many carbs and fats as you feel necessary. This will save nearly all of your carbs, fats, and calories, allowing you to enjoy a meal with friends and family without worry.
3. Keep on keeping on.
Even by saving the majority of calories for a large meal, it's unlikely that you'll be able to meet all of your macronutrient goals in the meantime. Contrary to popular belief, if your plan breaks down, the sun will come up tomorrow. Rather than giving up resorting to starvation diets, the best thing to do is pick up right where you left off. Your progress may have been slowed but it does not have to be stopped.
At the end of the day, your fitness goals shouldn't keep you from enjoying the warmth of friends and family. I hope this helps you stay on track this Christmas without breaking your grandmother's heart by passing up her chicken and dressing.
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