Tips For Staying Fit Over Christmas

Remember all your hard work during the year and what it’s taken to achieve your success, fitness levels, health so far? Don't let this slip over the festive season! I have some tips for staying fit over Christmas which are easy to follow and will help you keen on top of your routine and health.

If you’ve been following some of the programmes I have run during the year; remember your 'non-negotiables':

- 2L water per day

- 3 balanced meals a day; a good mix of healthy carbs, protein and fats

- No snacking

- Regular exercise

- 8 hours of sleep

1. Think about what and how much you eat. Typically this is a time of year we do indulge in richer foods and more alcohol than at other times of the year, it is inevitable that our calorie intake will be higher than normal, so to a degree, go with it! However, remember, we do have choices….. and we choose what and how much we eat and drink. So remember to drink 8oz of water 20 minutes prior to a meal. Listen to your body and stop eating when you’re full! It’s so uncomfortable to eat beyond that! You know what that feels like!

2. Remember your overall goals. List those goals or find pictures that represent them and stick them to the fridge door or the notice board in the kitchen, office or somewhere prominent, maybe even your desk or computer! Keep those at the forefront of your mind. You will only be annoyed with yourself if you completely self sabotage.

3. Plan for social events with friends, family and colleagues. Get your diaries out and note down where you’re going, what you’re likely to eat. Can you be the nominated driver? Can you ditch a course? Can you eat only part of your starter? Dessert? Start your main course and eat your protein first, then the veggies then the carbs.

4. Stop snacking. Christmas dinner itself is not necessarily unhealthy, what is less healthy is the snacking and the alcohol and the chocolates that often surround the meal!

5. If you have been following a programme, and especially if you’ve just completed one, be careful not to launch headlong into a really ‘unhealthy’ diet filled with really rich foods. This will play havoc with your digestive system never mind what it will do to your head! Beware feeling ‘bad’ or ‘naughty’ or any other negative feeling or thought that might occur because you’re eating more calories than you have done of late. Be careful not to ‘rebound’ to old habits and behaviours and think s**ff it! Plan for this extra, rich food and compensate with other smaller, less calorific meals. For example on Christmas Day have a very simple breakfast, maybe scrambled egg with smoked salmon, or grapefruit. Maybe you’ll feel sufficiently satisfied after lunch to not have anything for dinner.

6. Above all, enjoy this season, enjoy this time with friends and family and enjoy all the lovely food, seasonal drinks. Life is for living after all and we all know it can be pretty fragile. Remember this is but few days in our calendar and this does not need to mean the end to all the good behaviours and habits we have learnt, changed or implemented during the last few months.

Enjoy and ‘own’ all the choices you make during this time, remember the next moment is a new moment and you can change and control what happens next.