The big day is under 2 weeks away and I thought now would be an excellent time to offer some reassurance, advice and general thoughts on what is a broad subject.
(You have no idea how much self control it took not to turn this post into an elaborate re-rendering of ‘12 Days of Christmas’.)
Hopefully by the end of this read, you’ll have finished your cup of tea/mulled wine, with a sense of control and reassurance.
I may not be able to help you with family members who test your patience, nor can I help you with present wrapping, (although I am VERY good at it.)
What I can help you with is reducing the anxiety that you may experience around the festive season.
DISCLAIMER - this of course will apply in the general sense and like any advice, will not apply to everyone.
This will apply to those of you who have perhaps been losing weight, making progress with your fitness goals, and now it feels like Christmas is here with the sole purpose of sabotaging your progress!
You don’t want to have to start again in January for the 14th time.
Like a good cake...There’s layers to this. I’ve decided to separate this huge topic into 3 categories to avoid me inevitably going off on wild tangents. (I’ll try)
They are…
FOOD EXERCISE ATTITUDE + OUTLOOK
Let's get stuck in shall we?
FOOD
If you’ve read anything of mine before you’ll know I think any foods should be approached in a non-restrictive, guilt -free way anyway. (As we know this leads to better adherence over time.)
However this time of year the food guilt can be overwhelming for some.
For example:
“I shouldn’t eat that”
“I’ll not have that”
“I feel so guilty for having a second mince pie”
“Better try and get a workout in to burn off all those chocolates.”
“I’ve been given loads of treats for Christmas so I’ll have to eat them all to get them out of the way”
Sound familiar?
It does to me.
So what should you do instead?
If you have been tracking, dieting, planning, calorie counting etc - then give yourself permission to take a few days off from doing so.
It can be difficult to come out of that controlled environment and trust yourself to make the right choices.
Here are a couple of ideas, you can:
Schedule yourself some ‘days off’ from tracking etc leading up to Christmas. For example every 4 days - have a day off from it. Know that you can make conscious choices, and it won’t be detrimental.
That’s not to say go completely off on one and inhale everything you see - it’s more about knowing you can continue as normal without having to plan/track etc. and it’s only for a day at a time.
(I have explicitly told my clients that if any of them track or reduce their food on Christmas Day I’ll be very very cross.)
You can also:
Do your best to be consistent with your tracking/planning in your normal routine etc. right up to whatever days you have off. That way you should feel more confident about having a few days off dieting/planning or similar.
EVERYONE is different and there is no one size fits all, especially when it comes to food.
Give yourself the opportunity to find a way that you can approach things and give yourself the best chance of success over the festive foodie season.
Making mindful food choices, acknowledging and making decisions based on hunger and satiety, listening to your body, taking a moment to think about and really enjoy what you're eating. Something as simple as taking a bit longer to chew, slowing down during meals etc can be helpful.
There are of course LOTS of other ways of approaching this but this gives you a couple of simple ideas. (I'm writing a blog post, not a book after all).
If you do eat more than usual or indulge in richer foods for a couple of days:
Be kind to yourself.
Don’t ‘compensate’ the next day.
Do not restrict or deny yourself.
I’m going to re-use my favourite phrase:
“One bad day doesn’t make a bad week” - eloquently said by Melissa Grace
In this case:
“A couple of days of lots of food won’t undo all your progress” - less eloquently said by Melissa Grace
Draw a line under those days and then carry on as normal for your own routine.
One of the biggest mistakes that can be made is trying to compensate for what you feel you have done ‘wrong’.
Hear me out - if you do restrict for a few days, then go all out again, then restrict again - it becomes a vicious circle. Which isn’t good for anyone.
This is another reason to work on long term, healthy lifestyle habits, much like what I do with my clients.
Plus…..and trust me on this, I am a PT......
Calories don’t exist on Christmas day.
You heard it here first.
Moving on to the next layer.
EXERCISE
This has two sides to it.
Exercise if you want to. Not because you feel like you have to.
Food and exercise isn't a reward and punishment system.
If you want to go for a run on Christmas Day then go for it.
Boxing Day hike? Get your (Santa) hat on and go.
Gym session on Christmas Eve? I’ll see you there.
Some people might not understand, or think it’s not appropriate to training during the festive period but - if it makes you happy - do it.
If this year has taught us anything, it is that the world will keep turning no matter what happens.
A lot of people find the Christmas period quite challenging and if exercise and activity helps you cope with that, then it is even more important.
If you have a current routine in place and are feeling worried about taking some days off training - look at the bigger picture, it’s a few days off.
You’re not going to lose progress. Our bodies are far too clever and efficient to let that happen.
Although I will say I cannot be held responsible for the inevitable DOMS you’ll feel after that first session back in the New Year.
Moving in to the next layer...
ATTITUDE + OUTLOOK
My positive Polly outlook is something I pride myself on so buckle up because things are about to get VERY positive.
Getting your head around conscious food and exercise decisions is part of this big, navigating -Christmas puzzle.
As with any endeavor for your health and fitness - your attitude and outlook is AS IMPORTANT.
With that being said - here are some things to consider going forward and coincidentally are the very things that I re-enforce regularly with my clients.
(I know you were all waiting for a classic MG list - here it is)
VERY IMPORTANT - You are in total control. Of the food you are consuming and your activity. It may be a different routine for a few days, you may have lots of different wonderful foods around you, but you have complete control over what you do.
ALSO VERY IMPORTANT - Have some confidence in yourself! Fake it a bit if you have to. Know that you have everything you need to make the best choices for you.
Look at the bigger picture. The Christmas period is at max a few days to a week or 2 out of 52 in a whole year. It’s not the end of the world if you do eat more or exercise less.
Related to the previous point - It’s only at maximum a few days. For those few days what are your priorities? Enjoying yourself, in whatever way that suits you (not everyone has a great time at Christmas). Make yourself aware of what you really want at this time of year and focus on that.
Being in control and the self-fulfilling prophecy. I’m going to expand on this one below and it relates to you being very much in control....
If you ever find yourself saying:
“I can’t just eat one”
“I have to eat them all”
“I can’t control myself around……[INSERT FESTIVE TREATS HERE]”
Try and expand on that thought and flip it on it's head.
Positive reinforcement for yourself and the language you use - especially around foods etc. can make a huge difference.
It’s a subtle change but telling yourself you can’t do something increases the chances of that thing not happening.
Intention is a powerful thing.
Try instead to say:
“I CAN just eat one”
“I DON’T have to eat them all”
“I CAN control myself around……”
It also gives you an opportunity to trust and test yourself a bit. Not in the multiple-choice sense of the word but in the sense that you know you have complete control and you’re making conscious decisions which is a very nice feeling! This kind of thinking can also help reduce feelings of guilt, which is an even nicer feeling!
Those are the 3 main points I wanted to make.
Here’s some more and they are PURELY my opinion.
Food, exercise, mindset aside, there are much more important things to consider this time of year.
You should be making memories.
Be present in the moment.
Looking over at your loved ones and enjoying that peaceful, heart filling atmosphere that only exists on Christmas Day.
You shouldn’t be distracted by how many calories are in the handful of chocolates you have.
Don’t deny yourself an extra helping of dessert if you really want some.
It has been a very weird year.
It has been challenging.
Some people will be without some of their loved ones this year and that is difficult beyond words.
Some people don’t enjoy this time of year at all, so we need to be considerate of each other.
Cherish what we have.
Cherish who we have to share it with.
Make memories.
Take pictures.
Pull crackers, wear hats.
Eat pies and take naps.
Move into the New Year with love for yourself.
Look to 2021 as an opportunity to look after yourself, treat your brilliant body with the love and respect it so deserves.
Most of all, know that you have so much to offer this big beautiful world.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Have a lovely festive season.
Melissa
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