So it’s the holidays and all the good soul food is coming out, yet you don’t want to ruin your fitness gains and goals. We get it, you also want to have a good time and not bend over backwards to be miserable when you want an extra homemade cookie. Hopefully we’ll be able to help put your mind at ease a little…
Enjoy yourselves. There, I said it. Enjoy yourselves. Now, don’t go completely overboard and obnoxiously eat everything in sight without any regard. Gauge your intake, get your whole foods and greens in, enjoy some drinks (if you’re old enough) and get some good desserts. When you’re with people that you enjoy being around and really care about, that’s also good for your health. That helps overall health and happiness when you’re around those that make you feel as such. With that, some of the good food can also benefit to your health because a healthy soul also matters too. Be present, don’t worry about if you’re gaining 5 more pounds from that extra cookie, because you’re not. Put down the phone and social media, and just be present. And if you go into it with your solid base level of activity, and considering you’ve been on your game, you’ll be just fine.
In between all the festivities and good times that are close together, especially towards the end of the year, get your workouts in. When it’s all said and done, start out a little lighter if you’ve taken a couple extra days off. It won’t take much to really fire up your central nervous system again if you’ve had a little time off. But don’t forget that days off are ok. Take your dog on an extra walk each day, do some extra mobility or banded movements at home in between cooking or commercial breaks for football. Staying on it is just a little extra effort but can make all the difference if you’re worried about the good soul food and your fitness goals.
Mentally, give yourself a break. There are enough people being hard on you with other things, so don’t go it to yourself when you’re trying to enjoy time with family and friends. Be moderate, still somewhat mindful, and do a little extra of the small stuff. Please enjoy yourselves and have a safe holiday season! You’ll be ok, trust us :)