One of the biggest struggles that people face during the holidays is how to stay in shape while still enjoying themselves. Between the events, family, friends and food, trying to keep up with a well-balanced diet and exercise routine becomes a tall order. We all know that scheduling, especially in a military family, is hectic at best. Throw in some holiday events, family visits, or out-of-town trips, and the whole thing starts to resemble a Tarantino film. That being said, it is not impossible to juggle holiday commitments and health goals.
Look, I can’t help you plan for what your drunk uncle might proclaim during Thanksgiving dinner. I can, however, help you gain a better understanding of how to make sure you don’t end up missing out on 2-3 months or more of hard-earned progress. There are 3 main areas to consider when devising your holiday plan of attack: diet, exercise, and recovery.
Diet
Diet is by far the most challenging goal for the holidays. Between the Halloween candy, the Thanksgiving dinner, and the Christmas cocktails, our pants mysteriously seem to shrink by January 1st. I want you all to know just how common it is. I work in the fitness industry and even I have been known to fall victim to the allure of baked macaroni and cheese and the abundance of sugary cookies. I generally start my new year off 5+ pounds heavier than I was on Halloween. It doesn’t bother me though. Why? Because it is always part of my plan. Let me explain.
Strategy # 1: At the beginning of every holiday season, I plan out my holidays to match my health goals. Just before the end of summer, I reign in my calorie intake in preparation for the upcoming “carbapalooza” better known as the holiday season. This will allow me some wiggle room when it comes to weight gain. It is much easier to get rid of five pounds than 10. This tactic may not work for everyone and that’s ok. There is another way of mitigating the damage those platoons of pumpkin pie can do to your waistline.
Strategy # 2: Another way to keep the caloric intake in check is to shift your calorie consumption around throughout the day. Let’s say you know that dinner will be a heavier meal. In anticipation of the big meal, you can eat lighter at breakfast and lunch. You can even eliminate sugary drinks and snacks. This will lower your intake during the day and give you more leeway during the festive feast later that night.
Exercise
Did you know that you only need to do roughly 1/3 of your normal routine in the gym to maintain your progress? If you were doing three sets with a particular weight, you would only need to perform one set with that weight to maintain your strength and muscle mass. When it comes to cardio, the fall-off can happen much quicker but, you will also regain your endurance quite quickly. In any case, you don’t need to do as much to maintain your physical fitness. I also highly recommend taking a whole week off somewhere just before the new year. No exercise other than some walking. This will allow you to not only enjoy yourself but to give your body a nice break.
Recovery
Recovery is the most important part of maintaining both mental and physical health. Two of the biggest enemies of recovery are poor sleep and alcohol consumption. Staying up late and having drinks with family and friends are a normal occurrence during the holidays. Now, I’m not telling you to avoid alcohol and to be in bed by 8 PM every night. I’m just pointing out that your sleep and alcohol consumption should be kept in check. Alcohol can disrupt sleep quality in so many ways. Couple that with staying up to the wee hours of the morning and one can see how recovery can take an absolute nose dive.
So how much is too much when it comes to alcohol? It depends, everyone is different. What is too much for one may be acceptable to another. I would suggest you use your best judgment. Ask yourself if it is a good idea to slam three beers at dinner on a random Wednesday. Probably not.
How much sleep do you need? Again, it depends on the person. Some people feel well rested with six hours of sleep, others feel terrible if they don’t get a full eight hours. Keep in mind that sleep quality is far more important than the amount of sleep you get. Remember when I mentioned that alcohol can disrupt sleep quality? *Hint hint*
Everyone has different goals when it comes to diet and physical fitness. Individual differences in genetics and lifestyle make a huge impact on goal setting. What will work for one may not work for another. Additionally, pre-existing health conditions may render some goals harder to reach for some. The holidays should be a time of joy and laughter. Don’t stress yourself out over the numbers on a scale, the distance on a track, or the weight on a barbell.