Is it at all possible to continue Your Weight Loss Goals!?
It’s easy to get motivated to start a weight loss plan at the beginning of the summer or fall.
Many people, are motivated by the nice weather and excitement that these seasons bring, especially the summer months where almost everyone is motivated to get in shape.
However, it can be difficult to maintain that same high level of motivation during the holiday season when the motivation of an upcoming vacation or looking your best in a swimsuit is no longer in front of you, you can easily get discouraged and fall back into old habits.
During the Holiday Season the focus shifts to gift shopping, who’s hosting, who’s cooking, and on an on.
It is a stressful time of year for many people.
I’m seeing people put their own personal health and fitness on hold “until after the holidays”
Why!?
Instead of giving up, choose success!
Stick to your weight loss and fitness goals DURING the Holiday Season with these tips and tricks:
1. Work on maintaining weight. Instead of thinking in terms of dieting and weight loss, seek to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you’ve been dieting for a long time, give yourself a break and try to focus on nutritional changes that you can maintain for the rest of your life. Most importantly relax. Stress inhibits weight loss.
Incorporate the 80/20 rule, be strict 80% of the time and enjoy yourself the remaining 20%.
DO THE BEST YOU CAN to live and eat healthy! DON’T STRESS ABOUT PERFECTION! Establish a foundation of healthy habits, your body can become resilient to a bad night or weekend of eating.
Strive for 100 percent, and accept 80 percent due to the pressures, distractions, and challenges we all face today.
* Weight maintenance is an excellent alternative to “Giving Up” because you maintain the progress you’ve already made instead of yo-yo dieting. You’ll still feel like a success every day when you look at yourself in the mirror.
2. Control your portions. You can eat healthy, but if you’re eating too much you can sabotage your chances of losing weight. Just watch the amounts you’re eating. If you’re still hungry after a small portion, wait 15 minutes and see if you’re still hungry afterwards. Often, you’ll feel full after that time has passed.
3. Watch what you drink. Pay attention to how many calories are in the drinks that you consume. If you’re drinking lots of soda, coffee, or other sugary drinks, these calories can add up quickly. If you drink lots of water, you’ll be less hungry and have more energy. You’ll also avoid the crash that comes from those sugary drinks.
4. Find Time For Exercise! This is a must! If you can’t get to the gym try walking 30 minutes a day. Take the stairs park far away when you go the grocery store.
If you have time, start an exercise plan but don’t get complicated, lift weights using full body exercises like squats, try a program that has it all like Training for Warriors.
5. Stay off the SCALE! If you’ve become accustomed to weighing yourself every day, consider stepping on the scale less often. When you shift your focus from the number on the scale to your level of physical fitness, you’ll make wise decisions without the added stress that the scale provides.
Remember that if you’re working out, muscle weighs more than fat. The scale is only ONE indicator of how you’re progressing on your fitness journey and not the most important one.
Do your clothes fit better? Do you have more energy? Are you receiving compliments about your appearance? Focus on those things and weigh yourself LESS often.
Above all, be kind to yourself. Set yourself up for success by focusing on the reasons why a fit body brings you joy. A compelling reason will drive you forward, and small steps will keep you moving forward. Small steps and healthy decisions will help you to maintain or regain the motivation you had at the beginning of summer.
So this holiday season when you’re worrying about all the gifts you have to buy everyone else be smart and treat yourself to the best gift of all you health!
