10 Top Tactics To Having An Awesome Christmas Without It Impacting Your Weight Or Your Health!
DID YOU KNOW THE AVERAGE PERSON GAINS 4LBS OF FAT OVER THE CHRISTMAS PERIOD AND THEY NEVER LOSE IT?!
It’s that time of year again. Not only am I in shock as to how quickly it seems to come around each year, but of course I’m cracking open the Christmas excuses:
“Oh it’s Christmas… there are so many social functions… too much temptation… that’s what Christmas is about – cheese and mince pies and over-indulgence, right?”
And why do we make these excuses?
Because I am busy, life is busy, we are all busy.
I LOVE this time of year. No matter how hard I try to resist it, Christmas does something to me that makes me happy. I love everything about it – the adverts on TV, the smell, the fact that it’s acceptable to stay in my pyjamas for a week, and of course singing along to a good old Christmas tune!
But with the good comes the bad, and if you are trying to maintain a healthy eating and fitness plan, it can feel like a constant battle to resist the temptations that surround us.
Every house you walk into displays a tin of Quality Street (other calorie-laden sweet tins are available!), there are umpteen parties to attend, all with a buffet, and you begin to lose count of the packs of chocolate money and selection packs that people ‘so kindly’ buy you as gifts.
I will say it again.
This time of year is the ULTIMATE TEST OF YOUR STRENGTH & WILLPOWER.
So to give you a little helping hand this Christmas, Potential PT have put together the ultimate Christmas survival guide to help you enter the new year without the added festive pounds.
Yet again, another conditioned social convention dictates what we eat and consequently our health.
I always joke about having a cold every Christmas and put it down to that ‘relaxing’ effect on my body.
But could it be that vegetables (other than Brussels sprouts, of course) take a back seat? I drink more alcohol? Have more late nights? Pile food on my plate as if I am constructing a tower block of flats?
All in the name of what is essentially one day!
But is it really one day?
What is just one day can quite often turn into a month of eating all the wrong things and drinking too much.
You get into a habit.
Habits are HARD to break, especially when you have been living like this since 1st December.
And that’s why so many people, all at once DESPERATELY NEED HELP when the New Year arrives and reality sets in.
I’m so impressed with the people who sign up to a new health & fitness programme now and aren’t waiting until the New Year to bring in that change.
Take Claire for example.
She signed up to our current “Drop A Dress Size” Campaign three weeks ago and check out these results:
In just three weeks she has lost 7lbs of fat, dropped 3.5% body fat, and lost 20cm just from around her middle!!
Claire is one of the people who didn’t follow the crowd.
“Waiting for the New Year is essentially an extreme version of waiting until Monday to start the ‘balanced eating plan’!”
Join The Drop A Dress Size Christmas Challenge —->>>>
At the same time of year it happens all over again… January, the one month of the year I used to hate the gym.
Why?
Because for three weeks it is full of people who are on the New Year’s Resolution Train, next stop Leansville.
Updating their Facebook status and #hashtagging the crap out of everything!
“Just 8% of people will achieve their New Year’s resolutions and stick to them. One slight hiccup and most people fall off the wagon and let it roll on by rather than stand up, brush themselves off and jump back on before it’s rolled on forwards without them.”
Only you know when you are ready to make the change in your life. Not some date that people commit to like sheep. If you put too much pressure on yourself and fail, then you become discouraged and may end up doing more harm than good.
The changes you make and the programmes you join need to be ongoing. It’s a lifestyle change you quite often need, rather than a quick fix.
Check out Sam’s Story.
She has lost 23cm from her middle, reduced her body fat by 4.4% and lost 16lbs of fat.
The really cool thing about Sam is that right now, for the first time in her life with Christmas looming and when our motivation is at it’s lowest… SHE IS IN THE ZONE.
Claire and Sam’s results are amazing and I just wanted to give these guys their chance in the limelight, and for people to recognise their hard work and perseverance.
If you are ready to start something NOW, not tomorrow, not next week and not in January 2016 then I urge you to register your interest by clicking the link below.
Join The Drop A Dress Size Christmas Challenge —->>>>
To help you ‘survive’ the Christmas festivities, what I have done for you is put together a list of my ultimate weapons to surviving Christmas without having to make another hole in your belt.
My Top 10 Tips to Beat The Christmas Bulge and Feel FANTASTIC in 2016
1. The Buffet Table
Eat a healthy meal before arriving so that you aren’t starving hungry when the food gets brought out. Common thinking is that if you skip dinner you can save you calories; this does not work! Most people will end up consuming more food by using this method. You’ve heard people say never to do your food shopping on an empty stomach; well this is exactly the same theory. If you do eat from the buffet table then try to opt for fish, such as smoked salmon, chicken on skewers, crudités with hummus and fresh fruit. Some cheeses are absolutely fine in moderation, but there’s a key word there… MODERATION. To avoid overeating, fill your plate and step away from the buffet!!
Eat a big lunch during the day so that you don’t have an empty stomach when you hit the party. Also by being more satisfied, you are less likely to over-indulge. Try and steer away from the “I’m saving myself for later” mentality. This will invariably lead to you eating too much too fast, to satisfy your hunger.
To avoid over-indulging, eat a plate of food and then put it down – rather than standing near the buffet and picking all night long. Also only eat what you actually like – not just what you are offered. Eating is not compulsory! Do not give in to peer pressure!
2. Boozy Nights
We aren’t silly, at Potential PT we like to think of ourselves as realists and to be quite frank, advising you guys not to drink alcohol would be totally correct but very unrealistic, especially at Christmas. Some people like to let their hair down and enjoy a few drinks, and that’s fine, just remember our golden rule again MODERATION!!
Alcohol is high in sugar (carbohydrate), so having a protein-heavy day will help to limit the amount of carbohydrates that you consume. Make sure you are well hydrated BEFORE you start drinking, and then consume a glass of water in between each drink. Better drinks to opt for are: vodka & soda, gin & tonic, red wine, a Bloody Mary or even Guinness (it holds some nutritional value).
Steer clear of the punch bowl – even if it claims to be non-alcoholic. Punches are notorious for containing a concoction of booze that surprisingly tastes great but is impossible to gauge how much you have actually drunk. Punches will always contain high-sugar fruit juices too!
Opt for crudités with hummus, meat, fish and fruit. The food choices you make will help not only to minimise the ‘bad’ foods you’re eating but it will also ensure you’re getting all your daily nutrients.
3. …And Feeding The Hangover
The following day ensure that you feed your body with the nutrients that it requires even more, lots of water, fresh veg and NO McDonalds! I know at the time it feels good, but it really won’t help your recovery or your waistline.
At Christmas, there is always plenty of smoked salmon around (with eggs) or make yourself an English breakfast without the bread or poor quality meat. Grill, poach, scramble, boil, or fry with coconut oil. Just stay clear of low fat sprays, margarine, sunflower and vegetable oil and olive oil (if heating).
Get your new wellies and winter coat on and go for a walk. Fresh air will do you wonders and will give you a great release of energy and ‘happy’ hormones.
4. Christmas Dinner
When you break it down, many parts of the Christmas dinner are really good for you. Turkey and vegetables are great… it’s the pigs in blankets and Yorkshire puddings that can let us down. There is nothing wrong with treating yourself to a few roasties on Christmas day but if you do want to stay as “on plan” as possible than opt for sweet potato, skip the Yorkshire puddings and rich sauces.
At our upcoming Christmas Survival Workshop on Monday 7 December, we will be giving away FULL RECIPES FOR A HEALTHY CHRISTMAS DINNER FIT FOR A KING!!
Don’t forget to register: www.potentialpersonaltraining.com/workshop/
5. Get Up And Move
There is no better time of year to get out and about for a nice wintry walk. The family are all together, the kids are climbing the walls on a blend of chocolate and sweets, and there is most certainly a new bike or pair of wellies that need trying out!!
Trust me I’m no adventurer!! But I do love a walk if it fits the following criteria:
- No EXTREME situations please, I’m not Bear Grylls (I’m not afraid of walking up a few hills, but I am a total girl when it comes to climbing or sharp descents)
- Pretty and/or interesting to look at
- Children are allowed if well behaved and silent 😉
- Involve some kind of water (I love a lake!)
- With good company or good music
- Not ridiculously long
- Take the dog, or borrow a dog!
6. Stay Hydrated
Keep a bottle of water on your desk, and drink from it all day so that you don’t go out already dehydrated. Aim to drink at least 2-3 litres during the day. Not only will this be good for you and your hydration levels but also you will be less likely to suffer with a hangover if drinking any alcohol.
Coffee, fizzy drinks, tea, wine, juice, Champagne, mulled wine, Baileys… where’s the H2O?
It is VERY rare that a new client comes to us with their hydration levels within the recommended healthy range of hydration. So here is a little head start for you…. drink more water now.
We are made up of around 50% water, it is literally everywhere, and the entire functionality of our body is dependant on our hydration levels.
As little as 2% dehydration can prohibit fat burn and have HUGE effects on the functionality of our body.
Guess what the symptom of this stage is? Thirst!
How many times throughout the day do you feel thirsty?
I could put it in another way… drink more water, or give up chocolate [INSERT YOUR NEMESIS FOOD]?
Which one takes more willpower and which would you prefer to do? Most people opt for the water first!
7. Get Some Sleep
Yes I know that you are ‘fine’ on five hours’ sleep and the getting up for the 6am alarm. I understand that we are all busy and have a lot to get done. We’ve already talked about the huge abundance of social gatherings in December.
It’s a fact that we consume a higher amount of calories when we are tired or sleepy, obviously to try and get our energy levels up.
The efficiency of your body is far greater when you have rested well; you will perform far better in everything that you do even day-to-day, resulting in a higher energy expenditure (calorie burn).
8. Have a Boogie!
We have given the Christmas party a pretty bad rep throughout this article. Let’s not forget that one hour of getting down on the dance floor can burn up to 700 calories, that’s got to be a mince pie at least?
Not only is it great exercise, having fun is a great stress relief and again releases those awesome chemicals in your body that leave you feeling energised and elated!
So go ahead and dance the night away!!
9. Keep a Food Diary
You know that if you are recording what you eat then you will automatically, significantly reduce your food intake.
The simple fact is that you won’t want to write it down, for others to see. It’s no longer your secret; it becomes published information that you can then be held accountable for.
If you are at a party and pile a mountain of food on your plate it doesn’t matter, because those people haven’t seen the food you have already eaten that day.
Let me ask you this…
Would you be so keen to pile up your plate without any care if every person in that room had watched what you had already eaten?
There’s a strong chance you may consume less, through fear of being seen as greedy to others.
Don’t lie to yourself; make a promise that you will record EVERYTHING you consume and all of the activity you take part in throughout December no matter what you do.
At the very least it may be a bit of an eye opener.
10. Go Shopping
Every year for the last ten years I have done more and more of my Christmas shopping online. It’s easier, saves me time and the stress of the Christmas shopping ‘rush’.
BUT I have noticed that Christmas shopping is actually something that can fill me with a lovely warm festive feeling.
The hustle of people, Christmas lights and decorations everywhere, choirs singing and cheesy tunes (that we all secretly love) playing in all the shops. It gets you in the mood if you go to the right place at the right time.
Carrying those bags is a great workout for the arms, in fact shopping can burn up to an extra 100 calories per hour! So get out there and go shopping!!!
BONUS TIP:
Attend Our Free Christmas Survival Workshop
MONDAY 7th DECEMBER 2015
8PM AT THE POTENTIAL PT STUDIO, LINDFIELD
What I Promise You Will Get From This Christmas Survival Workshop…
- The Do’s and Don’ts of Christmas parties.
- Tips to staying active during the festive season.
- Tactics to keep your weight down over Christmas.
- Learn how much exercise you would need to do, to burn off the calories of a single mince pie.
- Facts and figures about the food and alcohol you consume.
- How much of an effect can one day really have? And is it really just the one day?
- How to enjoy Christmas without letting it become so stressful!
- Healthy Christmas nibbles and recipe handouts.
- Your free pledge card and goal sheet that we will help you complete and stick to!
- Awesome January Deals and Offers.
- …PLUS SO MUCH MORE!!!
We have created a website to tell you all about the event – and you can go there to register for free tickets for you, your family and your friends!!
We Wish You All a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!
Enjoy the rest and relaxation.
(And we hope to see you at the Christmas Workshop!)
Click here for information and to secure your ticket —->>>>>
