It….is….that time of year.
The kids are off school (again) and parent or not, it’s HOLIDAY time for many.
And for some reason, when we have any kind of holiday.
Things tend to go a bit ‘crae crae’.
We seem to give ourselves the ‘green light’ to eat and drink everything in sight.
‘It’s OK, I’m on holiday, right?’
Waistlines start expanding, scales go up, clothes feel tighter, confidence takes a battering and fitness…..well there just isn’t any.
And I get it.
Motivation and mental health particularly at this time of year are likely LOW.
Which is exactly WHY I want to share with you some simple ways to help you not only survive the holidays.
But to help you put some positive habits in place that will set you up for life!
Here goes:
1️⃣ Get up, go to bed and eat your meals at the SAME time
This is a HUGE one….which is why it’s first.
Structure and routine is essential for ALL of us.
Keeping these 3 things in place will automatically help you keep a certain level or ‘normality’ and prevent you from setting your body clocks and meal times out of whack.
Being out of whack usually = chaos, grabbing things on the go, poor food choices
= feeling tired, bloated.
= little exercise or movement.
= feel like crap.
This is such a simple habit to put in place yet so effective!!
2️⃣ Aim for 3 meals & 2 snacks a day
If you want to track your calories – great.
If not, just keep things simple.
Aim for 3 meals, a couple snacks and don’t eat everything in sight just because it’s there, you’re bored and you can.
Alternatively, keep out the kitchen as much a possible, pad your main meals out with loads of extra veg and don’t snack at all as this is what sabotages most people’s goals.
Adhering to tip No.1, 3 and 4 will make this a lot easier to stick to.
3️⃣ Add protein to each meal
Having protein at each meal will help curb your cravings, keep you fuller for longer making you less likely to mindlessly munch.
It’ll also help build and repair your muscles from exercise.
If you want to ‘lose weight & tone up’ – this is KEY! (alongside a calorie deficit)
4️⃣ Hit the H2O
Whether it’s straight up H2O or no added sugar Vimto (my fave), aim for at least 2litres daily.
This will help curb cravings as well as ensure your body is able burn fat and function better.
It’ll also give you more energy to enjoy your hols and keep you hydrated (especially if you’re hungover).
5️⃣ Make time for YOU
As a parent with an 8 year old, 5 year old, single headedly running a busy business and silently working hard on my next major event…
I totally appreciate this isn’t always easy but I can’t stress HOW important this is.
Even it it’s just 10mins,
Plan it, take it and enjoy it DAILY.
Your mental health, mood and in turn children, will thank you for it.
6️⃣ Avoid alcohol during the day/week
This will save you a GAZILLION calories and again – improve your mental health, sleep, recovery and general mood/energy.
You can save even more calories by switching calorie dense drinks for something a little ‘lighter’.
Think lights beers, prosecco, spirits and low cal mixers.
Vodka, sparkling water and fresh lime is my personal fave and super refreshing.
7️⃣ Get Your NEAT Up
Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.
= the calories you burn outside of your workouts.
= steps.
If you’re injured, do what you can.
If not, then aiming for a minimum of around 8k-10k steps daily is a great goal.
It’ll not only significantly shoot your calorie burnage up, more importantly, it’s also fantastic for your physical and mental health.
✅ Walk to work, walk before/after breakfast, lunch or dinner.
✅ Get up regularly and move around the house/office.
✅ Talk and walk whenever you’re on the phone.
✅ Park further away from places.
✅ Enjoy active weekends and get the kids/family members involved.
There’s sooo many ways to get your butt moving.
All these tips/habits are super simple and something that EVERYONE is capable of whether you’re on holiday or not.
They’ll also have a MASSIVE impact on both your physical and mental health.
With less than 12 weeks till 2025.
This is the perfect amount of time to put what I’ve mentioned here into practice.
Do that, and by the time the new year hits, you’ll see & FEEL significant changes.
Or
You can throw in the towel, write off the rest of the year, do nothing, remain the same and start 2025 feeling even more sh*t than you do now.
We always have choices and I know Winter/Christmas can be an incredibly challenging time for people, but I hope I can help and support you to make good ones.
If you’re a woman.
If you live local to Aberdeen.
If you don’t want to join a gym or need a membership.
Buuut you’d love some in person support for extra motivation and to learn how you can not only get results but also enjoy the process.
Grab a friend, get booked in to my award winning fitness classes in Aberdeen and I promise….you won’t regret it!
Oh and don’t worry if you don’t feel ‘fit enough’ there’s options throughout, nobody is there to judge and that’s the whole point…
To help you build on your fitness and feel happier in yourself ❤️
Lee ‘helping you, your waistline & mental health survive the holidays’ Donald x
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