Presents were torn open, feasts were prepared, and bubbly flowed through the holiday season right into the New Year.
And as you work towards hitting that reset button this 2019, I wanted to take a moment and share some strategies to help you triage the aftermath of the holiday season. If it hasn't clicked for you yet, consider this your public service announcement… "The Holidays have come to an end, it's time to get back on it!"
Resist The Urge To Judge Yourself
It's easy to look back and realize that things didn't go according to plan and you made some poor decisions. You were ambitious, confident, and bold.
Maybe even thought that you could portion control, have the self-discipline to say "No" more, and just not let yourself go wild.
Whatever happened, don't judge yourself because the past is in the past. There isn't anything you can about it now and dwelling on it will only make yourself feel more guilty.
When it comes to transitions and getting them to kickstart quickly, it's important to move on. But don't move on without learning from mistakes, take some time to reflect on what happened, how it could of been better, and then move on.
The Body Wants Consistency
Punishment though exercise is a common strategy we see in the fitness industry. You went big over the New Years Eve so now you're going to go "2-a-days all week.
Unfortunately, that's not quite how it works.
The body isn't going to enjoy "2-a-days" all week after a wild New Years. It's important to remember that the body loves routine, it wants consistency. Swinging from one extreme to the other won't be ideal, instead work hard to find consistency.
Coach's Tip: Jump right back into your training routine and build that consistency back up.
Unplanned Cheat Day... Now What?
A common mistake we see individuals make when it comes to bouncing back from an unplanned cheat day (or week, or month) is to drastically change their diet.
An unplanned cheat day does not mean you should skip meals the next day or start fasting for the rest of the week. Sure, intermittent fasting and other nutrition protocols can be very effective if done properly but not in this case for the day after.
In fact, fasting post an unplanned cheat day can put your body under even more stress further complicating it's ability to get back to normal.
Coach's Tip: Get back to your normal routine. Eat the way your normally would, at the same times, and give your body what it wants. Routine and consistency.
Get the Junk Out!
Sugar, Junk Food, Snacks, and Leftovers are all great at kicking you while you're down. You fell victim once, to keep them in your home is a quick way to becoming a victim again.
Get that food out of your home…
Take it to work, give it to friends, donate it (if you can) but the longer it stays in your pantry/fridge the easier it's going to be slip.
This is a strategy to help you not fall victim to temptation but be careful because there's no better negotiator then yourself.
Coach's Tip: Do not get rid of all the junk food in the house by going on a crazy eating binge.
Find Accountability
As you find motivation with the New Year season and look to start building some momentum back into your fitness it's vital that you find some level of accountability.
It can be a friend you workout with, a coach at the gym, a goal that you set for yourself, a fitness challenge, training partners in your class, competitions or races you registered for, etc…
Hitting the reset button is hard to do on will power alone. A little extra accountability can be the X factor in helping you reach goals and stay on track.
However, be cautious of what accountability is to you as it can change over time. Maybe registering to run a race doesn't quite do it for you anymore or getting that "friend" to help you stay on track doesn't work because you end up eating out together.
It's up to you to be real with yourself and find the accountability that will be effective.
Coach's Tip: If you don't want to do it or if you feel like it's going to push you outside your comfort zone then that's probably going to be effective accountability.
I always encourage people to take advantage of the surge of motivation that comes with the New Year. Never again will you have this many people in your life motivated, ready to eat well and workout. Take advantage of it.
Use the momentum and some of these strategies to help you triage the aftermath of the Holiday Season.
***If you haven't registered for The First Reign Fitness Challenge of 2019 click this link ———> https://www.bereignfit.com/the-challenge-2019
