The Holidays Do Not Have to Derail Us!

Fight the Battle of the Bulge by Having Some Grace

Diet Culture and Having the Right Mindset
The gym and diet plan ads are coming at us left and right throughout the holiday season. Thanks to diet culture, we succumb to the holiday treats at home or the office and gain anywhere from 3-5 lbs between Halloween and Christmas. When we think in terms of black and white, either we are "on" a diet or "off" it, we fall victim to the fallacy that there must be something wrong with our willpower because we can't resist the extra snacks. Inevitably, this thinking leads us to over-indulge and lose track of our health efforts which gets us farther away from our goals. Instead of this mindset of what's "good" or "bad", let's give ourselves some grace to enjoy the gifts of the season including delicious food. It's time to change our thinking from failure to planning for success long-term. We are not falling off the wagon if we build some flexibility into our food choices.

Daily Movement can Keep the Pounds Off
"Sitting disease" is a new phenomena that sees many people spending more than 10 hours at a desk, have long commute times, and generally leading sedentary lives. By adding some movement into our routines during the holiday season, we can maintain our results better than if we gave up on all our healthy habits during this time. Don't stop going to exercise classes and continue to see your personal trainer during this time so that you don't have to stress about your weight come January. Go for walks, skating, skiing, snowshoeing, playing sports, dancing, or shovelling snow.

Stay Hydrated and Remember to Eat Veggies and Protein
Since the holiday season isn't just about food, but all the festive beverages like egg nog, apple cider, mulled wine, hot chocolate, etc, we need to remember to drink water to help us flush out the excess sodium and sugar we'll be enjoying. Focusing on getting your proteins and veggies in when you fill your plate will also help you stay on track. If we've been exercising, we need our muscles to be fuelled so that we can maintain our gains.

Eat the Damn Cookies!
For your own mental health, please enjoy your holiday treats and don't stress about the extra calories, salt and sugar. We can bounce back if we continue with our healthy nutrition and exercise routines 80% of the time! Make room in those meal plans for the extra indulgence by doing your best. That's good enough.

If you are struggling to get control over the holidays, we can help

With the help from the professionals at Rage Fitness, we can help you build eating healthy habits alongside enjoying treats this holiday season. You can be successful even if you have a piece of fruit cake or gingerbread cookie. Your mental health will thank you in the end and we can help you stay on track with your nutrition and exercise programs suited for your unique goals. If you are struggling to get control and learn how to make the right choices during the holidays, please call 1-825-945-7733 or fill out the online contact form.