Getting back into the fitness swing of things after Christmas

So you enjoyed the Christmas foods, sweets and drinks? I hope you did! Christmas only comes around once a year and as I’ve talked about before, enjoying the festive season doesn’t mean that you have to go overboard or give up on your workout routine.

However, it’s quite common for people to feel some sort of “post Christmas food guilt” especially if they’ve been trying to control/lose weight in the past months. Maybe this is your case?

This guilty feeling can lead to two situations. You either feel like you should sign up to a ton of cardio classes and go on a juice cleanse or you feel discouraged, thinking that you’ll never reach your goals so why bother trying, you may as well keep eating like it’s Christmas every day. Either way, food-related guilt doesn’t serve you at all.

Here are 5 simple things you can do after Christmas to get back into the swing of things without going to any of these two extremes.

Christmas is over, now what?

Over is the key word here. It’s time to move forward. More often than not, what causes weight gain/loss of motivation is when the short Christmas break turns into a longer one and you keep eating like it’s Christmas until mid-January.

On the 26th or 27th, be thankful for this amazing time and move on.

Be grateful!

Before feeling any shame or guilt, you should feel gratitude. Be thankful for the family, partner, friends you have in your life and celebrated Christmas with. You probably made some memories with them and that’s what will matter in a few years, not how many chocolates you had.

Get back to normal

We often tend to complicate things but it’s actually quite simple. The festive period is over, time to get back to your normal diet and exercise routine. If you feel like you can’t do that with all the leftovers in your house, give them away.

Listen to your body

Our body is pretty good at regulating itself when we listen to it. The day after a massive feast (most likely rich in carbs), you will most likely want to move (because you’ll have energy to release) and to eat lighter meals.

This is not deprivation, it’s just listening to what your body needs. It doesn’t mean that you have to fast all day or spend 3 hours at the gym. It means that you will have loads of veggies, a bit less carbs than usual and will go on a nice run or a walk.

Don’t step on the scale

It’s normal to see your weight go up after a couple of bigger meals. It doesn’t mean that you gained fat. Most of it will be water weight (especially if you had more salty food and carbs than usual).

Weighing yourself after Christmas can mess with your head and make you want to start a diet, when you just need to get back to your routine. My best advice is to wait a few days before weighing yourself.

Do you have a fitness goal?

Maybe you want to lose weight, feel confident in yourself or learn how to make fitness a part of your lifestyle in the long run? You don’t have to figure this out alone! Make it easier for yourself and get the support you need to succeed.
Feel free to check out my online coaching services and get in touch if you’d like me to help you achieve your fitness goals :)