"It ain't easy".
- Freddy Roach
I chose the above quote for a very simple reason, good health isn't easy. Yes, its simple, eat whole foods as often as possible, get some exercise every day, get at least 8 hours of sleep, but that isn't easy. The "calories in/calories out" rule to weight loss is oversimplified, the barrage of social media posts telling you the magic bullet to weight loss or amazing fitness isn't hard, it just requires 5 shakes a day, or a bottle of "keto pills" whatever the fuck that means, the incessant posts from social media influencers, celebrities, etc., its well, a lot.
So it strikes me as odd that after someone has busted their ass, put in the work to get the healthy lifestyle they've wanted, the results they've wanted, to chuck it the moment the holidays arrive or its time for vacation. Why? I understand the family pressure that comes with things like the big holidays that are just around the corner. However, that sense of obligation we feel to have 3 servings of our mother's apple pie comes with intense guilt and self loathing that often has people spiraling through Christmas and New Years. Bad habits return as does the 15 lbs lost over the course of the summer and all the negative thoughts and feelings are their with them.
Here's the good news - you are, at all times, in control of what you eat and drink. Yes, your normal routine may take a hit, but, it doesn't have to be the spiral down the rabbit hole that it might have been in the past. It starts by recognizing that you can control more than you think, and not stressing over the things you can't. Example - you can't control what a relative or loved one might say to "encourage" you to eat something you don't want, but you can control your response. Can you control some possible hurt feelings? Probably not. But in an effort to not hurt your dear aunt, you've continued this negative cycle in your life for far too long. While we all know that it is not possible to have total control all of the time, so what do you do in these situations? You set your “minimums”.
Your minimums are the basic parameters you set for yourself, that you can follow in any situation or environment (this also works great on the weekends). Doing so allows you to stay on the path toward reaching your goals, while still enjoying yourself. Some examples of holiday/weekend minimums are:
*Eat vegetables with 2 meals a day
*Consume a serving of protein with every meal
*Follow the plate method for at least one meal a day
*Follow your hunger cues
*15 minutes of intentional movement a day
*Drink at least 64 oz of water
*Sleep 8 hours a night
You can choose 2 or 3 options from this list, and check them off each day that you’re away from your normal routine. So you can still enjoy Sunday football with your friends without walking away stuffed or bloated and more than a bit pissed that you ate and drank the way you did. Here's the even better news, once you set these minimums and stick to them, you'll find that most people around you will begin to respect them, at least to an extent. This is critical to understand, you may need a thicker skin to withstand some off-putting comments about the way you eat, or hurting someone's feelings for not eating their dish, or any other statement that is designed to illicit guilt. Your biggest minimum is learning to say no to those things that you know will tilt you in the direction you worked so hard to shift. Again, not easy, but definitely worth it. Remember, you have to live in the body that you are hoping has a lot more life left in it. Don't you deserve to do that feeling good about the work you've done all year round, not just a few months? Never forget the work it took to get where you are, it will help setting your minimums a lot easier.
If you would like to learn more about how to set your minimums, especially in time for the holidays, go to www.ironflagfitness.com, go to the Nutrition link, click on the "Book your free Nutrition consultation" and sign up today to talk.
Stay strong,
Guy
