Surviving the Holidays

It’s finally here. The Christmas holidays, and with that comes a lot of alcohol, chocolate, and food.

I’ve always found it interesting that we glorify a big feast when the sun is lowest in the sky.

But I guess that’s normal for a lot of us growing up.

And what better way to celebrate the cold, dark winter than with a family reunion and plenty of food and drink.

So with that said, here’s your HOLIDAY SURVIVAL GUIDE, so you come out the other side relatively unharmed by fat gain and sluggishness.

Quick note. This time of year should be enjoyed thoroughly, so I’m not advocating being a massive recluse about it.

Survival Guide

If your goal is to go into the new year having kept your weight and body fat levels roughly where they were before Christmas, we need to start with calorie control.

You’ve probably heard by now that fat loss comes down to a calorie deficit. In the case of Christmas, it’s often easier to focus on calorie maintenance instead.

This is simply where your weight stays the same.

If you’ve been dieting and move up to maintenance, you will gain some weight. That’s actually a good thing.

It’s your muscle stores refilling and holding water. None of that is fat.

Calorie Maintenance

If you’re already dieting, you probably know your maintenance calories. If not, you can use this calculator:

https://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html

Christmas is 2-3 days, not a week

Christmas isn’t a week-long event. It’s realistically 2 to 3 days max.

So if your maintenance calories are around 2,200 per day, let’s aim to bank some calories beforehand.

If you’re dieting, this is straightforward. Stay at your usual 1,600 to 1,800 calories, and anything left over can be saved.

For example, if you’re losing fat at 1,700 calories and your maintenance is 2,200, that’s 500 calories per day banked.

Over 7 days, that’s 3,500 calories you can add to 1 or 2 days of your choice.

Meaning, in theory, around 3,950 calories across Christmas and Boxing Day, or more flexibility on Christmas Day if needed.

Walks

A lot of people mention the family walks they go on over Christmas, and this is the perfect time to move a little more and help digest that roast dinner.

This week is about moving where you can.

Helping around the house. Tidying up. Playing more.

Make a conscious effort to move, immerse yourself in the moment, and enjoy it.

Alcohol

Alcohol isn’t great for the body. We all know that.

That said, a couple of drinks won’t ruin your waistline. If it’s a joyful family occasion, enjoy yourself.

If you’ve been drinking in moderation leading up to Christmas, this likely isn’t something you need to stress about.

If you’ve been drinking a lot during the week, cut back slightly. Add in a few alcohol-free days beforehand.

A simple strategy is to drink slower and have a glass of water between drinks. This helps more than people realise.

Enjoy Yourself

Above all, enjoy yourself.

If you’ve been consistent for months, one day will not undo your progress.

It’s common to gain 2 to 3kg over Christmas purely from water weight and food volume.

Most people lose it again within a week.

That’s normal. What isn’t normal is beating yourself up for enjoying food and time with family.

Use this period to reconnect, relax, and immerse yourself in the moment. Prepare lightly beforehand so you can enjoy it without guilt.

And if you’re worried about what to do after Christmas, we have the BIG January Reset Challenge coming soon.

You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/getfitbynick where I’ll be sharing more about it shortly.

Cheers,

Coach Nick