“We spend all year trying to lose weight, yet put it all back on in a week at Christmas time!” This I hear from my uncle at every Christmas gathering, every year for as long as I can remember. The festive season is a time to enjoy great food, a few treats, fine wine and the company of those you value most, but it doesn’t also need to be a time to sabotage your health and body composition, let alone all the hard work you have done this past year.

  1. Keep training!

Just because it is the Christmas break, it’s not an excuse to stop training. The best results I have ever achieved in a short time frame were in the Christmas holiday period, I went through a twice per day training plan, 2 days on, 1 day off, walked 30mins most days, I slept 10 hours per night, got plenty of sun, and outside of that still ate like a king on Christmas day! If you do eat a little too much over Christmas, don’t beat your self up! Use that extra energy to train the house down! If you’re not working and have some hours free, the sun is out, there Is no excuse to not hit at least 10,000 steps per day!

  1. Minimise over Indulging – Be strategic with your nutrition

Most people use the Christmas period as a time to drink way too much, say yes to every engagement, minimise their activity level but maximise their caloric intake, which is a recipe for rapid weight gain, feeling bloated, demotivated, not confident to hit the beach in summer, let alone get a start on your new year’s weight loss resolutions. It’s IS the festive season, I know! No one ever got fat or gained muscle from 1 day alone, but overeating if over many days will cause some weight gain. Put this in perspective though, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years Eve (or for some Christmas Day / Boxing Day & NYE) = 3 major days of festivities, your body composition isn’t going to be destroyed by planning to enjoy 3 meals at those 3 events and then be responsible for the rest of the festive period.

  1. Maximise Veggie Intake!

Try to fill half your lunch and dinner plates with mixed veggies or salad. Aim to include three different serves of veggies for lunch and three more for dinner. Vegetables are filling, low calorie, full of nutrients that we need, and high in fibre to keep our digestion moving.

  1. Chew your food!

Chew your food, enjoy it and take your time. Don’t scoff your Christmas meal down too fast. Your body needs time to digest and feel satisfied; eating too fast WILL cause you to overeat.

  1. Control the alcohol intake

It is a very social time of year where you may find yourself around alcohol more often. If you enjoy a drink go ahead. But skip the beer and cocktails, aim for fine wine, or spirits with soda water rather than soft drink. Alcohol is high in calories and basically seen as a toxin by the body.

  1. Relax, and get your sleep

Take the time out to relax over the festive season. It is supposed to be a Christmas break, not a Christmas stress. Enjoy time with your family and friends, read, go for a walk, and spend some time outdoors. Sleep is so important for many things but research suggests that losing sleep can tend to make people eat more and gain weight. Aim for at least seven hours.

  1. Keep Hydrated

Drinking water helps to keep you hydrated and helps to keep your body and digestion functioning the best it can. Often when you are feeling peckish, you may be dehydrated yet mistake this for hunger.

  1. Have dessert, but choose wisely!

When it comes to desserts and sweets, be selective. If you do choose to indulge, make sure that you serve yourself a small portion. If you know you cannot control how much you have, cut off a smaller piece, enjoy it slowly and savour the taste. Dark chocolate (Pana is our fav @bodyseek) can be a great guilt-free dessert addition too!

  1. Don’t let celebrations go overboard or for too long

Often over the festive season, people can “switch off” and write off their good health habits. One festive day will do no harm, but a few weeks will!. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing day, choose ONE to be the one you want to go all out on IF you feel the need, yes it shouldn’t be tracked, you don’t bring your chicken and broccoli in Tupperware containers on Christmas day because you’re hardcore, enjoy the day, then get back to sensible eating the day after. Keep your food intake and choices under control, and keep up your daily activity or February will come fast with a few added kilograms!!!

  1. Plan forward! Make 2021 Your best ever year in health, the best investment you can make is the one in yourself

If you have time off work, do the things you haven’t been able to or done in a while, go for long walks, sunbake, increase your training, focus on enhancing your sleep, setup great habits to start 2021 with a bang – remember if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. At bodyseek, transformation and optimal health is what we are known for, and lets face it, the new year is a great time to start fresh and focus on YOUR health. If you want to make 2021 your year to achieve your best body ever and optimal health, then we have the answers and solutions YOU need to make sure you DON’T fail, and that you learn the steps and secrets to success for your Health and Wellness, for 2021 and beyond, not just January! To find out more  contact us for more details Article Written byTim Diegan Bodyseek Owner and Master Coach I help Business Owners and busy professionals lose fat, gain muscle, have more energy, performing better in every aspect of  their life. I also Coach and Mentor Personal Trainers and create champion physique competitors.