The holiday’s can be a tough time to stay on track. But there are a few things you can do ahead of time to sail through them with ease, and your abs.
Set some positive expectations.
It’s a powerful technique I learned from a Coach a few years ago to identify any obstacles you think there’s a good chance you’ll experience, accept and expect them, then create a solution before they even come up. When you can see a challenge before it comes and you’re armed with the solution to defuse it you’ll be surprised how easy it is to overcome it. Here are a few good examples…
Obstacle: I think it’s likely that I’ll be tempted to graze on too many snacks throughout the day.
Solution: I will decide before I get there how many snacks I’ll have, I’ll sit/stand away from the snacks throughout the day, and I’ll bring some healthy options and sip on flavored mineral water.
Save the sugar for later in the day.
Sugar is highly addictive and if you start the day with sugar, chances are you’ll keep sneaking a sweet treat here or there all day long. Instead, snack on whole foods and salty almonds, cashews, or other nuts. Salt actually helps with sugar cravings - crazy huh!? Hold off on the sugary sweets as long as you can and then enjoy a treat at the end of the day - guilt free.
Get outside.
Go for a long walk after a big meal. This will give you a break from the commotion, maybe get some quality time with relatives you don’t see often, and will surely help you digest the meal you’ve just had. I promise you’ll feel much better when you get back.
Focus on protein early in the day.
Carbs and fats are easy to find at family gatherings so knowing you’ll have plenty to choose from with those macronutrients, focus on getting some good protein sources into your plan early in the day, or even before you arrive to the gathering. This will keep you satisfied, and ensure your muscles are recovering as well.
My Favorite GF + Paleo Thanksgiving Recipe
One of my absolute favorite thanksgiving recipes is this Gluten Free Pecan Pie. You can use a pre-made GF pie crust and the rest of the recipe is super easy!
Travel Workouts:
52 card pick up.
Assign a movement for each suit, shuffle the deck, and work through the deck one card at a time. (For example: Let’s say you assign burpees to diamonds. When you pick up a diamond card you do the number of burpees associated with that card (2 = 2, 3 = 3, J = 11, Q = 12, K = 13, A = 14).
Burpee ladder.
Quick and really dirty. But requires no equipment & comes with zero room for excuses. Workout is as follows… 1 burpee, run down & back the length of the room you’ve got; 2 burpees, run down & back, 3, 4, 5…. All the way to 20. I’d recommend not doing this one with a full belly.
I hope that was helpful and you crush your workouts and holidays!
