Christmas is one of my favorite holidays, actually it is my favorite holiday. For most people it’s one of the joyous times of the year, a time for meeting up with friends and family. When these get togethers happen it’s usually accompanied with some sort of over-indulgence in either alcohol or food. This can go one of two ways, either you feel incredibly guilty because you’ve just absolutely stuffed yourself with every bit of chocolate and all the mince pies or you try remain strict and you’re actually miserable. Training can also be interrupted with all the travelling you do to see family in different parts of the country and if your gym is closed or whatever. Today we’re going to talk about surviving Christmas.
Let’s talk about training first. It’s important to remember that it’s just a week, you’re not going to lose 51 weeks of training in 1 week so chill out. This is a great opportunity to make your family get togethers a little different. Fitness isn’t just gym based. Ireland has some spectacular walks and hikes within a drive of anywhere in the country. Get some friends or family and go explore.
Some of my favorite ones around the Dublin area are the Howth cliff walk, Bray-Graystones and various hikes around the Glendalough area in Wicklow. Howth and Bray-Graystones have the upper edge of having some pretty killer coffee shops around with the Grind in Howth village serving amazing food and coffee and the Happy Pear in Graystones does a great coffee. However, for pure hiking pleasure can you really beat Glendalough?
So when it comes to training around this time of year don’t be afraid to think outside the box and explore different types of fitness to challenge yourself. There’s also plenty of charity walks, runs, cycles and swims going on all over the country that you could get involved in.
Now for the big topic, how to manage your calories around this time of year.
Firstly, don’t forget what I’ve said already, 1 week won’t ruin the other 51. So yes, it’s okay to be a bit more laid back with your nutrition around this time of year just as long as it doesn’t become your normal routine.
Alcohol will probably be a big thing for a lot of people around these few weeks and it’s something that I think is forgotten about when it comes to calories. If you want to keep your calorie balance, there are plenty of lo-cal drink options you can go for. Try go for a spirit like vodka or gin with a slim line or zero calorie mixer like diet coke.
If you know you’re going to be meeting up with family or friends for a big shindig in the afternoon/evening time and again, you’re stressing about your calories, just skip breakfast or go for a high protein/low calorie option like Greek yogurt and berries. I don’t usually recommend skipping meals but in this case where plenty of picking happens throughout the day and meals are often quite indulgent it can definitely save you a few calories.
With all that in mind, sometimes the best thing to do is just chill out, put MyFitnessPal away and enjoy the company. I certainly for one won’t be holding back, if there’s something I want to eat or drink I’ll have it without hesitation for the next week or so. I know once it’s done, it’s done, I’ll prep my food again and get back on track. But for now, I’m going to enjoy Christmas and all it brings.
Happy Christmas,
Rory.