Stay fit and healthy this Christmas/Festive season!!

So it gets to this time of year and all you hear about is Christmas parties, food, recipes, wine, bubbles..... and we all get stressed, which is quite silly really.  You don't have to give up on all your hard work for the year for the entire MONTH.  Treat December like you would any other month that has red flag days and plan accordingly. 
 
Christmas parties are all the rage, you get invited to a couple, there are free drinks, finger food and it would just be rude or weird to say no right? Wrong. Why have the New Year start with you feeling like crap and your body not liking yourself or your body very much?  That is just madness.  I say you can still have fun and feel great to bring in the New Year, you just have to plan and be smart, and practice saying "no thanks". 
 
Plan this Christmas season to:
 
* Choose which parties you will go to and have a drink or two and work out which ones you will be the designated driver for (you will SO thank yourself when you wake up without a hangover & your friends, loved ones will get a free ride home)
 
 
* Practice saying no thanks to fatty/sugary foods, you won't be letting anyone down, you don't need to explain that you are trying to keep healthy, you don't need to explain yourself to anyone
 
* Have an outfit that you can visualise being in and feeling fit and healthy - hang that somewhere you will see daily, or a picture of you wearing it on the fridge (wedding dress for me)!
 
* Explore healthy recipes/foods to give as gifts or have ready in the fridge for when guests come over (hummus, veggies, strawberries, almond meal rum balls, homemade chocolates) - you don't need to totally NOT eat anything delicious, just have alternatives. Take healthy options with you to parties/bbq's etc.
 
* Drink mineral water with lime in a wine glass, have in-between drinks or as a replacement to alcohol.
 
* Have two nights a week that you drink only (and not binge drinking, you aren't 19 anymore, have one or two and then stop)
 
* don't go to parties HUNGRY!  If you know there won't be healthy options, have something before you go to stop you from being tempted
 
* Relax! Take some time out to relax, recover, meditate, stretch.  Look after yourself.

 
* Plan in your training like usual, if you know you have a party/event to attend to, do your training in the morning or at lunch - just get it in!
 
* I like to put some $$ away to spend in the January sales, just imagine how great you will feel buying something nice for yourself after looking after your body/mind during the festive season. New bikini anyone?
 
* Put steps in place to help you motivate yourself and set small goals, I have started a 21 day Look Good Naked plan with Kat Lorenzo (Women Incredible), this is to keep me motivated, to have others to chat too on the forums and keep focused about my goals.  I have also booked a dexascan six days before Christmas (cue gasp) because I know that will keep me on track for the next 18 days.  The first scan is going to be hard because I know I have put on bodyfat in the last couple of months, but I know the second one in February will be fecking fantastic because I will have achieved great results.  Plus I want to know if my bone density levels are still high or not.
 
* Remember you can set NEW goals at anytime,  know that your road can change during the way, don't feel like you have failed, just re-evaluate goals, change them to suit and set tasks to achieve them, be reasonable
 
* You are human, if you have a bad day, don't punish yourself with hours in the gym, just shake it off and get back up and keep going, no stop starts, just onwards and upwards.
 
* Drink WATER! 
 
* Know that you are going to be busy and running around? Add a multivitamin or a vitamin B complex to your day (plus fish oils) to add extra boost to your metabolism. 
 
Will share some  healthy recipes I come across during this challenge and some other handy "keep healthy" tips.  Time to be the best version of you and keep it going this month and way into the new year.
 
Health & Fitness
Donna

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