FITNESS THE COUNTDOWN IS ON...

Mariah Carey has defrosted for another year! I’m back to give you some tips on how to stay accountable in the run up to Christmas and feel your most confident in that little black dress... or RED!

If you find yourself on a downward spiral with your health and fitness efforts around this time of year because you’ve got an all or nothing mindset; Doing the groundwork now will allow you to ease back slightly and enjoy your Christmas. All while feeling your best both physically and mentally over the festive period.

The last thing you want to do is be a member of the ‘New year new me- transform your life’ rat race come January and fall off because it all gets a bit overwhelming.

So here are ten tips to keep you accountable over the Christmas period and feel your absolute best at this year’s Christmas party!

1. Set yourself up to win by revisiting your training and nutrition goals for the month. Be realistic: can you honestly train 5 times a week throughout December? Will you really be eating chicken, broccoli and rice throughout? Probably not. Remove the pressure of unrealistic expectations. Try by setting 3 days that are non-negotiable to train (any extra is just a bonus) A brisk walk an hour a day and focus on intake of nutrition and vitamins to support your goal and immune system this time of year.

2. Meal prep for the week- Not everyone’s favourite thing to do but if you are serious about your health and fitness, you’ll make it a priority. We all have at least one free evening a week. Let’s say it’s Sunday. During the winter season, spend an hour every Sunday evening doing basic food prep. It will make life much easier when you’re tired. Batch cook lunches or dinners (soups, high protein dinners, volume foods). Portion these out and store some in the fridge, the rest in the freezer. Planning your main meals for the week ahead is going to save you time, cash, and calories.

3. Create a routine that works for you, so you can tick all the boxes. If you are strapped for time and find yourself unable to fit in a decent gym session, try some at home workout routines.

4. Throughout the weeks to Christmas take the stairs rather than using the lift, park further away or walk to your destination where you can. Increasing your overall NEAT.

5. With all the Christmas parties and festivities looming, if you’re going to drink, try switching the high calorie wine, beer and cocktails to spirits- but beware of the high sugar content of mixers which can seriously increase calorie intake. Try swapping to the low-calorie mixers. Or if you want to skip the booze all together (we all know that hangover isn’t worth it anyway)

6. If you’re a social butterfly and have quite a few Christmas parties, plan ahead to make sure you have a routine and prep to stay on track around your occasions.

7. Try focusing on volume eating to stay fuller for longer. Keep the protein high. The temptation will be there to open the tub of Celebrations but it’s important to focus on the goal stay on track. So, when it is the right time, you can enjoy them.

8. Remember to treat yourself during this festive season but be careful to not over-indulge. Calorie banking may be the answer to you still enjoying some of your favourites, so you are able to eat some treats but still maintain some control over your diet.

9. At this point we probably know I’m all for the feel-good dancing no matter how awful the moves are. Dancing is a great way to burn calories, so stick on your favourite tunes and have a good boogie, the festive season is upon us, after all! This is also a winner when it comes to seasonal blues.

10. If you’re struggling for accountability- Get a coach. Just in time for Christmas I have a very exciting launch @efr_coaching. So, keep your eyes peeled if you’re ready to make big changes before we even hit the New Year!

Now I’m not saying restrict yourself over the festive period. Definitely not- it would never be sustainable or fun. But keeping yourself on track will have you feeling great for the occasion, and once January hits you’ll already have made amazing progress all whilst enjoying yourself!