With Christmas fast approaching, this is definitely a time of year where we are a little bit more lenient with our choices than we probably should be. Now this is totally ok - we all work very hard, and Christmas is a time to celebrate, get festive, socialise and have fun. For me personally, it really helps to have Christmas to look forward to to get through the dark winter days.
With this being said, it is only November. We haven’t even hit December yet and I can already feel myself making bad decisions that are catching up with me. If you follow me on instagram @tashlankester - I have been posting about not feeling my best due to the unhealthy choices I have been making. So I wanted to go into more detail on a blog.
This has not been a crazy few weeks of bingeing obviously. It has just been a couple of weeks of eating out a lot, drinking most nights, and eating quite a lot of sugar. I have such a sweet tooth and it is the bain of my existence tbh. But I LOVE anything sweet, and I am not about to cut out what my body loves, or I will just end up bingeing out one day - I just need to be more conscious with what I am putting into my body.
I don’t know about anyone else, but at this time of year I am always more hungry as well. I think it has to do with the cold, so I have been eating more meals in general - on top of going out for food and drink. Which is just simply too many calories for my body. Now 80% of my meals are still healthy, even when I go out for food, it is just the quantity that I am struggling with (I always order a healthy meal, then get sweet potato fries as a side, then probably a dessert more often than not). Now if I was going out once every couple of weeks, and my diet was clean and in moderation the rest of the time, this would be totally fine! And this is usually what I do. However, this has been going on for about two weeks, and I have been eating out like three times a week, which is just not ok. My mind still sees eating out as a treat so I am allowed to order what I want, but this shouldn’t be the case if I am eating out more than I am eating in.
Now, I am not going to sacrifice my social life at this point in time because I have to be honest, the darkness and cold really does get me down, and going out with friends really helps me through this because it is so important for me to have something to look forward to during this. I am just going to be more conscious about what I am going to order food and drink wise, and plan ahead if I go out for dinner. Maybe only have one meal beforehand and a protein snack instead of two, and order the healthy option on the menu if there is one.
It is normal for us to have periods of time where we do feel like we are sliding off the wagon. It makes us feel nasty, groggy, bloated and uncomfortable. To be honest I am struggling to look at myself in the mirror and be happy with my appearance currently. But I am in tune with my body, and I notice all of these symptoms and I know why I am feeling them, so I know now it is time to make a change.
My body absolutely thrives off a healthy balanced whole food diet. So I am going to stick to this as much as I can over the next few weeks until Christmas. Because if I keep going the way I am at this rate, by the time we get to Christmas I will have a lot more unnecessary work to do and wont be able to enjoy indulging around the Christmas period. And we all deserve to feel like we deserve whatever we want to eat or drink on Christmas day. I know myself, and if I don’t make little changes, I wont be in a ‘treat yourself’ mood on Christmas.
If you are feeling the same way as me, it isn’t too late to make a change before the festive season! There is never a right time to be healthier, there will always be some sort of social occasion or event standing in the way. So better to work around this, and fit healthy living into your schedule, and not the other way round. It is a lifestyle not a chore. Make small changes at a time.
Here are a few things I will be implementing up until Christmas, and I am noting them down here so I am accountable for them - if anyone sees me slip up I give you permission to call me out
No more dessert or sides with my meals out until the 20th December
No artificial sugary sweets at home (home made raw treats will be an exception in moderation i.e. once or twice a week)
Intermittent fasting 5 days a week, starting eating at 11am and stopping at 7pm (16h fast)
having two large meals a day and a high protein snack (instead of 3 meals)
It isn’t loads, but its enough to help me feel good about myself when we get to Christmas. You will notice I haven’t added anything to do with training here. This is because I am actually LOVING my workouts at the moment and I am really hitting my targets in this area. The plus side of more food is more fuel. If you do find yourself eating more, take advantage of this and use the extra energy! Do more intense cardio, lift heavier and enjoy it. Some good advice I believe is to base your workouts around how you are eating and what goals you want. If you are eating more than intended and don’t want to fluff up fast, train harder. If you had a big carby dinner and are supposed to be on a cut, use that fuel for a big session the next day and train fasted. It is all about compromise and balance, and finding what works for you and your lifestyle.
PS if you need any online training advice - I am your girl. I am currently taking on clients to design personalised workout plans, and I have a few spots left. I am also doing this at a hugely discounted rate due to wanting to help you guys get kickstarted before Christmas! So drop me an email :)
Thanks so much for reading xxx