Hallmark movies, cozy sweaters, gingerbread lattes, family gatherings, twinkly lights, candy canes.
It’s that time of year (my FAVORITE time of year!)
But…
It’s also the time of year when “diet culture” is at the forefront. Bloggers, influencers, YouTubers, etc. are making posts and videos instructing us on how to “stay fit” during the holiday season.
It makes sense.
The holidays come with travel, social gatherings, big indulgent meals and little decadent treats. They bring so much joy, but at the same time they can totally disrupt routine and structure. Workouts become less prioritized, meal prepping makes less sense, and cookies & wine make more.
Anticipating all of this sends many of us to the internet to find out how we can preserve our fitness and prevent the number on the scale from rising. And fortunately (or unfortunately) social media has no shortage of posts filled with tips like, “pack your own food” or “double up on workouts” or “say no to pie.”
My post today is a little different…
I do truly appreciate what other bloggers/influencers/vloggers are doing. Staying in shape during the holiday season is really, really tough. And for some it’s extremely important for their health or personal goals to stick to a plan.
Maybe someone is after a marathon PR this winter and needs to be diligent with their training. Or maybe someone else has been putting in hard work for months to reverse pre-diabetes and must stay on top of their diet.
There is a myriad of reasons why many individuals want or need to stick to their wellness goals despite the temptations and lack on structure in the coming month. As a Health & Wellness Coach, I see this all the time and it is actually my responsibility to support individuals as they navigate the challenging season (though, regardless of the person’s individual circumstance or motive, I always take the “balance, moderation, and mindfulness” approach).
However, for all of those people who come across the “stay fit through the holidays” posts on social media and are relieved or excited to have guidance, there are just as many of us who see them pop up on our feed and become anxious and obsessive.
Hi. Hello. It’s me. I’m the anxious obsessive one.
Ok, not so much anymore. But when I was deep in the trenches of anorexia or when I was still battling a serious exercise addiction the holidays turned me into even more of a robot than I was throughout the rest of the year.
When the whole family was sipping eggnog and eating fudge, I NEEDED to eat only my “safe foods.” When everyone would sleep in and spend the morning wrapped in blankets sipping hot chocolate I NEEDED to get up and out for a solid run. I stuck to my schedule no matter the cost.
The things that are supposed to be most enjoyable this time of year became the things I’d stress so much about that I’d barely sleep in the weeks leading up. I hated that this was happening, but not as much as I hated the idea of gaining weight or losing my fitness. And when I stuck to my rigid diet and exercise regimen through the holiday season, I’d feel a combination of pride and regret. Pride because I won my match with holiday temptations, and regret because I prioritized the scale over my true happiness.
I eventually overcame that mindset (see past blog posts) and last year was the first year in a while that I felt free. The first year I willingly, without hesitation, licked the icing off the spoon while frosting cookies. The first year I served myself an extra helping of mashed potatoes. The first year I was ok with skipping workouts and sitting by the fire with my family instead.
And guess what? I survived. And I didn’t gain 800 lbs. And I didn’t lose my ability to run miles upon miles without feeling winded. And I smiled through the holidays. A genuine smile, because I wasn’t a ball of anxiety. I was am happy.
There are too many of us out here who are currently navigating, or have a history with disordered eating, negative body image, exercise addition, etc. and are triggered by what is taking over the internet. If it’s not another blog, it’s a friend who is advertising the calories they burned or their “healthy” (depriving) holiday meals.
If you are triggered by those things (no shame or judgment, I’ve been there and honestly still need to give myself pep-talks when I feel my mind spiraling), I hope this post finds you and that you can use it tomorrow (Thanksgiving Day) and throughout the next month.
Below, I’ve listed my 3 most important holiday fitness survival tips that hopefully feels less triggering and more exciting for you.
Holiday Fitness Survival Guide (Kerry’s Edition):
1. Don’t hold yourself hostage to an exercise regimen or diet plan
You want to continue working out through the holidays. That’s totally fine, I do too! But, holding yourself hostage to a plan will almost certainly interfere with the spontaneity that comes with the holiday season. Be flexible, give yourself grace and think about what you want your memories of this season to be. Do you want to look back and think about, “that one year I was super diligent and stuck to my workout schedule and didn’t eat a single cookie!!!”? Just think about it…
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I like to have a schedule when I’m home (meal prepping and consistent workouts). But in the past year I’ve really challenged myself to let that go during times when I’m away from home or something comes up. And I will continue to challenge myself in that way throughout the holidays.
2. Consider what will truly make you happy.
It seems simple, but when there are voices telling you not to indulge in treats and to get your workout in, or when you fall into that infamous comparison trap as you scroll through social media it becomes tricky. Ask yourself what will truly make you happy, not what your eating disorder voice or your exercise addiction tells you will make you happy.
For me, I already know that I want to run on Christmas morning. It’s something I’ve done for years and years and it is one of my favorite traditions. I love waking up before everyone else, running through the quiet streets, and looking at the Christmas lights. It is my favorite way to begin Christmas day. What I won’t be doing is running on Christmas for the purpose of burning off anything I ate and I will absolutely be taking more days off each week than normal to do things with family.
The same goes for food. No, I probably won’t be eating a diet of strictly pie, eggnog, and cookies. But I also won’t be meal prepping mason jar salads every week and you know I’ll be indulging regularly in all the festive treats!
I will always be asking myself, “is this something I want to do, or is it something I feel like I should do? Is it a form of punishment, or is it fueling happiness?”
3. Don’t Compare
Yeah… seems impossible. Things like Strava, Instagram, and Apple watches make you feel guilty for not getting a marathon in before the sun rose when someone else did. Did what you chose to do instead make you happy? If the answer is yes, then who cares.
Choosing what makes you happy does not make you a lesser athlete (or a lesser person) than doing something you really don’t want to do. If staying away from social media feels like the best way to beat those triggers, give it a try! Personally, I am working on training my healthy voice to be louder than that evil guilt voice and could use the practice that social media gives me. But do what feels best for you.
Trust me, I know all of this isn’t easy. But also trust me when I say it’s worth it.
You get to write the narrative for your holiday season – what do you want it to say?
If you could use personal guidance this holiday season, reach out (refer to my Mentoring page).