Why It’s So Hard To Stay In Shape From Thanksgiving To New Years & What To Do About It P2

Happy Holidays  from your St. Pete Personal Trainers & Anti Aging Experts !

WELCOME or WELCOME BACK to my Why It’s So Hard To Stay In Shape From Thanksgiving To The New Year And What You Should Do About It Series.

I absolutely love this time of year but the schedule gets completely chaotic and it’s very easy for me to get thrown completely off ! Hit the like button or drop a comment if you feel me on this.

So, today I want to talk to you  the last 4  of the biggest obstacles people face trying to stay on track with their fitness goals during the Thanksgiving to New Years Holiday Season – Busier Schedules & Cold, Dark & Gloomy Weather,  Meal Planning and Mental Challenges.

As a Weight loss personal trainer in St. Petersburg, Fl. for over 20 years, I’ve heard the same frustrations over and over again! After working with over 3000 people, I’ve noticed that all of the various challenges fit into one of 6 categories:
St. Pete Weight Loss Personal Trainer

1. Social pressure
2. Environment (food temptation everywhere)
3. Busier schedules and travel
4. Cold, dark and gloomy weather
5. Meal planning difficulty
6. Mental challenges (stress, depression, lack of motivation) St. Pete Weight Loss Personal Trainer. So, let’s take them one by one with specific challenges our clients have come to us with and the solutions that have helped them avoid Holiday weight gain for 28 years.

Shopping, decorating, work events, family gatherings, parties, meeting friends, and kid’s events, means my schedule gets completely and there’s no time for workouts – 

Here’s the thing – there is. In the 20 years I ran Custom Bodies and the 8 years here at Fitness St. Pete I Tierra Verde Fitness, we have had exactly 0 clients drop out during the Holidays. In fact, this month has been one of our busiest all year with 4 new members so far and 3 more on my schedule for strategy sessions.

Here’s why – There’s always some time for workouts when you make health and fitness a priority in your life.

1. Schedule workouts on your calendar just like you would any Holiday party or event – You may not be able to get your full routine in but, some is better than none. No matter the schedule, you absolutely CAN find 15 minutes 2 or 3 days a week to get in in.

Don’t have an hour to go walk or get to the gym for an hour on the elliptical? Cool, those things aren’t all that effective for fat loss any way

2. Learn time efficiency techniques for getting great workouts in less time – Super sets and high intensity interval training (HIIT) cardio are two of the best ways to achieve maximum results in minimum time. I’ve got you covered in our free  Exercise Video library with loads of body weight workouts you can do at home  in 15 minutes or less. Thanks to our ah- mazing group fitness training clients, they are filmed live at our sessions so you can hear and see form corrections and absorb our energy .

3. Get up a little earlier if that’s the only time you have to – Let’s be honest, not many things beat starting the day off  getting the body moving and blood flowing and if your health, energy and managing stress are important, you can get up 15 minutes early and knock out a quick workout.

The days are so short, it’s depressing. It’s dark in the morning when I get up and dark when I get back from work and it makes me feel unmotivated and tired – 

Trust me, I feel the same way. I get up at 415 every morning for 5:15 sessions and often have 6:00 sessions in the evening. This time of year, it feels like 10

1. If you can’t get much natural sunlight, be sure you are getting adequate vitamin D – There are so many reasons adequate Vitamin D is important, I wrote an entire post on the subject. Vitamin D deficiency can inhibit weight loss, effect moods, lead to depression  and effect energy levels and ……..almost 1 BILLION people around the world suffer from Vitamin D deficiency.

2. Make sure your sleep quantity, quality and regularity is as close to optimal as possible –  Adequate sleep has more impact than most people realize and It’s A Very Big Deal Because The Quality Of Your Sleep As Well As The “Hours” effects Your Mood, Body,  Brain … And Your Metabolism.

MORE FROM FAT LOSS U:  5 tips for Better Sleep

It’s cold and dark when I get off work and I don’t feel motivated so I miss workouts – 

1. Minimum-space, mini- no equipment in home workouts are are key here! It is possible. We have clients who travel extensively for work and they get it done in the space of a hotel room so there are no excuses.  St. Pete Weight Loss Personal Trainer

Again, some is better than none. Grab some 15 minute body weight workouts in the video library on our Facebook page, book mark them, put them on your schedule and find 15 minutes 2 or 3 times a week to get it done. They are completely free so no excuses.

My busy schedule of holiday events and gatherings cuts into meal planning and prep time so I end up eating unhealthy quick snacks or fast food – 

1. Choose healthy, high protein snacks like home made trail mix or popcorn and keep them with you –  Grab our member favorite on the go snacks for fat loss.

2. Simplify your meals and recipes so less planning or cooking is required – When busy and stressed, keep it simple and easy. Instead of planning out elaborate meals, find a few go to meals you and your family enjoy, make them in bulk and put the whole thing on autopilot.

I’ve got you covered here too. I’ve included one of my most popular blog posts “How To Prepare 15 Healthy Meals in Under 60 minutes” complete with step by step instructions and a grocery list.

The Holidays stress me out and when I’m stressed out I eat –

Stress itself is not bad, continuous stress without periods of relief is bad.

The number one thing to reduce stress is …..  EXERCISE – 15 minutes 2 – 3 times a week will go a long way towards relieving the stress that leads to over eating.

Besides working out, there are other relaxation methods – deep breathing alone works wonders.

Meditation and time in nature are my other 2 favorites. Aromatherapy and massage are also other options.

Drop a comment below and let me know below which ones you’re committing to!

Want More Tips  Like These from St. Petersburg’s TOP Personal Trainers  PLUS 30 Member Favorite Holiday Recipes That Won’t Keep You From Your Fitness Goals PLUS 14 Pages Packed With All Of The Secrets, Tips And Strategies That Have Helped Our Clients Enjoy The Holidays Without Weight Gain?

This Is Your Ultimate Holiday Survival Kit. Best Of All, It’s Completely FREE Just For Being Part Of The FSP I TVF Family !

Just CLICK HERE To Download Yours Now.

Committed To Your Success & Awesomeness

Dianne Villano, THE Go To Trainer for YOUR Over 50 Body
Fitness St. Pete l Tierra Verde Fitness

P.S. Hearing from our readers is one of the best parts of my day. Drop a comment if you have any questions or just to let me know what you think about this or let me know a topic you want me to write about!h