Staying In Shape During The Festive Season

The holiday season is upon us again. We all know it, the season where we break routine and indulge or even probably overindulge. I am talking about office parties, drinks after work and never-ending Christmas party events.

The season is when we celebrate the end of the year and congratulate ourselves for the effort and consistency that we have put in all year round.

It’s not a joke, I also congratulate you on holding it together.

When we talk about celebrating as Nigerians and in many parts of the world, we take it very seriously, all our favourite foods come out (healthy and unhealthy), the alcohol never stops flowing, and we tend to go overboard 80% of the time.

You can all hear that echoing voice shouting YOLO ( you only live once). With the gathering of old and new friends from all over the world, it is effortless to get carried away.

My opinion is this, Christmas is only celebrated once a year and if you have been putting in work all year round I don’t believe one week of indulging will necessarily change a lot, yes you may gain/shift a few kilos while celebrating with family and that is ok.

In the world of fitness weight gain is a good thing, especially for bodybuilders and those looking to gain more mass and lean muscle.

I think it will be unfair to yourself and rude to your family not to take advantage of all that great cooking because you are on a ‘diet’. But it is not to say that healthier options can’t be tailored to suit your dietary needs and goals during the festive season.

Staying In Shape During The Festive Season

My advice still remains the same, consume everything but in moderation. Overload on chicken, turkey, pork, beef, lamb (whilst considering slicing some of those large pieces of fat) and so on. Keep the rice and potato and so on in moderate portions and enjoy the desserts in modrate portions too. But who is to say that a sneaky extra portion is still an option? (wink wink) 

Let me also add this as I conclude, when you feel full and satisfied STOP, and save the rest for a later.  You don’t want to come back to reality with a bad habit of overeating and expanding your stomach. I know that this is real because it has happened to me. 

Stay hydrated! Drinking a lot of water during this period cannot be overstated. It will help digest foods faster and increase metabolism. However, remember that drinking too much water whilst limiting your solid food intake can impact your body’s ability to pick out essential nutrients. As the adverts say, drink responsibly. 

If you can train during the holidays that will be fantastic.

If you are like a few of us who take a break from beating our bodies up, then that occasional 1 to 3 km (or more) walk will do you a great deal of good. 

Finally when you are back, set those goals and pick up from where you left off.

Merry Christmas and Happy holidays! 

DOMINATE DON’T COMPETE!

Article Written by: @mr_intensity365

Edited by: @fitkaytoday

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