What ruins progress???

You’re well into a training program, your nutrition is on point, and you’ve made great progress in both the kitchen and the gym. However, it’s December, and with that being said, holiday meals, celebrations, and down time is well approaching for many. With it comes a great deal of controversy amongst one’s self decision making on what and what not to eat, when to train, and how much time to take off. The questions start flowing through the mind…will I get fat? Will I lose all my progress? How will this effect me?

Then, as it does every year, the day comes that you “over do it”. Turkey, stuffing, and all the fixings, a couple beers, some of granny’s cookies, and a then a few more casuals. Next thing you know it's been a week or so you haven’t trained, your schedule is dust and your motivation is slipping. You decide to have the yearly conversation with yourself that come January first it all starts again. The greens, the beans, and all the workouts. Everything is marked down and ready to be executed. Never the less, another year begins with the feeling of failure, being in a deficit of some sort, and feeling like you aren’t good enough to be whom you wish to be. And all of this comes from what? The 3-4 days you decided to relax and enjoy yourself? The few extra beers on New Year’s? Or maybe the few less hours you got of sleep? Yeah those things aren’t great, but i’ll tell you one thing, they aren’t ruining your progress. They’re hardly even putting a dent in it. For many people, it may even be the catalyst for growth.

So what is ruining your progress around the holidays?

Well we know it isn’t you food choices, so lets scrap that right now! The number one thing stopping you from progressing post holiday celebration is your mindset. This is usually easily predictable from a quick glance at your preparation beforehand. Mental preparation and actively questioning your reasoning behind decisions is important in assessing your potential for success. You can have a strong regimen, eat clean, and work out hard, but this doesn’t mean you’ll be successful. The mentality that surrounds your perception of success is indicative of the outcome. Not always will you win or be successful if you think you’ll be, but it plays a huge role in separating those who want to be successful and those who believe they’ll be successful. Positivity breeds positivity. So in light of holiday celebrations and the negatives that are associated with overdoing it during this time, be mindful of how you approach the holidays from a mental standpoint. Are you stressing yourself out? Are you pre-determining that if you enjoy yourself or “over do it” you’ll be doomed to ruin your progress? That, if you have a few beers you’ll get fat? If this is the way we think before something even happens, then we’re doomed to live out this fate. Inversely, if we create a safe and optimistic mental environment that breeds positive thoughts, then we are more likely to live out a positive fate. Put it this way, ahead of a big celebration meal and or drinks don’t put emphasis on the potential detriment it will have on you, think of the positive memories you get to create with your friends and families. Set a strong focus on the positives and avoid dwelling on the potential negatives. Negatives are worth focusing on when they have an exact known impact on you, if not otherwise known, the bandwidth you use on creating negative thoughts is simply inhibiting your chance to grow and thus animating these negative thoughts. Think happy, be happy. Think sad, be sad. It’s as simple as that.

So this holiday season, when you find yourself worrying about a potential binge, having too many drinks, or not getting much sleep, stop yourself and write down three positive actions and or memories that will come of the same situation you find yourself worrying about. Focus on those three and bring them to life. Set your worries aside and get ready to pick up exactly where you left off before the holiday season.

Furthermore, whether you’re an elite athlete or a first time gym goer just know that you don’t have to think of the holidays as a road block. It’s societal pressure that has created this social environment that insights the need for excessive eating, drinking, and celebration. Know that if you’re truly committed to your cause, want to see continued progress, and feel that the holidays is a road block, that it is simply just another couple of weeks that just happen to be celebrated in grandeur, keep your schedule, don’t back down, and stick to the plan. Though I must heavily emphasize that taking time off and enjoying yourself will certainly not inhibit your progress, and it is encouraged to take the time to enjoy moments with your family and friends, moments we don’t too often get nowadays!

Coach Bray