Let me start with a quick congratulations on the implied good news: you made gains in the gym! That's great! It tells me that you've established some good habits, developed a routine, and at least paid a little attention to your intake.
(If you are curious about how to make the most of your progress, please read some of my previous answers from Ask Andy, which describe the most effective and efficient ways to get fitter quickly.)
That's a great question I've been asked many times over the years. My answer has admittedly gotten milder with age - so you're in luck! Where I used to be a lot of hardcore and I would have answered with a question of my own, such as, "Well, how much do you want to be great ?!" Hahaha. While I understand what younger I mean, I've come to realize that there is a lot more to enjoy besides the weight room than just the weight room - and that we can get away with some ingestion "transgressions". So here are some guidelines to keep in mind over the next few weeks so that you can both enjoy a little vacation fun and maintain the progress you have worked so hard to achieve.
- Yes, enjoy some delicacies, but remember to categorize them as treats rather than staples! Just one example: a slice of pumpkin pie every now and then won't upset your fitness train - but if you consume multiple slices of pie every day for the next two weeks, you're sure to notice a difference. Do you remember our 80/20 rule? Just try to plan ahead and when you know you have a Christmas party, big family dinner, or special event, save your goodies for the occasion. Eat well for the rest of the day and aim for 80% of your total intake to be beneficial, then the 20% in the bigger picture won't be a problem.
- Yes, find a way to exercise every day! There are plenty of ways to exercise even when you're traveling - check out Ask Andy's answers; we talked about it! Here's the key: don't worry if your “vacation workout” doesn't match your “normal” workout. Even if you're traveling, your gym is closed, or just busy entertaining your in-laws, focus on consistency, which is the most important aspect of keeping your momentum and progressing. Even a 15-minute jog combined with 15 minutes of mobility and bodyweight exercises can be fantastic for keeping your machine fit. The most important point here is to get exercise every day. Especially if you are consuming more / worse calories than usual - that “kindling the metabolic fire” is crucial to making progress.
- Finally, a quick discussion for those of us who might enjoy an adult drink at this time of year. I feel responsible for first of all making it clear that alcohol is not good for fitness. Period. If you want to get the most out of yourself, alcohol cannot be part of your intake.
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However, if you enjoy a drink and can do it responsibly, then you need to treat it as a special occasion rather than a regular occasion. Again, you can't fit the 80/20 rule if you have several drinks a day. These are empty calories that our bodies don't know what to do with, so they're stored as fat. In fact, alcohol could be called the "body fat gateway" because not only do alcohol calories eventually get fat, but when we drink our willpower sinks and decision-making becomes questionable, so we can convince ourselves that we are eating a whole pizza Midnight is kind of a good idea. SPOILER: It's a bad idea and shouldn't be viewed as a "mass win" (but nice try. Haha).
Conclusion: eat, drink, be happy and do sports!
Just keep the metabolic campfire moving with consistent fat burning and good intake to burn off the bad. The reality is that unless you get to have a photoshoot, bodybuilding competition, or wedding a bit the first week of January, enjoy the holidays a bit, you are by and large not going to fall behind. In fact, it can be beneficial for you as a break / restart / refresher, so that you can return to your normal daily routine with renewed excitement.
Have fun and happy holidays!
