2020 Holiday Survival Guide
Holiday Survival Guide and Hacks
Lets face it the holidays are rapidly approaching and if you don’t have a plan to succeed you most likely will get further from your goals; leaving you more work to do after the holidays are over. We have found that the best approach to success over the holiday season is having a plan to enjoy your seasonal treats and eats while still giving your body what it needs to survive and thrive. Here are some examples of if you do the “crime” calories in you will need to do the “time” burning those calories (calories out).
Calories In
8-10% ABV Christmas Beer – 240-330 calories
Peppermint Mocha – 410 calories
Chocolate Chip Cookie – 100-250 calories
Pumpkin Pie – 300-400 calories
Calories Out
Running – 400-700 calories burned per hour
Weight Lifting – 130-400 calories burned per hour
Walking – 210-350 calories burned per hour
Starting December 1st plan for the Holiday season whether it is two days or seven days where you know your diet will be off track.
If your “maintain your weight” calories are 2000 calories per day and you plan on splurging you must figure out how many additional calories you think you will need; from there you can still make progress.
Susie: Goal Lose 4lb in December while enjoying the holidays.
Maintenance Calories 1850
Lose 1lb per week calories: 1350
Lose 1lb per week through exercise: Burn 500 additional calories per day.
*In theory and in a perfect world this plan would allow Susie to lose 8lb between Dec 1st and Dec 28th. This would also give Susie 14,000 additional calories she could enjoy during the holidays without guilt and still losing her 4 pounds. Why? Because her goal was 4lb but she planned to lose 8. If she doesn’t eat 14,000 excess calories she will actually lose mor than her goal.
Tyler: No goal going into December plans on enjoying the holidays in excess.
Maintenance Calories 2300
Calories he eats between Dec 1st – Dec 28th = 2700/ day because of Egg Nog Cookies, Frappuccino’s, Peppermint Mochas, Beers, Cake & Gingerbread Men.
400 excess calories * 28 days = 11,200 excess calories / 3500 (calories in 1 pound of fat) = 3.2lb of Fat gained.
*Tyler also didn’t workout the entire month so his metabolism took a hit.
The holidays should be a fun time even though they look a little different this year. However that shouldn’t be an excuse to ruin your plan. The goal is to not be Tyler the goal is to be more like Susie or at least maintain your progress during the holiday month.
Tips:
Stick to your financial budget
Stick to your exercise
Stick to your diet but bank some “room” for treats
Don’t let the holiday be the entire month pick 4 or 5 days where you will really indulge yourself but stay on track the rest of the time.
Start thinking about what you would like to get accomplished in 2021 which will inspire you and give you something to think about.
Walk daily even if it is cold 🥶 (Unless it is ICY)
Get good sleep 7-9 hours
Doing something for you as the stress of Covid and the holidays effects you will help minimize the damage on your body, mind and spirit while moving your towards your goals and not away from your goals.
From the Formal Fitness Training Family we are wishing you Happy Holidays and prospects for a healthy, wealthy, successful, fit, and productive 2021!
Michael Hartman
My mission is to give personal training participants a safe and effective workout designed specifically for their goals. Dealing with many sports injuries over the years taught me how to come back stronger every time. The competition is with yourself... Strive to bring out your best self and get better every day!
