Feeling Sexy and in Shape This Holiday
Want to stay in shape, stick to your fitness plan over the holidays, and not lose that sex appeal you’ve spent most of the year developing? Here’s the simple rule: you are what you think and feel.
Ever realize that your thoughts are simply magnetic energy molecules? Now it’s not as simple as spending the holiday season avoiding the gym, munching on munchies, and just thinking you aren’t losing those hard fought abs. It’s a bit more fun than that.
Let’s begin with what you want to create for yourself over these next few weeks. That’s right CREATE. In a wonderful book written by Susie Pearls, “Instructions for Happiness and Success,” she describes this process as follows:
Calm – with your eyes closed, establish a feeling of calm and focus on what you are grateful for in yourself, your fitness routine, your health and wellbeing.
Relax – move into a relaxed, peaceful and quiet meditative state.
Experience – accept a vision of yourself as you want to be and feel over the holidays, imagining, seeing, as if you are what you want already in January.
Ask and Allow – accept exactly what you want for your fitness goal, perhaps a toned feeling, weight loss, that beach body look in the cold of the winter, and align yourself totally with that version of you.
Thanks – be immersed in thanks for what you see and already are in your vision.
With all that you’re ready to hit the gym, be it at home, in the office or on the road visiting family and friends. After all, it’s finding a place to train and the motivation to stay active that derail people. But ultimately, the link is what you think!
“Holidayrexia” hits everyone. Parties, buffets, late night drinking, office snacking and less and less time to exercise are all upon you. Here are some tips to keep you active and healthy, so you can avoid the holiday bulge.
1. Stay Focused
Increase your activity by wearing a pedometer or other techno-tracking device to help you stay mindful of moving more every day. It’s very important to schedule time with your trainer, workout buddies, and group exercise classes NOW. Commit to working out on any day you have a party, no matter how formal or informal. Break your activity into three 10 minute segments daily and you’ve hit the magic goal. Who can’t park further away, vow to take the stairs, shovel some snow, use the airport, shopping mall or pit stops on your holiday driving trip to do a ten-minute high intensity interval jog, or find other natural methods to activity?
2. Eat Smart
Of course party…just eat wisely. OK, this is not going to be easy, but you can do it. More protein, fruit and less refined carbs are part of the answer. Remember this: you can eat everything you want on the buffet table, OR you can stay thin, fit and healthy. You just can’t do both.
3. THINK fit.
People carry so many sabotaging thoughts about eating, weight management, and holiday party food. Here’s a sampling: “Watching what I eat should be easy.” “If I get hungry, the hunger will get worse and worse unless I eat something.” “There is nothing I can do to make my cravings go away.” “It’s okay to eat this food because I’m stressed, everyone else is eating it, it’s just a little piece and I’ll make up for it later.” “I’ve already blown it so it doesn’t matter what else I eat.” These are completely erroneous, illogical, irrational and unreasonable beliefs. Question what evidence you truly have for the veracity of your thoughts. There is none. They are just thoughts. Incorrect ones.
It doesn’t take hours a day to make a difference, just try some of the Total Gym 10-minute workouts and try some of these quick workouts. There is no magic, there is only movement. A shopping trip to the mall can be a great aerobic walking workout. Don’t ignore that one! The added secret sauce to insure you are working out your mind, mouth and muscles, is one big happy smile, before, during and after your exercise. Remember, the E in Exercise stands for enjoyable, not excruciating!
