Planning on letting loose this Christmas? Make sure you’re ready to get back on track, FAST! 

Whether your Christmas indulgence is a 1 day, 3 day, or week long affair, you’ll want to get back on track, right?… Well here’s how…

Let’s fast forward in our little fitness time machine and assume Christmas is over.

In fact, by the time you read this, Christmas might be a distant memory.

Right now, you desperately want to shed the Christmas pounds. And you feel like you need a detox after drowning in alcohol, chocolate, and turkey for a week.

But how do you free yourself from your Christmas coma and get the wheels back on track?

Read on my friend and find out the answer.

The Post Christmas Lull

So with the main indulgences of Christmas behind you, did you spring out of bed this morning with the breathless anticipation of the day ahead?

Eager to smash out a post Christmas workout.

Did the thought and excitement of getting back to your routine become all too much?

You were about to burst with excitement, right?

Just like a kid at Christmas…

Only this time you’re making a beeline for your gym bag.

You throw on your brand new threads you got for Christmas, grab a protein shake, and off you go.

Or is that all just wishful thinking?

All that would be great, right?

But the reality is a lot different… Let me summarise how you’re feeling.

After a few days of over indulgence, you don’t really feel like getting back in the old routine.  

After all, you’re not back at work yet, so yet another lie in sounds like a much better deal! Plus, there’s still more food to systematically work through.

Exercising your way out of a food coma isn’t the most appealing of propositions.  

And besides, the new diet starts in January, right? So you’ve got at least another 5 days to keep developing your food baby.

On that note, you curl up under your nice warm duvet, like a hibernating bear. And steal a few more hours of shut eye before you have to face the world again.

How To Get Kickstarted After Christmas

So if that’s how you feel, how do you actually get back on track after Christmas?

How do you motivate yourself to get back into the routine?

How do you avoid the temptations still littered throughout the house?

And how do you start making good food choices again with a fridge still bursting with treats?

Well the good news is your solution is right here…

I’m going to give you 5 Tips To Get Back On Track After Christmas.

By the end of this article you’ll be motivated and raring to go. Just like a kid on Christmas morning.

So let’s get to it…

Getting Back On Track

However, long your period of well-earned gluttony was, it’s not the end of the world.  

Because, you don’t need carry your food baby around for 9 months.

In fact, it’s going to take less effort than you think to get back on the gain train.

So here are my 5 top tips you can start implementing today.

1. Don’t Panic

First things first.  A few days off the diet plan and away from the gym doesn’t mean you need to hit the panic button.

And you certainly don’t have to abandon all sense of reason.  

Because in the grand scheme of things, it’s a minor blip on your fitness journey.  

A couple of weeks of consistency will have you wondering what all the fuss was about.

So there’s no need to start a crash diet.

And you definitely don’t need some shitty beetroot and cabbage detox (I don’t know if that’s a thing, i just made it up).

Just imagine the gas! The Dutch Oven will be burning strong…

Simply go back to what served you well before Christmas came along.  

Because there’s a reason why it was working.  So there’s no need to change your approach now.

Get your nutrition and training back where it was ASAP.

Aiming to do 40 hours of cardio a week to burn off the tub of Quality Street you ate watching Die Hard, is not going to work.

Because that’s 3,650 calories and you’ve got no chance burning that off…

(p.s yes I did check the calorie content of quality street).

The main point here is DON’T STRESS OUT.  Consistent application of your calorie deficit is still your key to success.

 

2. Get the day off to a good start.

The old adage of breakfast being the most important meal of the day is bullshit, that’s a fact.

But when you’re getting back on track after Christmas, breakfast might be of help.

Because starting the day with a nutritious and filling breakfast can set you up for the rest of the day.

And yes, this is no hard and fast rule. So if you don’t like breakfast, feel free to skip it. Ultimately, do what works and helps you stick to your plan.

But be honest, what’s breakfast looked like for the last few days?

Bacon sandwiches and fistfuls of Cadbury’s Heroes? Thought so… How about we opt for something else today?

For example, why not try this?…

The Post Christmas Protein Breakfast

Start things with a breakfast that is high in protein.

This will help you feel full for longer…

And that’s a good thing.

Because when you get back to the office, the tubs of chocolates will still be scattered throughout the office. And you need a way to resist temptation.

And don’t rely on your colleagues to help. The guy next who shouted, “It’s Christmas… Get fat” at you as your hand drifted towards the treats, is still going to be there.

And he’ll be teasing and tempting you at every opportunity.

But hey, I suppose you could call it good squat fuel…

Back to that breakfast…

Try an egg white omelette

An egg white omelette is a great breakfast choice.

And one that’s a personal favourite of mine.  Here’s a great recipe which includes some spinach and tomato for extra taste and some bonus micronutrients.  

Of course, you can play around with the ingredients to suit your own taste.

And add some toast or some thick cut bread to provide some additional carbs.

Because we know they’re not the devil, right?

3. Hydrate yourself

Undoubtedly you’ve enjoyed a drink or two this Christmas…

And that’s being conservative.

More than likely you just lost count with all the office parties and nights out. Not to mention Christmas Day itself.

Right now your body could probably do with a break from the sauce. Am I right?

Good ol’ H2O probably hasn’t your drink of choice this week, has it?

Assess your pee

So I’m guessing your water intake has been pretty shit in recent days.

Consequently, you could be a little dehydrated.

Your pee has got that strong, dark yellow, borderline brown colour. And it’s accompanied by a smell strong enough to make you wince in pain.

But all is not lost. Because you can get back on track pretty quickly by sinking a few glasses throughout the day.  

And I mean water, not more booze!!!

Although, in actual fact water is not the best drink for rehydration… Milk might be your best option.

I made a post about this on Instagram… Go here to check it out.

But if milk isn’t your thing, water is still a good option.

So here’s the lesson…

Hydrate well throughout the day to get back in the land of the living. Resembling an extra from The Walking Dead is not a good look.

4. Track your food

It’s highly likely the holiday season is not quite over for you.  

Businesses aren’t back in full swing. And so there are still plenty of family get-togethers to navigate.  

By now I’m sure you’re probably sick of turkey leftovers and rich desserts.

You want to get back to some sense of normality.

But there’s a high degree of social pressure on you.

Everyone wants to go out for a drink or have that nice meal. But all you want to do is be a killjoy and stay home, right?

In that case, now’s the time to start tracking and planning ahead with your meals for the day.

I know. I know! Simon is back to banging on about planning.

But there’s good reason my friend.

Look at it this way… You’re off track track right because your days have been about as structured as your bowel movements after all that rich food.

One word. Carnage!

The Calorie Buffer

Just like the lead up to Christmas, creating your calorie buffer is important.

Think ahead to the days where you might be over indulging again.

Now simply start adjust your day / week to accommodate the carnage. But maybe have a think about how you can make it a little less of a train wreck too.

Plan ahead using MyFitnessPal if that’s your thing. It certainly makes it a hell of a lot easier…

5. Do something

This one is pretty simple.  Just do something!…

And by that I mean, get moving.

Do some form of exercise during the day.  I’m not really fussy what it is to be honest. Because you simply need to start taking action again.

As I’ve said before, Action = Motivation, not the other way around…

Although, if you’re not struggling with motivation, then hit the gym.  Pound those weights and slot yourself right back into the groove.  

Go forth, squat heavy, squat deep, and make those hamstrings touch your calves… Awesome.

However, if you’re struggling for motivation and don’t feel like grinding out a workout, all is not lost.

Because you can ease yourself back into your programme in other ways.  

Getting back into training without the gym

Go for a walk

Walking is great exercise. 

If you’ve still got the family with you, get them in on the act.  

The time will fly by as you walk and talk.  Or, if it’s anything like my family, you’ll argue and walk in silence.

Either way, you’re all getting that NEAT up!

And let’s face it, 30 mins to an hour really won’t feel like exercise.  

It’s not like you’re on a boring treadmill. You can stare at the scenery rather count the bricks on the wall in front of you.

Go for a run

Maybe you’re feeling a little more active? But your local gym is still closed.

So strap on your running shoes, jam the headphones into your ears and get running.  

It won’t take long for you to work up a sweat. And you’ll definitely start to get the taste for training. Particularly, as the over indulgence seeps out of your pores.

Do a bodyweight workout at home 

Running isn’t everyone’s thing (it’s certainly not mine).

So a good alternative is a decent bodyweight workout within the comfort of your own home.

I’ve created an awesome bodyweight workout below that requires no equipment, which you can take a look at here…  

There’s quite a few exercises to choose from. But don’t worry, you don’t have to do them all.

Be selective and pick the ones you like and match your skill / fitness level.

The goal here is to keep things short, sharp, and to the point. Keep rest periods brief and don’t drag it out for a two hour marathon.  

If you do, you might as well have gone to the gym!

Getting Back On Track After Christmas: The Bottom Line

The bottom line is you need to revert back to your day to day plan ASAP.

Yes, you want to enjoy yourself. But there comes a point where Christmas has to end…

Well, that is if you want to make progress.

So if it all seems a massive struggle, simply take small steps to get back on track.

You’ll soon find things slotting back into place.

Oh… And my advice is to throw away those tubs of chocolate still lurking in the house. Because you can get your squat fuel by other means…

And if your housemate starts baking mince pies because they love Christmas so much, you have ever right to beat them…

The Fast Track To Results

This is the time of year when everyone is hard wired to start thinking about the New Year. “New Year, New Me!” and all that…

No doubt, you set some goals at the start of the year…

Probably the same ones you do every year…

“Lose weight and get in shape.” (or words to that effect).

Am I right? Thought so…

So here’s the thing.

I’m guessing you might have made some progress this year.

Or maybe you’re still stuck at square one?

Either way, you’re not where you want to be.

So what’s going to change come the 1st January?

What are your New Year goals?

Do you think writing down the same goal, crossing your fingers and hoping for the best is going to work next year?

Let’s not go through the same charade again.

I want to make next year the happiest and most successful year you’ve ever had.

But to do that, we need to hit the ground running…

That’s why I’ve set aside some time in my diary to help you do exactly that.

I’m not even going to charge you for it. You just need to go here for more info.

There’s just one small catch – this is really only for people you are ready to commit to their goals.

So if you’re not at the point where you want to lose stubborn body fat and sculpt a lean, badass body in the New Year, then don’t click the link.

But if you ARE, then we should talk. And it’s free 🙂

Here’s a quick page where you can apply.

Speak soon… Simon.