Battle of the Holiday Bulge

THIS. MEANS. WAR.

It’s here. It’s now officially the season for feasting – turkey, ham, stuffing, gravy, biscuits, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, every flavor pie, every kind of cookies, cake, ginger bread, rum balls, fudge, candy canes, chocolate covered pretzels, poppycock, apple cider, hot chocolate, hot toddies and egg nog.  There is no other time in the entire year that we are exposed to such a crazy amount of calories, so hang on to your healthy britches because it’s going to be a long 2 months!!

If you’ve been working on transforming your body, or you already have gone through a major transformation, you maybe freaking out a little in anticipation of the Holidays. If you are nervous about it that’s a good thing. This means you can prepare for it.

In many ways, this may be a serious battle for you – a battle you must fight and a battle you can WIN!

10 tips to Winning the Battle of the Holiday Bulge:

1. Prepare for battle. You don’t enter battle without a plan. Is your plan to maintain your weight, lose more weight, get stronger or eat healthier? What is your specific goal this Holiday season?

2. Build your army. Since you are not alone, join forces with other allies in the mission to stay thin. Discuss your plan of action and promise to support one another. They need you just as much as you need them.

3. Train for battle. If you anticipate eating more calories over the Holidays, then start BURNING more calories NOW. Schedule more cardio through the week and boost your intensity by joining a strict training regimen (like our BCx Boot Camp program or a personal training program). The harder you train, the stronger you will be when facing your enemy (food).

4. Learn your enemy. When someone goes to war, they study their opponent. With food, it is crucial you know everything about it. Learn how many calories are in each item so you know how many “punches” you can take without being knocked out of the game. Knowledge is power.

5. Know your weaknesses. It would be foolish to enter battle without knowing your own weaknesses. If an army has a weak spot, they don’t just ignore it and hope the enemy doesn’t find it. No! They guard it heavily.

6. Fuel for battle. Do you think a soldier goes to battle hungry? Do you think a MMA fighter steps in the cage malnourished and starving? No way! It is crucial your body is properly fueled for battle – especially when your enemy is food. Your best defense is a content stomach so never go to a dinner or party running on empty.

7. Follow orders. You can’t expect your plan of attack to work if you don’t follow the plan. With every temptation you face, instead of focusing on what NOT to do, focus on the victory if you do what must be done.

8. Know your base camp. If you mess up or get lost, the  key is to always have that go-to position to regain strength. For soldiers it may be a place everyone agrees to meet back up if they get hurt or split up. For MMA fighters, the goal would be to get back to their strongest fighting position, like getting back on the ground for a wrestler or getting back on your feet for strikers. For many of you, base camp is the gym. For others, it’s taking a 5 mile run. No matter what happens, determine your safe place you can always run to.

9. Persevere. Battles are not won overnight. They require patience and perseverance. If you get knocked down, you must get back up again. If you are defeated, you must wake up the next day ready to fight and reclaim your victory. No matter what happens – as long as you are still fighting, and as long as you don’t waive the white flag, YOU CAN WIN!

10. Don’t underestimate your enemy. You may be thinking I’m over-thinking this whole Holiday thing, but I know from experience what the Holidays can do to someone. Every year I see the battle scars of hundreds of people, filled with regret, flooding the gym. So why not be prepared for the worst? A good army does not prepare for ease. They do not under estimate their enemy no matter how great or small. A smart leader will prepare for all the worst-case scenarios so they are prepared to handle what ever comes their way.

It’s the Battle of the Holiday Bulge. THIS. MEANS. WAR!