2017, it's been emotional!

2017. What a year. It's absolutely flown by, there's been highs and lows, and I've grown so much as a person. (Better late than never, right?)

I'd go as far to say it's been my best year yet. I had lots of goals for 2017, I wrote a list of them (not just health and fitness related!) and I kept it at the back of my diary to check at the end of the year. Amazingly, I have been able to tick off every single thing on the list, except one, but the wheels are in motion for it to happen next year. I'm proud of myself.

As well as those goals, I'd decided that 2017 would be the year I'd finally achieve the body I'd wanted for so long. But, now I know having these unrealistic expectations and aesthetic goals weren't a good idea - I had no clue at that point how much time, patience and consistency it actually takes. As it's turned out, my transformation this year is not something I can put into a "before & after photo" and share on Instagram with the hashtag #TransformationTuesday. Rather, it's been a shift in mindset and overall attitude towards life, becoming a happier, healthier and more confident person.

I can almost pinpoint the start of this change (whether it was subconsciously or not) to May 2017, when I sadly lost my Aunt to Cancer. Without going in to too much detail, it all happened frighteningly quickly, and it really hit me quite hard. It sparked a series of thoughts in my head as it would most people; the realisation that life is short, and it should be lived fully. I decided I wanted to start putting myself first, I didn't want to be held back from acheiving things by my fear, anxiety or introverted ways anymore.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not there yet. But many books, blogs, podcasts, and a fantastic coach later, a whole new world has opened up to me - so many brain gains! I've achieved things in the past 6 months, that if you'd told me I'd be doing a year or so ago, I would have laughed in your face!

Which leads me on to an example of something I've recently done that I'm extremely proud of... boxed at a charity boxing event! Boxing was something completely new to me, and well outside of my comfort zone, but I wanted to challenge myself. It involved training 3 times a week for 8 weeks, before stepping out into the ring in front of hundreds of people. It was tough, mentally, but an experience I'll never forget. More importantly, I raised over £200 in sponsorship for Cancer Research UK.

I'm not sure yet how I'm going to top that in 2018. I've started making my list.. and I have a few tricks up my sleeve. But for now, I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing and enjoying the process.

Tips for damage control this Christmas

With the festive season upon us and various parties and social gatherings starting to happen, it's easy to let your usual diet and training regime take a bit of a hit.

I am not saying this is a bad thing at all, it's near enough impossible not to let it happen to be honest. I'm certainly not going to be able to get to the gym as often as I'd like, or track my food as accurately as I normally would. After all, Christmas is a time to enjoy and relax with your nearest and dearest.

That being said, there are a few approaches I'll be taking this year to 'limit the damage' to my progress so far, which I'm going to outline below. The main underlying principle though, is to avoid falling in to the 'all or nothing' mindset. Something is better than nothing.

1. Don't say you won't eat the mince pie (or whatever delicious delicious festive food you love but know you probably shouldn't eat)

Restricting yourself from certain treats will make you sad basically. Telling yourself you can't have something will just make you want it more, it's human nature, and it can lead to disinhibition (AKA the "f*** it" mentality), as in; "Well I've eaten the forbidden pie now so f***it I may as well eat the other 3 plus some Christmas pudding and oh, it would be rude not to have some Christmas cake too..."

Instead, make the conscious decision beforehand that if you find yourself really wanting to eat something, allow yourself to have it. That way you'll be in control of what you eat and you won't feel like you're depriving yourself. Remember, you don't have to be perfect, just better.


2. Be mindful when eating, know when you're satisfied and stop there

I'd discourage you from rationalising your potential over eating this Christmas with the "my diet starts 1st January, so I need to eat all I can before then" excuse. I've been there, done that - it really does just set you up for failure.

Try to keep your portion sizes in check, if you aren't sure what these should be, check out this handy guide. If you finish your meal and you're considering that second helping, first wait 20 minutes and then ask yourself if you really want it - it takes your brain about this amount of time to register the feeling of being full.

Following on from that, you should aim to eat until you're satisfied, not until you're so stuffed you can't move! Slow down - you should be enjoying every bite of food as much as the first bite. If you're not, then you could just be eating for the sake of it or out of habit of clearing your plate whether you are satisfied or not.


3. Stay (moderately) active

If you're too busy for your usual workout regime, try excusing yourself from the festivities for 10 - 15 minutes to squeeze in a quick body weight workout which can be done anywhere. There's a whole load of workouts you could do which require no equipment - just Google it. A little is better than nothing at all.

Go for a walk outside about half an hour after finishing your Christmas dinner - even if it's just a 15 minute brisk walk, studies have shown this can regulate your blood sugar as well as giving your digestive system a kick start. Also, the fresh air will perk you up and stop you from getting that sluggish food coma feeling that comes after a large meal.

Finally, and this will certainly be applicable to me this year, if you can get to the gym, take advantage of the extra calories and smash a couple of solid weightlifting sessions. The additional food will serve well as extra fuel to really push yourself during your workout, and contribute to muscle recovery and growth. Winner winner... Christmas dinner!

~

P.s., if you do have a huge blowout or an epic cheat meal/day/week (let's face it, it's probably going to happen to me) don't beat yourself up about it. It's been said to death, but just get straight back on track the following day - don't starve yourself, don't kill yourself at the gym doing guilt cardio, just appreciate what you've had and move onward and upwards.

Merry Christmas!

P.p.s. Don't be like deadlift Santa, always wear a shirt and clip your bar.