Summer Gains for the Winter Season
Good news! We have one month left of summer and there is still time to crush your fitness goals. Did you hit that PR? Did you reach that weight loss goal? What have you done to stay on course to reach your goals this summer? If you hit your goals, then good for you. If not, well that is why fitness is a constant progression, because we are always working to be better, both physically and mentally.
There are many ways we can continue that work ethic into the winter season. The winter season is a time of year when people become complacent and dig into the pending holiday laziness. The season sparks a time of warm comfort food, family gatherings, cold weather. Many people fall into a kind of human hibernation. Do not fall victim to this trap! All that hard work you have put in over the summer will be all for not. But do not worry, there are many ways that you are able to maintain your fitness into the winter season, while still being able to partake in the winter festivities. Let us dive in!
1. Be Accountable: You have worked hard all summer long and probably even before that. They do not call it the “dog days of summer,” for no reason. That is when the work is done. If you slack off and eat cheat meal after cheat meal during the winter months, then what was the point of it all? Be accountable to yourself and hold yourself to a higher standard. After all, you’re worth it.
2. Keep a Food Journal: Now I am not saying you must count every carb and every fat. That is exhausting! What you should do is start a food journal to see your weekly food intake. If you’ve already started one, then great, you’re already on the right path. Most people when wintertime comes, tend to indulge more. Being able to see what you’re consuming will lead to healthier food choices.
3. Workout in Winter and on Holiday: I personally love to work out during the winter months. The cold weather is a lot more forgiving than the summer weather. It is easy to warm up but cooling down is much tougher. During these months commit to 3 to 4 times a week working out. If you know you have a holiday get-together coming up, ensure that you give yourself time on that day to get a workout in. It will make you feel better and give you the satisfaction of accomplishment on a day that most people would take to vegetate and do nothing. Knowing that you are going to be consuming a lot more food than you probably should, the workout will help burn some calories before consumption.
4. One Plate Rule: Following the workout on holiday is the one plate rule. This is exactly how it sounds, eat only one plate, one serving of food when attending a holiday get-together. This is about portion control. We already know that holiday meals are not as healthy as they should be, so limit your serving size to one plate of food.
5. Set a Goal: Last. but certainly not least, is to set a goal for yourself. Going into the winter season, set an attainable goal that will allow you to commit to everything I have listed above. Something that is measurable, attainable, and that will give you satisfaction when and after accomplishing it. You should not wait until January 1st to set goals. This can, believe it or not, happen at any time of the year. In 2019 I set out on a goal to run a triathlon in November. This gave me a goal. I kept myself accountable all summer long and going into the winter season. I watched what I ate in order to be ready on race day. The day before my race was our family Thanksgiving dinner. I only had one plate of food. Enough to feel good, but not enough to have overeaten.
Don’t let those summer gains go in the winter season. It is important to continue to build upon the goals you set out on when beginning your fitness journey. We all start somewhere and sometimes there are setbacks. The important thing to remember is that if you’re motivated, anything is possible. So have fun the rest of your summer and we will see you soon at Train With Talia.