1st January. Maybe there’s a last minute NYD ham to fit in, but otherwise, it’s time to ditch the Bailey’s in your morning coffee, stop serving Ferrero Rocher as a side dish and get back to the usual routine. You step on the scales and…HOLY MOLY that was a HEAVY Christmas. Time to start smashing the training and burn off that festive season right?
It’s a common scenario: you’ve enjoyed the season’s treats, perhaps been a little more sedate from your usual active routine and now you’re worried about its impact on your training and body composition. But before you jump into extreme dieting or punishing workouts, let’s talk about a healthier approach that balances your performance goals, health, and mental well-being.
Understanding the Pitfalls of the “Work Off” Mentality
The idea of “working off” those Christmas indulgences can be harmful both mentally and physically. This mindset often leads to knee-jerk reactions like excessive training or restrictive eating, which not only disrupts your mental health but can also derail your training gains. It’s essential to recognise that one small season of habits doesn’t define your athlete journey, instead, it’s the long term habits and mindset that do. Right now is an opportunity to put that mindset into practice and prove it.
Long-Term, Sustainable Nutritional Approaches
As a nutrition advisor for age group athletes, I advocate for a focus on real, whole food solutions that align with your busy lifestyle and performance goals. I want them to not only be sustainable for you as a human being with a family and a real life, but also to be helpful in helping you hit those performance goals too. Here’s why sustainable nutritional habits matter:
- Maintains Consistency: Adopting a long-term view of nutrition helps in maintaining a consistent and balanced diet, avoiding the extremes of yo-yo dieting, which often leads to unhappiness, unfavourable body composition changes and in extreme cases, RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport).
- Supports Overall Health: A balanced diet comprising whole foods nourishes your body, supporting both your physical and mental health.
- Enhances Training Gains: Consistent, good nutrition complements your training regime, leading to gradual and sustainable performance improvements.
Getting Back to the Routine Post-Holidays
Although it can be tempting to try and get everything done and “worked off” within the first week, the best strategy post-holiday is to gently guide yourself back to your normal routine:
- Ease Into Training: Accept that you might feel a bit sluggish initially. It’s okay. Give your body the time to readjust.
- Balanced Eating: Instead of drastic diet changes, return to your regular, balanced diet. Focus on nutrient-rich foods that fuel your body and training needs.
- Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to hunger and fullness cues. Eating intuitively can help maintain a healthy relationship with food.
Mental Health and Nutrition
Remember, your mental approach to nutrition is just as important as the physical aspect. Avoiding a punitive mindset towards food and exercise is crucial. Exercise is there for you to enjoy it – think of all the smiles you get from your sport!
- Self-Compassion: Be kind to yourself. Understand that indulging during the holidays is a part of life and doesn’t reflect a lack of discipline, but instead a celebration of all the friends and family you have around you and what it means to be a socially driven animal – a human being!
- Balanced Perspective: Nutrition is not just about body composition or performance; it’s also about enjoying life and its pleasures, including food. You are NOT a professional athlete and it is NOT the be all and end all. The choices you made for a short period of time, will not define your results in the summer – the day to day habits you adopt that are healthy and sustainable, will.
Embracing Patience and Consistency
Finally, be patient. Body composition will gradually return to normal as you resume your routine. This patience not only protects your mental health but also ensures you don’t compromise your long-term training gains for short-term fixes.
As an age group athlete, it’s important to balance your training, nutrition, and life responsibilities with a sustainable and mentally healthy approach. Remember, real progress lies in consistency and balance, not in extreme reactions to short-term indulgences. Stay focused on your long-term goals, and trust that your usual focused routine will bring you back on track, stronger and more resilient. Happy New Year Folks!
And if your goal this year is to really nail down your nutrition, get booked in for your FREE NO OBLIGATION intro call with me today to see how I could help you banish your food anxieties AND nail down your performance this year.