Happy Holiday Season!
Hey all! Sam here wishing you a happy weekend!
It’s that time of year – Holidays, Weddings, Festivals... They are mostly a lot of fun but, for some of us, events like this can raise our anxiety levels...
In the year where I lost around 40kg in weight, using a combination of fitness classes, running and calorie restriction, I became a little obsessed. At the time I didn’t realise it, but on reflection my weight loss journey became my new addiction after going sober.
Getting my running mileage in, or attending particular fitness classes, were always priority over social events and missing them filled me with a nervousness that meant I trained even harder the next day. If I did “overconsume” in a meal out I would almost punish myself by doing an extra hour in the gym, or restrict my calories even more the following day. That same year I went to Glastonbury Festival and even used my precious battery life to log my estimated exercise and food consumption into the myfitnesspal app so that I wouldn’t lose my streak!! A couple of months before I left my partner of 10 years, my friends suggested I took a spa weekend to reset and reflect... instead I went and did a residential bootcamp!!
I’ve heard it a lot from clients and members too, that we don’t want to “lose progress” when we go on holiday. We make plans to stick to our healthy eating plans, to exercise while we are away, to “stay good”! Sometimes we stick with it, stay “strong” and come back feeling like we achieved something – but at what cost? Did we miss out? Sometimes we “fail” this mission… we don’t train, we eat ALL the tasty foods and maybe drink more than planned. We come back home feeling bloated, lazy and, combined with the post holiday-blues, regret. But again, why? Why are we so hard on ourselves? Holidays are there to relax, to enjoy the place you are visiting, to have a change in your routine, to have fun. That routine will still be there when you come home and your body will appreciate the rest! It's important to relax, especially if you are training hard or have been overwhelmed in your personal or work life.
Similarly big social occasions such as weddings are cause for celebration – a time to be with close friends, family and to let loose a little! Accept that this weekend, this holiday, this festival, whatever it may be, we can relax a little and enjoy everything that is on offer! Balance what is right for your body with what is good for the mind! It shouldn’t be an excuse to completely binge out on anything you have been avoiding, or that you know will likely make you feel terrible the next day, but it can be a way to allow yourself a little more flexibility. Remember that your body and mind is precious, treat it with respect and kindness and try to avoid obsessing over everything you do - deep down you know what's good for you!
Whatever you get up to this weekend and summer holiday season, enjoy it! You deserve it 💙
Sam and Ash
