As we hustle into November, the year is slowly creeping to
an end. With that in mind,
creating momentum for the upcoming year should be the mindset. This momentum happens by finishing the
year on a strong and positive note.
Here are a few strategies to help you stay on track with
your healthy living plan over the next 2 months:
1.
Challenge yourself up to Thanksgiving. I encourage you to push yourself over
the next four weeks. Add an extra
training session to your routine, clean up your nutrition plan and push your
comfort zone. The weeks leading up
to Thanksgiving are a critical time to stay healthy and on your plan. This sets you up to sustain a healthy
lifestyle leading into the winter months.
2.
Do not miss your workouts. If you continue to maintain your
workout schedule, you will be less likely to gain weight over the next 8
weeks. The average American will
gain 7-10 pounds over the next 2 months.
Lack of activity and consumption of high caloric food is a sure fire way
to add pounds. Don’t let this
happen to you. Simply staying on a
consistent workout schedule will aide in sustaining the results you have
achieved up to this point.
3.
Do not wait for “New Year’s Resolution”
time. I am very adamant about this
strategy. Many people wait till
the New Year to start their fitness routine. Why wait? Get
going now. I see it every New
Year. Many people decide to get on
a plan at the beginning of the year only to fall off within weeks of
starting. Do not let this be you. Start now by adding a couple workouts a
week and changing a few nutritional habits. Then when the New Year rolls around, you have already
created sustainable healthy habits.
4.
Sign up for an event. Locally, we have the annual Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving,
the Tinsel Toy 5k in December and the Resolution Run 5k on January
1st. Signing up for an
event creates motivation and accountability and will get you training
consistently so you will be prepared for your event. Find a group of people and encourage them to train with
you. This will make training and
competing in the event a better experience.
5.
Go back to the 85% rule. I have talked about this strategy
before. This is a critical time of
the year to follow the 85% rule.
Simply put, 85% of your food intake should be healthy choices. Look at the next 40 times you put food
into your mouth; 34 of those meals should be healthy. That gives you 6 meals where you can indulge on other
options. By following this rule,
you will maintain your weight, keep your energy levels high, decrease your
chances of getting a cold or the flu and overall keep you healthier.
