Keeping motivated in the lead up to Christmas

As a Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor, it’s common misconception that we all eat perfectly, we work-out all the time and there’s no set-backs in terms of us leading a consistent healthy lifestyle.

Well, this is simply not true. Every one of us have days/weeks in some cases months that we’re not looking after ourselves as much as we should be. Whether it’s not exercising as regularly as we like, not doing enough cardio/strength/flexibility training, not eating as healthy as we should, drinking enough water, getting enough vitamins, or even enough sleep (this last one is probably one area I need to focus on more!)
Anyway, there’s certainly a big checklist we all should be aiming to adhere to if we want to lead a healthy, balanced lifestyle. But unfortunately, sometimes life just gets in the way and we go through phases of doing the complete opposite we’re supposed to. For me, that’s this time of year!

I’m just back from a fab long weekend break in New York, where I ate all I could eat (my god, massive portions in the States!!!) Pancakes for breakfast, huge sandwiches and chips for lunch, burgers for dinner (and of course cocktails for dessert), you name it, I probably ate it (or drank it! 😂) But for me, falling off the wagon from having a fairly, healthy balanced diet with regular exercise probably started a week or so before I left for New York.

In my head I was already in holiday mode, which consisted of me eating a lot of convenience food/snacks in the lead up to the trip. I’d make excuses for myself such as; “I’m going away soon and have lots to do and organise beforehand”, “I’ve a hectic lifestyle at the minute travelling up and down to Limerick twice a week, going to University, so don’t have time to make myself the packed lunches and do all the prep I’d usually do” (blah blah blah, excuses, excuses)….
Anyway, I’m sure we’re all capable of reasoning with ourselves as to why we’re not ticking those healthy lifestyle boxes. In some instance their probably valid reasons.
But the bottom line is; we need to look after ourselves first. I know it’s cliché; but your body is your temple. It’s the only place you have no choice but to live in. So, it’s worth taking care of.

Don’t get me wrong, I had an amazing time in NYC and wouldn’t change it for the world, however for future trips I’m certainly going to be more mindful of my food choices!
When I go through periods of eating crap, my energy levels drop. When I was in New York I was walking loads and even slotted in a SoulCycle class, however I still managed to feel bloated and sluggish from all my unhealthy eating. Eating healthy really is such an important factor, you can do all the exercise you like but if your diet doesn’t match, you’re not going to reap all the benefits.

I now look forward to getting myself back on track with my consistent healthy eating habits. So, getting motivated is key, and for me it’s knowing how much better I feel in myself from leading a healthy, energetic lifestyle.

I expect Christmas will be filled with lots of get-togethers etc, so I want to ensure I’m in full health and have plenty of energy to keep up with all the festivities that take place (and not end up feeling like I did in New York).

With any goal, you need a plan of action, fail to prepare, prepare to fail. So, here’s my checklist I’ve put in my diary in the lead up to Christmas (I absolutely love making checklists by the way!) For anyone else looking to get themselves motivated and back on track for Christmas I suggest you do the same! Write down your plan and tick it off each time you complete it – you get a great sense of achievement and it really highlights areas you need to work on (plus it will also be a great guide for deciding new years’ resolutions).

Get yourself motivated, give it a try!

We can do this!

Weekly Checklist:
☐ Weights x 2/3 times a week (30 mins to 1 hour)

☐ Cardio (BODYCYCLE x 3 times a week)

☐ Pilates x 2/3 times a week (mixture of Pop Pilates, Hot Power Pilates, Core & Flexibility).

☐ Sufficient stretching after each session.

☐ 8 hours sleep minimum per night.

☐ Get my 5+ a day.

☐ Take my daily vitamin C (I’m taking Forever Vitamin C supplements – great this time of year!)

☐ Prep my meals & snacks (to make sure I’m getting my balanced diet).

☐ Course of Aloe Gel (ideal for detoxing & cleansing your gut after a period of eating badly).

☐ 2 litres + of water! (for the days I’m cold, I’m drinking hot water with lemon to make sure I’m getting over 2 litres)