Disciplined December

This is a month that all can spiral out of control if you let it. You hear everyone talking about needing to get their shopping done early, packages in the mail on time, Christmas cards out before the last week before Christmas and on and on and on... Sounds overwhelming and that doesn't even include holiday parties, work and family commitments. It can be a crazy month.

December has rolled in and all thoughts of exercise and diet can be thrown out the window, completely. I believe this is a month where self discipline is so important. When your hectic holiday lifestyle sets in you need a good plan in place. You need to know exactly when your going to workout and exactly what your doing for those workouts then there is no reason to not follow through.

LIFESTYLES

Lifestyle A: I have lived a very disciplined life in the past. I knew exactly every meal I was eating and at what times, as well as what my workouts were for an entire month. I lived a lifestyle where there was no questioning ANYTHING therefore as long as I put the work in and stuck to my plan I was going to be successful.

Lifestyle B: I have also lived a very fly by the seat of my pants lifestyle as well. Not quite sure when I was going to eat next or what that meal would look like. My workouts were varied each week and I never followed a plan. I worked out when I felt like it. Whatever sounded good for that day whether it was weights, intervals, a run or mix of everything for crazy cardio, I did it.

So which lifestyle was the most successful for fat loss- A, hands down. Which one was easier to follow- A, hands down. Which one could I maintain for a long period of time- neither!

Lifestyle C: This is the current lifestyle I lead. I have a month's worth of workouts planned in a monthly calendar. I also write down all my weekly workouts in a small notebook so I can keep track of my successes. Unless I am sick or feeling awful, I stick to my plan. Now, having every meal planned out is a bit much and really tough to maintain for long periods of time. I will follow lifestyle A again after baby 2 comes around and I want to compete again but for now, I am enjoying not following such a strict diet plan. I do however follow a very predictable weekly meal plan.

Breakfast: 2 whole eggs with 2 egg whites, steamed broccoli or green vegetable and occasional piece of Ezekiel bread
or
1/2 cup oatmeal, 4 egg whites blended and grilled to make a pancake topped with Almond Butter

Snack: apple with Almond Butter
or lean ground turkey with veggies

Lunch: Salad with grilled chicken
or leftovers from the night before usually veggies and lean protein and piece of fruit

Snack: 1 scoop protein powder and piece of fruit
or hummus and veggies

Dinner: varies but always healthy.... last night, grilled chicken with brushetta, beets (this was a family first, not a hit at all!), sweet potato fries

I pretty much stick to this type of clean eating with some treats thrown in here and there. Lifestyle C allows for cheats 20% of the time and 80% of the time clean eating. It also sticks to solid training program where there is no questioning what workout will come next.


So, what lifestyle are you leading over the holidays? Are you getting out of bed for those 5:30 workouts or staying where it is nice and warm? Are you still doing the same program for over 6 weeks and no longer seeing your body change? Are you still wishing you could drop a pants size or fit in a cute dress for New Years Eve? Or, has your diet gone completely out the window and all you consume is holiday treats, comfort foods, Starbucks yummy drinks and have no where near enough protein in your diet??


Time to get disciplined then. Clean it up. If you don't have a plan make one now. Gain control in your life and set yourself up for success. There is no reason you can't start working on your 2011 resolutions now if they include fitness and nutrition goals!

If you need help with any of this, send me an email! I can help get you on the right path towards a more disciplined December and still be able to enjoy the great things about the holidays!