Forget all or nothing! How to survive the Christmas season and end the year on a high.

Christmas it the time where we often feel like all our health and fitness are going down the drain, with one Christmas party after the other, a lack of time to exercise, and so many temptations around. Brigitte Cummings, head coach at Achievement Coaching, has some top tips how you can survive the Christmas season and end the year on a high. 
 
1. Forget all or nothing.
Don’t panic if you've just eaten most of the left wing of that gingerbread house you are making with the kids. Or if you have dived head first into that mountain of mince pies laid out at the school fair. Overindulged on a Christmas night out? Don’t worry, one slip doesn’t ruin everything. Focusing on one mistake will just be the cause for more. Rather than dwelling on what has happened, let it go, forgive yourself, and look forward. Have an extra healthy meal, go for a brisk walk in the fresh air, reset, and start again. 
 
2. Go back to the basics. 
Reset by focusing on the basics: Lay out your exercise clothes and put out your trainers before your go to bed. Figure out what you are going to eat tomorrow. Go online and order a bunch of healthy groceries for the week (no temptation to pick something off the shelves that’s not on your list!). Then, go to bed early if you can. Get a good night’s sleep and start afresh the next day. 
 
3. Go 80:20.
You don’t want to deprive yourself of some Christmas fun. Join in the celebrations and enjoy it to the max with this simple 80:20 rule: 80% healthy and 20% treats. So fill up your plate with 80% of healthy goodness, and add 20% of fun stuff. Decrease portion sizes. Share desert with your friend (shared calories are half the calories!). Indulge wisely and mindfully, choosing the treats you really want, then savour every little bite. 
 
4. Visualise your goal and log your progress.
Visualisation is a powerful motivational tool that keeps us focused on our goal and the path to get there. So visualise yourself at the time when you will have reached your goal. Feel, hear, and see yourself fit and healthy and full of energy, and tap into that image every time you are facing an excuse to doing a workout or to sticking with your healthy routine. Every time you eat well and you are physically active, you will be a step closer to that goal, so log your progress and keep at it. 
 
Give yourself or a loved one the gift of fitness this Christmas. 
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