Why You Shouldn’t Be Worrying About Calories Over Christmas
- Dec 18, 2023
- 3 min read
Written by: Ryan Hodgson, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Around this time of year in the health and fitness industry, I see two very opposing messages from ‘health coaches’ as I scroll my social media feed which can be very confusing for someone who wants to be healthier.
One side of the argument is to stay on track with your nutrition and exercise,
‘you don't need the extra calories to have a good time.
Don't take time off to undo your hard work.
Your health is important. Christmas is only one day’
Now is the time to get ahead of the majority who will wait until Janaury
All the kinds of messages I’ve seen whilst scrolling my social media feeds in the last 48 hours.
Then we have the opposing side to it…
Just forget about the health and fitness side of things until January.
Just eat, drink, and be Merry.
This time only comes around once a year.
Don’t be sad, just enjoy yourself
Again, I’ve seen messages for the last couple of days.
So what's the right thing to do? It's pretty confusing for someone who wants to make progress with their health and fitness but is also mindful that they don't want to enter 2024 feeling worse than they already do about their body and mind.
Now, the truth is I can see both sides of this, however it's important to take a step back and assess which approach is going to work best for you, because if you’re going to be one who opts for the more relaxed approach where calorie intake is much higher and activity is lower, that’s ok, provided you’re not going to be beating yourself up come January.
You know what I’m talking about, right? The kind of approach where possibly gaining 7-10lbs if going to lead to frustration, upset and possibly even resentment, then I’d say it’s important to have a more controlled approach.
See, I’d actively encourage people to relax a little over Christmas, but doing it in a way that minimises the negative impact it could have on your body and mind. On the days over the festive period when the socials are calling and the calories keep coming, enjoy it!
Just get back to the basics the following day.
Of course if you can do a little activity/movement up to lower the impact of calories consumed such a a nice family walk in the morning can be an easy way to be active, with the family and even give you more energy. Water intake also plays a huge role in nutrient absorption, digestion and energy levels, not to mention it’ll reduce water retention too.
I certainly don’t think anyone should be overly worrying about calorie consumption as they sit around the table at christmas, I think we all know that there are perhaps foods and drinks that are better than others, but really, is Christmas the time to worry about that?
I think not, and I would question the relationship with food if this does cross your mind.
So with all that in mind, as you navigate through the next few weeks, it’s important to take a leveled approach, and whilst I totally agree, you can’t get the time back, you also don’t want to find yourself unhappy in January, so I’d air on the side of caution.
On the days when it’s perhaps not so social and focused on food and drink, doing these little things can really help you physically and mentally.
Drink 2+ litres of water
Walk 8-10k steps a day
Eat protein with each meal and/or snack
Getplenty of colour in your diet
Sleep minimum of 6 hours (ideally towards 8hours)
These are the basics that may not feel like much but they will over time make a physically, however the immediate benefits include more energy, improved recovery, lower hangovers (if you like a few drinks)
Finally, over the festive period, I feel it’s important to remember that our mental health and emotional wellbeing is far more important than the physical side of things in terms of weight loss and/or shape change. As a society, people are working longer hours with more pressure, so when there is time to relax, it’s important to take it.
Ryan Hodgson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Ryan Hodgson, is an executive health coach who helps busy professionals outsource their health and fitness with his 6 month coaching program. Having been in the fitness industry 13 years and having worked with over 10,000 people he’s become an industry leader. Having won several awards, and become a best selling author too. Ryan is a family man and has 2 daughters, which drive his passion to have a holistic approach to health and performance. He is the CEO of Team HH online and runs it with his wife and business partner Elly Hodgson.
