January Blues
Posted on 12th December 2019 at 08:57
Fat, bloated, skint, de motivated, tired.
Hands up who’s felt like this before, after a heavy December into the New Year? Ye, me too.
Is it natural to feel at your lowest point in January? Of course, it is, you’re coming away from the biggest, anticipated highs of the year! Indulgencies, food, alcohol, friends, relationships, family! What more could you ask for?
You’re dreading the January blues & that’s ok. Here’s how we recommend trying to minimise all the stress & anxiety that comes with it!
What we have already looked at is setting small goals for the first month of Jan & Feb down at the studio. This is to help us gain some sort of structure & routine back into a very tough, slow steady month. We need to make sure we’re on programmes that are enjoyable & fun. That allow clients to easily progress through their favourite exercises. Jumping straight into a ‘sled push’ isn’t going to go down too well.
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I say this quite frequently, but I can’t stress how much this may really help you moving through this month. It doesn’t mean you have to totally change what you’re doing. Tracking your food intake can easily help you start to ‘manage’ the amounts you’re consuming. You’ll still be in the stage of ‘habitually’ eating because it’s still in the house, leftovers, snacks, chocolate etc. This is fine, just get it tracked. That way you can manage it & be on top of it when it comes to starting to drop into a deficit. Don’t see it as the end of the world that your food intake isn’t the best. It will take a little time, respect & value placed towards it from your end & you’ll soon be on your way.
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Don’t let me patronise you here but, saving some money right now could be a real good idea. Put some nuggets away ready for A month that money flow may be limited! You don’t want to get that feeling of having to watch what you’re spending just because you spent like a millionaire in December. This can have such a negative impact on your food intake. There are studies that show amount of money does dictate the quality of food that people buy, less nutrient dense, high calorie dense foods which in a month that’s quite harsh already on the physique. Isn’t going to help is it? You don’t want to be scrounging around for protein & veggies just because there’s not enough money in the bank. Get on top of it now, although there’s no instant reward. There will be in Jan!
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Tell me 1 thing worse than the bloated feeling you get after a shit tonne of food & booze the morning after. I’ll wait…..
If there’s one thing you do to help you at least feel better about yourself, it’s trying to reduce your bloating.
-Leave your 1st meal in the morning until as late as you can. This gives time for food to digest from night before.
-Increase your fibre intake. Start the day with a green veggie & fruit smoothie. Our go to is water, pineapple juice, blueberries, kale, spinach, lemon juice & a pinch of sea salt. Ideally aim for 25g per day
-Don’t be afraid of reducing carbs the next day. You aren’t missing out!
-Reduce stress. Try & meditate, write a journal. Clear your head.
-Get up & get moving. Your bowel is a muscle & requires movement too. Doesn’t mean you need to do bowel sled drags.
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Sleep, glorious sleep! I can’t stress this one enough. The social jet lag, the late nights, late mornings will set you up for a right fall when it comes to setting your gym or work alarm! Your body clock & circadian rhythm will be out of whack! You will have crusty eyes & you’ll just press snooze 6 x. We see it! We understand it. In this next few weeks, try & stay on top of a regular evening & morning routine. Keep a similar bed time & wake time. Still have your routines in place. Prioritise the habits you’ve built all year. Why not use this time to start to build newer habits in place that will help increase the quality of your sleep?
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Fruit & veg. That’s all I can say to be honest without you pressing the exit button! I’ll move on.
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You know, this isn’t a plug but hiring a professional could really be the best thing you do in 2020 regarding your goals. We’re ready when you are.
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