Long weekends are notorious for overindulgence. Food, beverages, snacks and treats seem to go hand in hand with an extra day off. But, it doesn’t have to be so. There are things you can do to stay on track over the next few days. 

Here are 6 quick tips for you to stay the course. Remember, a long weekend doesn’t have to always mean losing your focus on your health and fitness. 

Tip #1: Plan your workouts & stick to them

Commit to getting your workouts in. They don’t have to be long and drawn out, but committing to being active over the weekend will help you “remember” that your fitness and nutrition are important #2. 

Tip #2: Drink your water

There’s nothing like a nice drink over the weekend, I won’t dispute that. But remember it’s also important to hydrate with water. If you’re really wanting a fancy drink there are many delicious and nutritious non-alcoholic punches. If you do choose to indulge in alcoholic beverages, be sure to drink water in between. 

Tip #3: Eat your vegetables

Yeah, this one seems like a no-brainer, but with tables of dips, crackers and chips it is easy to overlook your vegetables. Try this: fill half of your plate with veggies. Yup, half. Eat your veggies FIRST, then you can snack on the gooey deliciousness.

Tip #4: Get active as a family

Plan activities that get you and your family moving this weekend. Go for a hike, a family bike ride, register for a race as a team or even check off some of your yard work tasks. Whatever it is, get active…together. 

 

Tip #5: Don’t give yourself permission

It’s easy to get into the cycle of “it’s only a few days, so I’m just going to enjoy myself this weekend and not care”. No. No. No. No. No. NO! You do care. So, don’t give yourself permission to overindulge. Sure, give yourself a little flexibility, enjoy food you don’t typically eat, but that doesn’t mean eat ALL the food. As soon as you say, or even think, “all rules are off this weekend” you’re going to go too far. So, don’t give yourself that permission. Instead, give yourself permission to treat your body well. BOOM!

Tip #6: Get some rest & recharge

So many times long weekends are extremely busy. We try to fit in so much, see so many people, be as social as possible, when really what our bodies need is rest. Try not to over-plan this weekend. Have as much fun as you want to have, but being social gets to be a chore, something’s gotta give. Your body needs rest, so plan one night at home as a family night to rest, recharge, love and laugh.

BONUS TIP

If you DO go off the rails one day, that doesn’t mean it has to be all weekend. Stop. Breathe. Get back on track. One bad day doesn’t mean the entire weekend is a waste and there’s not fixing it. So, put on your velvet gloves, be kind to yourself, accept that you overindulged then go kick your butt with a great HIIT or strength workout! I LOVE this 4-40-4 workout from our Hot Mama Fit Red Deer owner, Kyra…give it a whirl.

There ya have it, Mamas. Stick to these tips and remember your fitness, health, nutrtion and energy are important. Long weekends aren’t a reason to go crazy and lose focus on fueling your body the way it deserves to be fueled. So, focus on you, how imporant treating your body and soul are and have a wonderful few days!

Eat well. Drink plenty of water. Laugh. Rest. 

Dr’s orders.

Summer. The official season of “real” excuses to eat junk food and lay around. The heat, the camping, the family and friends visiting, the kids home from school. You have a summertime excuse, I’ve heard it. I’ve, in most cases, used the same excuses.

The late part of June and the first half of July were well, gluttonous, to say the least. I drank whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I ate the same way. Workouts were done with half an effort if done at all. By the middle of July I felt terrible, had very little energy and didn’t want my photo taken because, well, my confidence and self-love had plummeted.

It was time for me to get back on the bandwagon. It was time for me to start fueling my body the way it deserves, move my body the way it wants to move and hydrate (that means with water, not Palm Bays) the way it needs to be hydrated.

Here’s the thing: I’m a fitness professional, so I know how to get myself back on track. Typically, you’ll see posts about getting back into your routine in September. But listen, that’s a month away. If you went off the rails in July, why the heck are you waiting until September? That’s weeks and weeks away! You are going to feel terrible, worse than terrible in another month! 

It’s time for you to remember the purpose of physical activity and eating nutritiously. The purpose isn’t to lose weight, lose inches, look good in a bikini (you look amazing, by the way, no matter what size you are). The purpose of exercise and healthy eating is to give you energy, to respect your body, to build your own self-confidence. 

If you’re feeling lethargic, if you’re self-deprecating every time you put your shorts on, if you just feel “gross”…baby, it’s time to re-focus and get back on track. Don’t wait until September, that’s ridiculous, that’s weeks and weeks away. If you feel awful today because of what consumed in July, just think of how awful you could feel if you keep on this path for 4 more weeks. 

There are things you can start doing today to help you feel better in five days. Honest. In five days, if you do even some of the suggestions below, you’ll have more energy, you’ll sleep better and in a month you’ll be so grateful that you started now and didn’t wait.

1) Up your water game. Treat yourself to a new water bottle and focus on water intake. Make a jug of ginger, mint lemon water every evening, pop it in the fridge and make sure it’s gone by the end of the next day. Typically, when you go off the fitness and nutrition rails, you send yourself into chronic dehydration. Summertime heat will also wreak havoc on your hydration levels, so it’s time to fill up on water. Not only will it hydrate, but it’s going to help fill you up, because baby, it’s time to stop the snack attacks.  [Read more…] about How to Get Back on the Bandwagon After Some Serious Summer Debauchery