Back to Reality.......

The first Monday back after a Holiday break is usually something that we all dread. It's time to get back to work, to a regular exercise routine, and back on track with your diet. Today should be a stepping stone to improving yourself physically and mentally before the next holiday break (which is roughly 4 weeks away). How are you going to do that? Are your lifting days planned out and structured? Did you grocery shopping and prepare some of your meals for the week? Well it's time to devise a plan should start today! If your like me, your "binge" eating lasted for more than your Thanksgiving meal, and probably more than you want to admit. There is no use looking back at those extra calories that you put in your system, it's time to get a positive mindset and get some achievable results in these next 3-4 weeks.

To get started, you should have a goal of how many workouts you are going to get in from now the new year. December 31st is about 5 weeks away, with Christmas about 4 weeks away. If you have a goal of 20 workouts between now and New Year's you are on the right track. That is an average of 4 a week, which doesn't seem too far fetched. Make sure you get at least 3 resistance days in per week, and perform some interval training after lifting at least 2 of those days. Your best bet is total body workouts and changing your rep ranges and exercises often. If you can get some extra cardio in for additional calorie burning, go ahead- just make sure your resistance training takes priority.

As far as nutrition goes, if you stick to the 90% rule you should be fine. Basically if you eat perfect 90% of the time, and have a "slip-up" 10% of the time you should be okay. So if you eat 5 times a day, 7 days a week that gives you 35 meals for the week. That will allow you around 3, maybe 4 "slip-ups" a week. NO MORE! Now, a "slip-up" isn't an all out binge. It's more like going out for dinner and having some flatbread as an appetizer or fulfilling your sweet tooth and having a cookie for desert. If you really add up the calories from 3-4 "slip-ups" it should not exceed 100-300 calories per meal and about 500-700 per week. If you can go the whole week with only 1 or 2 'slip-ups"- more power to ya! They are there for social events, work luncheons, and a little holiday sanity.

Hope you have already begun mentally planning how you are going to end 2010 in a successful way, and you should be off to a good start this morning. I have already written up my lifting program for the month and ate 2 perfect meals and it's only 9:30am. Now is the time to challenge yourself, finish this year better than you finished last year, think about looking good and feeling great on New Year's Eve.