The step after planning

Now that you have a great plan the final and most important step is making sure you can stick to the plan. The only way I can always manage to see my plan through when I am mentally ready. I might be great at following a plan on my usual days but the minute I go on a break or are in celebration mood suddenly I used to become a different person

Here is my reality check for the holiday season 

More than usual effort

Workouts

I might have break from work, I might not have strict schedule to follow but that’s when I need to put in more effort for getting my workout done. Usually I have a very fixed routine but the minute I am on break I have noticed I have to take extra care to avoid pushing my work out ahead. Usually I know I can only workout really early in the morning before work or immediately after work but when I am on break it’s easy to get up late promising to work out later in the day and as the day ends I would often realize I had missed my workout because I would keep pushing it ahead.

So now I make it a point to continue sticking to my usual workout time whenever possible even if I know I could work out later during the day I still wake up early and finish it.  It’s also not easy to be the only one getting out in the cold for a run or getting out of the house in the dark when everybody else is sleeping or sitting with hot chocolate when you know you can do it later. I think I need more mental strength and I need to keep reminding yourself what is important and also of what makes me divert from my plan

Food

Most of us avoid unhealthy food; we avoid buying chocolates, cookies, cakes...out of sight out of mind does not really work during festivals. This is when you actually find out how much you really want to change? This is when you might be surrounded by a lot of unhealthy food and you will have to happily look away. I always remind myself what is more important to me, I remind myself how bad I feel if I eat something I planned not to eat. I focus on my favorites and ignore the rest, I need to keep reminding myself to be strong, I need to be my own motivation so I can control my food.

Just you because you manage your workouts and eating well everyday does not mean you will manage them well during holidays be prepared to put in that extra effort

Believing in yourself is very important:

You might have a plan, you might be prepared but if you don’t believe in yourself, if you are not proud of the effort you put in for being healthy you will go off track the minute somebody judges you. This is one big obstacle in my life and to this day I worry about this. I am becoming more confident every day and I do stand up for myself more than I used to but I know it’s not easy to say no or to argue with somebody about your food choices when you do not feel good about yourself. I used to give in and eat if somebody forced me to because I was just not used to saying No; I would feel embarrassed if people would question me about my portions so I would eat what people expected me to instead of what I wanted to.

These days I make it a point to look back at how far I have come because of the choices I have made for the past few years. I think about all the things I have been able to do just because I started living a healthier life this usually helps me say No and it also helps me to confidently tell people why I will continue to live the way I do irrespective anybody judging me

Believing in yourself is always important but during this time its importance goes a bit higher

If I keep these two things in my mind I find it easier to stay on track, what do you think?

Keep Reading I will Keep Writing 
Tanvee