Thanksgiving is officially two weeks away!
Which means you’re heading into the most wonderful and potentially waistline-expanding time of the year.
Turkey. Stuffing. Pumpkin pie. Holiday cookies. Cocktails. Family traditions.
And approximately 47 opportunities to say, “Eh, it’s the holidays!”
Now, before you think we’re about to tell you to skip dessert, bring a food scale to Thanksgiving or swap mashed potatoes for cauliflower…
Not happening. You should absolutely enjoy the holidays!
But here’s something worth thinking about:
There’s a big difference between enjoying a handful of holiday celebrations and stopping there.
Compared to spending the next seven weeks eating, drinking and skipping workouts like January is going to magically fix everything.
Because what tends to happen is one holiday dinner turns into a weekend of leftovers, cocktails and desserts.
One missed workout turns into a week off.
A few extra snacks become an everyday thing.
And suddenly, “It’s the holidays!” becomes a free pass to put your health and fitness on hold until January.
Sound familiar?
The problem isn’t you enjoying the holidays but how quickly a few exceptions can become your everyday routine.
So in today’s blog, you’re learning:
- Why the 50 days between now and New Year’s matter most
- How holiday habits affect your weight, energy, motivation and fitness.
- Five ways to enjoy the season without starting over in January.
IT’S NOT THE HOLIDAY. IT’S ALL THE DAYS
From now through New Year’s Eve, there are 50 calendar days.
Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve account for just four of them.
But the problem isn’t what you do on Thanksgiving. It’s what you stop doing after.
Think about it:
You have a big Thanksgiving dinner…maybe a second helping of stuffing…and definitely some pie.
No big deal.
But then Friday rolls around and there are leftovers.
Saturday brings dinner out with friends.
Sunday you’re tired, bloated and don’t feel like moving.
Monday?
Well, you already had four days of eating whatever you wanted, so why not start fresh next week?
And just like that, one holiday meal becomes an entire week of abandoned habits.
Here’s what makes this so sneaky. You don’t notice much changing at first.
But an extra 200 calories above what your body needs each day adds up to 10,000 surplus calories over 50 days.
Add fewer workouts, less daily movement, more alcohol, and disrupted sleep, and it’s easy to see how things can snowball.
Your clothes start feeling tighter, you’re bloated, sluggish and tired. Workouts feel harder and motivation quickly drops.
And the longer you’re out of your routine, the harder it feels to get back into one.
Meanwhile, you’re telling yourself, “It’s the holidays. I’ll worry about it in January.”
Until January arrives.
The frustrating part?
Some holiday bloat will disappear once your normal habits return. But actual body fat you gained from being in a consistent calorie surplus doesn’t magically disappear with it.
What took weeks to accumulate will take months of consistent effort to reverse.
And all because a few imperfect days turned into permission to quit.
Not exactly the holiday souvenir you were hoping for!
That’s why the goal isn’t to avoid enjoying the holidays.
It’s to avoid turning a handful of celebrations into seven weeks of habits you’ll wish you hadn’t abandoned come January.
5 NON-NEGOTIABLE HOLIDAY HABITS
Here’s a question worth asking yourself: When life gets busy, what’s the minimum you can realistically commit to?
Not your ideal routine.
Not what you’d do during a perfectly organized week.
Your minimum.
Because the people who maintain their progress aren’t necessarily the ones who never miss a workout or eat dessert.
They’re the ones who know how to adjust without quitting.
Maybe that looks like:
- Two strength training sessions instead of your usual three.
- A 20-minute walk when you can’t fit in your usual steps.
- Protein and veggies at your regular meals, even if dinner is a holiday party.
- Enjoying your favorite holiday treats without turning every day into a free-for-all.
- Getting back to your routine at the very next opportunity instead of waiting for Monday.
None of that requires perfection.
But it does require making your health a priority, even when life gets messy.
And that’s where real consistency is built.
You don’t need a holiday diet, and you certainly don’t need to skip your favorite foods or turn down every invitation.
You just need these 5 consistent habits to enjoy the holidays, stay on track with your health and fitness goals, and avoid starting over in January:
#1. Keep strength training on your calendar: You may not hit every workout during the holidays, and that’s okay. But don’t disappear for seven weeks!
Aim to maintain your regular training schedule when possible. If your week gets crazy, two quality sessions are better than none.
Strength training helps preserve muscle, maintain strength and keep your routine alive. And remember, exercise isn’t punishment for what you ate.
It’s something you do because your body deserves to stay strong and capable.
#2. Mak everyday meals count: Enjoy the special holiday foods! But on regular days, keep the habits that support your goals:
- Prioritize protein at meals.
- Fill up on vegetables and fiber-rich foods.
- Pay attention to portions.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Eat balanced meals instead of grazing all day.
You don’t need to compensate for Thanksgiving by starving yourself on Friday. Just return to your normal routine.
#3. Be intentional with the extras: Here’s a question worth asking: Do you really want that third cookie, or are you eating it because it’s sitting there?
Same goes for the extra glass of wine, handful of appetizers or second helping of something you’re not particularly excited about.
Enjoy the foods you genuinely love, slow down and savour them. And, just because it’s available, doesn’t mean you have to eat it.
#4. Keep moving outside the gym: Holiday shopping, travel and busy schedules can mean more sitting and less movement than usual.
Keep walking! Set a daily step goal for yourself and hit it.
Take a stroll after dinner, get outside with family, take the stairs, lap Costco a few extra times while pushing that cart.
Whatever pleases you, make time to move between holiday activities becasue your daily movement especially matters,when your normal schedule changes.
#5. Don’t let one meal turn into one month: This might be the most important habit of all.
You had a big Thanksgiving dinner? Great. Hope it was delicious!
That doesn’t mean Friday, Saturday and Sunday need to become an extension of Thanksgiving.
And it certainly doesn’t mean you should wait until January to get back to your routine.
Your next meal is simply your next opportunity to make a choice that supports your goals.
No guilt and no punishment! Your goal isn’t perfection. It’s protecting your progress.
January ‘You’ Will Thank November ‘You’
Here’s something to think about: On January 1, would you rather be trying to undo seven weeks of habits you abandoned?
Or be proud that you enjoyed the holidays, maintained your strength, kept your energy up, and didn’t lose your momentum?
Because those are two very different ways to start a New Year.
And the difference is NOT whether you ate pumpkin pie or missed a workout.
It’s what you did the other 46 days.
At Results Fitness, we don’t believe healthy living means saying no to everything you enjoy. It means learning how to take care of yourself while enjoying your life.
That’s why we focus on personalized strength training, nutrition and accountability. Not quick fixes or short-term perfection.
So enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, have the Christmas cookies and honor familty traditions with the peopole you love.
Just don’t confuse enjoying the holidays with taking seven weeks off from your health, ’cause you don’t need to start over in January if you never completely stop.
P.S. If your schedule gets crazy this holiday season, talk to your RF coach.
We’ll help you find a realistic plan to keep moving, stay strong and protect the progress you’ve worked hard to build.