As we head into the holiday season it’s easy to fall into the “all or nothing” trap when it comes to your fitness habits.

Life can get busy with special events, gift shopping, special celebrations. You might be thrown off your routine and think, “if I can’t be “perfect” why bother? I’ll start over in January!”


I’m here to encourage you to take a breath and to realize that the middle ground between enjoying the season and taking care of yourself deserves your attention.

When we take the power away from weight loss goals we make room for other ways to feel good. Setting fitness goals without resorting to dieting can be empowering and sustainable.

Now doesn’t that sound like a nice way to end out 2023?
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Here are three effective ways to establish such goals:

1. Focus on Performance and Strength: Instead of fixating on weight loss, set goals related to improved performance and strength. For example, aim to increase the weight you can lift, run a certain distance in a specific time, or complete a challenging yoga pose. By concentrating on what your body can achieve, you'll naturally begin to make different choices that are aligned to what your body needs to feel good.
   
   
2. Prioritize Wellness Metrics: Shift your focus to holistic wellness metrics, such as improved energy levels, better sleep, reduced stress, and enhanced mood. Tracking these non-scale victories can motivate you to maintain a consistent exercise routine and make food choices based on how they make you feel.
   
   
3. Establish Habit-Based Goals: Set fitness goals centered around building positive habits. For instance, commit to a certain number of workouts per week or prioritize consuming foods you enjoy and that make you feel grounded in your body. These habit-based goals promote a sustainable lifestyle change, emphasizing long-term well-being over short-term weight loss.
   
   

By adopting these approaches, you can promote a healthier, more balanced relationship with fitness and nourishment without resorting to restrictive diets. And that’s worth celebrating!


How are you feeling as we close out 2023?
Are you looking for guidance or feeling confident in your path forward?

While Health & Fitness can involve discussions of mental health, working with a licensed mental health practitioner is essential for fitness & wellness practitioners to stay in their scope of practice. 

Looking for online support? Here is a list of resources to explore! 

​1. Performance/"How I Feel" Goals- Reflect on how you want to feel and how you'd like your body to function. Remember that we are not "in control" of our bodies but we can create patterns of behavior that can improve strength, flexibility, & energy. Avoid weight or sized based goals because diets don't work and being smaller doesn't necessarily mean you're healthier or happier. Learn more here

2. Be Honest- Are you working 12 hours a day? Staying up at night with a teething toddler? Focusing on growing your business? In school? It's best to be HONEST with yourself about your schedule as you plan your workout routine. Over shooting ("I'll wake-up at 4am and exercise 6 days a week before my kids get up!") is a recipe for burnout & overwhelm. Start small, even if it's 5 minutes. It's much better to be realistic and get it done. From there you can build as you go! If you over do it you're more likely to get frustrated, injured and disappointed which leads to the all or nothing "I Quit!" mentality. 

3. Be Joyful- I recommend strength training because it can help improve how you feel, your mood and the function of your body. HOWEVER I know there are many preferences when it comes to movement. Movement should be things YOU ENJOY! Yes, you heard me...you should like what you are planning. This way you'll actually look forward to it. This can help build positive feelings which will lead to ongoing habits. Don't forget weight lifting isn't *just* bodybuilding style in a gym. You can do bodyweight moves, TRX, resistance bands, dumbbells at home...If you're not there yet try a dance party with your favorite playlist, stretch, or take a walk outside.

Weight Watchers aka "WW" made headlines for their acquisition of Kurbo Health a weight-loss app for children. The truth is that intentional weight loss is ineffective for over 90% of dieters, and the earlier that kids start to diet the more likely they are to develop disordered eating behaviors. 

I'm anti-diet for kids & adults so here are my 3 tips for what to do instead of putting your child on a diet.