Holidays can be a time of dread for those who want to create and keep that healthy lifestyle. Filled with an over abundance of food, get togethers, treats, chocolate, candy and indulging. It can be easy to push the F it button and try to restart in January. I want us to get rid of that all or nothing mentality, thinking long term progress not perfection. Listed below I hope you will find helpful some great tips to help you stay on track, continue to achieve your goals and feel positive and motivated over the holidays.

1. Remember your WHY? Write out your why and post it on your fridge in your bathroom or bedroom. Let’s bring to focus WHY you are on this journey in the first place.

2. Drink plenty of water. Make sure to keep your water intake up as sometimes we can think we are hungry when we are just dehydrated. If you are still hungry after some water, then eat.

3. Keep hunger in check. Make sure you are having that healthy snack between meals; this will keep your metabolism up as well as prevent you from over eating when your starving.

4. Fill up on veggies. Veggies are the free macros/calories, yes even carrots, so fill up on these, colour your plate. This will help you keep your fiber intake high as well as give you micronutrients you need to stay healthy and have great energy.

5. Enjoy in moderation. Do not deprive yourself. Have that chocolate or baked treat, lets just keep it realistic. If we eat too many we may not reach our goals and our body wont feel good. How ever enjoying in moderation is ok and we need to change the story we tell ourselves. I would suggest sitting down at the table and enjoying the treat, not eating on the run or standing, we want to pay attention to the texture, taste and really enjoy it.

6. Stay active. Get moving. 30 minutes a day is manageable and realistic, more is a bonus.

7. Plan ahead. With all the get togethers, dinners out how can we control what we eat? If you are heading to a restaurant look up the menu ahead of time and plan the rest of your meals accordingly. DO NOT go to the restaurant starving. If you are heading to a friends try to fill your plate with some healthier choices and then some not so healthy things.

8. Remember the reasons we eat. We eat for FUEL, we eat for FUN and we EAT to NUMB/COPE. Pay attention to what’s going on for you. With awareness comes growth and change. Journal if you need or want to. We are changing our relationship with food, this takes time, patience and giving ourselves grace and encouragement through out.

9. Meal Prep and keep it simple. When we are unprepared and hungry we tend to make bad decisions and be tempted by unhealthy treats. We may be stressed, busy at work or home late. If we have a quick and healthy meal sitting in the fridge we are more likely to go for that then order in. Keep recipes easy and simple.

10. Reach out! I’m here for you!!! Text, email, or call. Lets talk it through, set you up for success and just know you have a cheerleader in your corner 😊

Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy holiday!

With love, AMBER

I love setting new goals for myself, I thrive on the “what’s next” goal that keeps me motivated to keep pushing forward and to be my best self. I think goals are imperative and great! Last May, I decided to compete in a bikini fitness competition. I wanted to compete to show myself I could stay disciplined and achieve what I set my mind to do. I wanted to compete while still being a single mom and being present for my children. I wanted to show myself I could compete in a loving way, nourishing my body with micronutrients and training myself with perseverance and persistence. I wanted to show myself I was worth putting effort into and that it was ok to put myself first. This was a tall order; after putting on quite a few pounds over covid, working six days a week, being a single mom, and loving my snacks, carbs, and treats, I knew this would be quite the goal. There were days when I wanted to give up, there were days when my self-talk was not so positive, and there were days when I didn’t want to go to the gym and didn’t want to eat anymore chicken or white fish. This is why I get it, and I understand my clients so much. I know what it’s like to struggle; I know what it’s like to not always have the most positive self-talk. I know what it is like to not feel like you deserve to put yourself first. But I can tell you, we ALL deserve to put ourselves first, love ourselves, be our cheerleaders, show up for ourselves day after day and never give up. This is why I need to stay disciplined on those tough days when my motivation starts to waver. Have you ever started a new eating style and then, a few weeks in started to lose motivation and go back to your old ways? Have you ever started a new training program, and then when results start to slow down and so does your motivation to keep up your workout routine? Here are some tips I hope you find helpful to keep your discipline when your motivation starts to diminish.

1. Set a goal – be clear and as concise as possible.

2. Write down your why for the goal.

3. Put your goals where you can see them – photos on the fridge/mirror

4. Positive affirmations: I like to practice daily, write them, and post them where I can see them often.

5. Stay accountable – use a friend and/or coach

6. Write down your action plan, small steps towards your goal.

7. Know your weaknesses, what barriers you may run into and how you will overcome them this time.

8. Make a schedule/create a routine around your action plan steps

9. Plan for bumps along the way- plan to be perfectly imperfect and give yourself grace; this is a journey enjoy the ride.

10. Celebrate your accomplishments!!

“Amber!!!” a patron from class says to me in a very concerned voice, “something happened to me this morning!!” she continues. “I put on my underwear, and my bum checks fell out!!! I’m getting a flabby butt, we need to work glutes today!!.. can we?” she asks as a matter of fact. This comes from a 74-year-old lady who is super fit and has been taking fitness classes for decades. I laughed and acknowledged her concern. “Absolutely!” I said, “no one likes a saggy ass.”

Fun or not-so-fun fact: As we age, fat naturally trophies, and the skin becomes loose, making the butt appear as if it’s sagging. As skin and fat change, cellulite becomes more apparent. We lose an average of 5% of muscle mass every 10 years after the age of 35, this also affects the shape of our glutes (butt muscles). So unfortunately, the older we get, the harder it is to hold onto the shape and firmness of our butt 😊

Here are some exercises that are great for your glutes:

1. SQUATS - add weight for resistance - place feet hip-width apart, weigh in your heels, bend your knees and sit back into your butt until your knees hit right angles. Do 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
   
   
2. LUNGES – Place one foot forward and the other straight behind you, and make sure your knee is not rotated, balancing on your rear foot's balls. All your weight on the front heel and lower your back knee to hover over the ground. Do 12 reps on each side for 3 sets.
   
   
3. UPHILL WALK, RUN, OR HIKE – Exercising at an angle causes your glutes to work more. GLUTE BRIDGE – While lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor close to your butt. Lift your hips to the height of your knees, squeezing at the top. Add weight onto hips for extra resistance. 15 reps for 3 sets.
   
   
4. DONKEY KICKS– While in tabletop position, keep hips square. Push through your heels, raise your butt and back off the ground. Squeeze your glutes at the top. Slowly lower back down and repeat each side. 20 reps a side for 3 sets.
   
   
5. MIND & BODY CONNECTION – I can’t say enough how important the mind/body connection is while working out. Visualize which part of your body you are working on, feel it while you do the exercise, and slow down the movement.

You will find the slower we move and the more we think about the muscle we are working, the harder and more effective it is.

HAVE FUN & GOOD LUCK!!