How to Stay True To Your Exercise Goals When You Celebrate

This month is my birthday month and I like to celebrate all month long. Ok, I am an attention hound and it is great to have a whole month in which to ask for and get attention. And I milk it! However, if I am not carefully all that good food and fun times can go right to my waist without a second thought. Here are some tips to stay on track even when you are celebrating.

Image of friends having fun together at a party

Plan ahead. Its important to think about your eating and drinking patterns when you are scheduling events. Planning ahead helps keep you aware of how much and when you consuming calories.

The basic equation on weight loss is:
Calories in need to equal Calories out in order to maintain weight. Usually, we see this broken down into daily caloric needs, however it doesn’t have to be a daily calculation it can be a time thing. So if I know I have an event coming up I can plan to cut back on my caloric needs a few days in advance knowing I am going to eat a few more calories during the event.

It is important to plan for fitness. I like the pay it forward idea from above. If I know I have a weekend getaway or a late night and I am not going to be able to workout the following day or days I can workout harder the week or so before. This allows me to burn more calories going into the party keeping my basic equation (above) on track. It is important to keep in mind this is not a green light to over consume calories after each workout because it was really hard!

Finally, have a great time. As with anything it is important to consider moderation – not only in what you eat and drink – but also in your workout schedule. There will be times when working out may have to take a back burner and that’s ok. It doesn’t become a problem until you realize your workouts haven’t seen the front burners in a long time. Follow the 80/20 rule. Eat and exercise well 80% of the time and plan that about 20% of the time things will come up, you’ll be caught off guard, or you’ll have to focus your attention on something else.

Happy Celebrating – I know I’ve had a great month – the best one of the year!

Author: Stacy Reuille-Dupont: Dr. Stacy Reuille-Dupont, PhD, LAC, CPFT, CNC, licensed psychologist, addiction counselor, personal trainer, and nutrition coach. She’s passionate about helping people create a vibrant life using psychology and physiology. With over 25 years of coaching people to be their best, she understands how to make living healthily easy while finding adventure, inspiration, and balance.