Fitman says that staying fit during the holidays is a major problem for most people.

“Parties and travel increase during this time,” Fitman said. “And this is when discipline starts to go down the drain.”

Why Do Most People Fall Off During The Holidays

Fitman said that for many people the holidays become a time where training decreases and eating increases.

“What follows is a worse-looking physique staring back at you in the mirror every morning,” Fitman said. “If you are not training, those gains on the scale will not be muscle.”

“Human nature makes it easier for us to take our foot off the gas as the year ends. The average person gains about 1 to 2 pounds from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day. Without consistent training, that same 1–2 pounds a year quietly becomes 10–20 pounds of body fat over a decade.”

Motivation Fades, Discipline Rises

Fitman said that motivation for most people starts to wane as the year comes to an end.

“When motivation starts to wane, your discipline should take over,” Fitman said. “Discipline is what will keep you training even though outside scenarios are telling you to follow the crowd. You don’t have control over outside events. But you have 100 percent control over the choices you make. If you choose to not train and then choose to eat poorly, you’ve got zero room to complain about how you got fat and out of shape.”

How To Avoid Falling Off During The Holidays

“The first thing you should do is to set some non-negotiables,” Fitman said. “One of my non-negotiables is that I lift weights four days per week. If you have been training three days a week, and the holidays makes it harder to get to the gym, drop down to two days a week. Training twice a week in December will ensure you don’t start off the year out of shape in January.”

“The second thing that you must do is continue to track your progress. If you stop tracking your progress in the gym and stop staying diligent with your diet, you will lose your progress. The same habits that got you in shape are the same ones that will keep you in shape.”

“If you stay consistent during the holiday season, you won’t have to worry about making another lame New Year’s resolution. Because when you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.”

“If you want structure instead of another reset, my 21-Day Fit program is the starting point.”

Check out Fitman’s discipline discussion on WURD Radio below:

For more on the Fitman Performance Center’s 21-Day Fit program, you can click here. For more on the Fademan Barbershop, you can click here.