Unknown: 0:56

Hey and

Turo Virta: 1:03

welcome to Fitbit draw fitness podcast. In today's episode, I'm talking about holiday season and how to not ruin your progress during the holidays. So in this episode, I'm sharing my best strategies what I'm doing during the holiday season, and how you can implement these simple strategies to make most out of it and and the goal with all these plans is to still keep doing something because the the it's the December holiday season, it's by far the most challenging time for many, many, many people. I like, I would say that 90% of my clients are struggling in a month of month of December, with their health and fitness and then, and same about losing progress and and then thinking like, now you gotta, you are postponing to start like that. It's, it's, you are thinking like, Okay, now it doesn't matter anymore, because I will start in, in January, I will go to diet, start exercising. And to avoid this, there are a couple couple things, what you could be doing already now and so that you can still make progress and also enjoy the holiday season without kind of trying to be perfect. So this was a one of, one of my best ways to think about this, first is to determine what is the progress. So THINK, THINK it like what is the progress? Progress is not always that you are losing weight, you are getting stronger. It could be progress if you think like that. What have happened? For example, last year, two years, you have gained, let's say you have gained five kilos or a couple kilos of weight within the past years, and this year you are maintaining your weight. So this is that is actually progress, and it's not, it's not that, because there's so many things like that. You don't obviously it's, it might be actually a time for many, many people just to put themselves into a maintenance and not even aiming for getting making some visual, visible changes or or visible progress. So often, even maintaining your results is a progress. So it's always comparing where you have been in the past and where you are aiming to go so. So think it, think it this way that progress is not always linear. It's there's a different kind of progress. Because ultimately, the only way to measure your progress is to compare where you have been the past and those all those other expectations, what you get

Unknown: 3:55

coming from somebody else, or

Turo Virta: 4:03

maintaining your progress or not gaining as much weight as last year, that is a progress comparing for last year. So just keep that first of all in your mind and I think it like that. What is the what is that like? This is one of the what I when I started this month, like I'm doing in my membership coaching or or balanced lifestyle blueprint, my coaching program, and with my one on one coaching clients, we are doing monthly challenges and and often it's actionable challenge, like would be monthly step goal doing some exercise like just or, or planning your meals or, or some kind of call, like one simple goal to pay attention for each month. And month of December we decided, or I decided, that we are going to put consistency goal, and this is this is because often people think that during this time be so many different kind of dinners or associations where you are going to go over your calories, so it's not even worth of it to keep trying or keep starting, because it's going to be ruined anyways. And that this month, we started to do consistency, and we are consistency challenge, and that means that you are picking one to three goals like it. I can't recommend to take or I will. I told very clearly that do not take more than three calls. Even there are you might know that there is, like, maybe 1015, things what you should be doing. But if you try to do everything and it's getting overwhelming, and most of the people, what happens when they get overwhelmed is that they end up doing nothing. So that's why not more than three, even three is a plenty, and ideally I would focus just maybe one thing or two, and

Unknown: 6:06

it would be,

Turo Virta: 6:17

the goal is not to be perfect, to do it every single day, but to be able to see some visible results. You should aim for around 80% consistency. So it means that when this episode is coming out, there is like 26 days. So if you aim for your 80% consistency, it's around 20 days what you should be aiming for hitting your goal. So that's not that that sounds there's already, there's still six days where you can miss your consistency goals or not, that you have that freedom to also enjoy and not think about too much about fitness. But with 80 pros and consistency, you can, you can achieve amazing results and make progress, like I talked earlier. So think about like, think goals. Like, what I what I recommended is to have, for example, calls like, eating one big salad per day, hitting your I A meal per day, or plan and prepare one meal per day. It could be your breakfast. It would be your lunch, dinner, something what you don't actually do at the moment, or hitting 123, workouts per week, whatever number you decide. But to pick yourself up, don't think this number, that it have to be perfect, but just the one number, what you what feels like that. It's relatively easy. It shouldn't be something that it's it's going to happen in ideal week, but it's just that what you feel like that this is already challenged at this time, and for me personally, my goal have been always to stay consistent with my strength training. And at the moment I'm I'm kind of almost ashamed to commit that. At the moment, with all my schedule my workouts, usually I aim for two to three workouts per week. But at this time, it has been Maybe one, maybe two sessions and systems, my if I call them systems, they are like mini workouts. They are 15, Max 30 minute sessions. So I'm getting maybe 30 minutes strength training, 45 minutes per week in and of course, I know that that is not amount that I'm going to make amazing progress or doing something, but it helps so much, because this is I earlier. I used to think that I start when I have more time, but with the experience when I started strength training now a couple of years ago, again, doing it consistently, I changed my own expectations for myself and decided that I'm going to keep my promises and to get started, and regardless how busy my schedule is, I'm going to get started if it's going to be 10 minutes, if it's going to be 15 minutes as soon if it's only once per week, but just keeping promises at for myself what I make because I'm then Week Past then it was so much easier for next week to find another excuse. Why not to get started? Why not to do it? Because, you know, there's always something that I would find, some kind of excuse, like several of them, why I couldn't, why I how I would talk myself out of doing the work, what I know that I needed the most, and this way I feel so much better when I still get started, get my even. It's going to be short routine in and feeling stronger, avoiding injuries. And then I hope when, when times are getting a bit easier, maybe in January, it's it's so much easier to start adding things, doing more than starting all over. And ultimately, that consistency it has, it gives so much more better results than aiming for perfect, short amount of time being perfect. So

Unknown: 10:23

just this is just my personal

Turo Virta: 10:30

hope. It helps you to give you perspective, also that it don't need to be a lot to make progress. And then other other examples, drinking enough water, it would be aiming for two liters, three liters, whatever number you aim to decide, per day. It could be aiming for hitting your fiber, which is very, very important for especially for being satiating, satiated, eating, being Fuller and kind of these kind of things, adding things like protein fiber salads, they are helping so much because that it gives you The for several reasons, protein fiber, they are most satiating macronutrients, and it's when you act focus on adding those things you are going

Unknown: 11:28

to feel sweet. You are going to so a salad, if you eat one salary,

Turo Virta: 12:10

obviously, that too much is or dressings you are going to feel fuller with low calories, because those volumes are just so high. So adding things instead of trying to focus on what you can't what you shouldn't be doing, is so much more powerful than not just any

Unknown: 12:39

so are going to

Turo Virta: 12:42

take these things away. Other Other option, what, what we have, what I thought with a couple of my clients were just they can stop eating sweets that they are seeing them when you are when you have to, then you realize that, holy shit, what I just did. I didn't mean to do it. And one thing is, eat your portion, snacks or sweets like once, people I love to use is is basically deciding how many I for me, I personally chose 300 calories, and with 300 calories, it could be cookies, it could be chocolate, it could be candies, whatever I wanted. I portioned those some superware boxes, portioned my budget, and that was enough for date, and it was for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, every weekday, one box or different type of things that whatever I wanted, I would have it and but there was Some kind of limitation how much I think with those kind of rules, what you make for yourself, they are so powerful. If you have you are more aware. And even even you know it happens always, sometimes that you like in this one of my client who said that, that they she just don't realize before it was kind of already too late. Instead, like that, it is. It happens every once in a while. And even, even if you think like that, you would do it like 10 times in a row. If you are able to think about it, pause yourself, put the timer, for example, for five minutes, it's it's a progress if it happens once, one out of 10 times, two out of 10 times. Obviously, it's not perfect, but it's a progress. And this is also a way of thinking like that. This is how to compare yourself and what kind of what is, what you think is

Unknown: 15:15

progress. So come

Turo Virta: 15:27

what kind of calls you could be doing and consistency calendar. It's just basically printing, printing out some calendar of the month, and we we are marking it with the red circle no with red X when you didn't hit your consistency goal. Which two of those things, and then it's a red X when you didn't and green circle when you did. So it's kind of visible. If you have it in your freezer or somewhere visible, it helps you to keep that awareness and other things like those, just simply trying to wait. So other thing is for Christmas dinners and all kind of fests like I don't like to tell that you can't have something because it's it's A time for me, at least Christmas holiday season,

Unknown: 16:30

to

Turo Virta: 16:36

to so in yourself, you're not making or losing your progress during that time. So think it allow yourself to and the only ways how I think like that, every kind of, that kind of thing, is to think as mindfully as possible. So simple, mindful eating tips, like just trying to aim to eat as slow as possible. So first of all that you are sitting, you are you, you are happy what you decided to eat. And then, like, just maybe taking a little bit smaller portion first, and then wait for another five minutes before getting a second round or something. So So these all kind of things, they are helping you to kind of avoid that overeating. What often happens? It probably even I'm talking about these things, I'm still pretty sure that will happen for me also. You.

Unknown: 17:41

I eat too much,

Turo Virta: 17:44

if it's like here in Italy, we have, traditionally, there is so many different foods, and they are so delicious. And, and I'm I love food, I gotta say, and, and I love eating a lot, and it feels like that, even you take just a little bit of something, and those the best ones you take maybe second round, it's almost always I will. I'm pretty sure I'm ending up eating too much, but that's why it helped me also to talk about these things and to remind myself, when that situation comes, that what I'm going to do and how to actually avoid it. So it's just basically pausing yourself, maybe sure like what I try to always recommend or or try to do myself, that I eat first, like order, basically, it doesn't matter. But I love paying attention order which I'm eating food. So first I love to eat always kind of low calorie. Then I aim to eat my protein source, and then slowing things down. So first of all to to have those most important things. So to have my protein source, to have my salad, having that kind of volume with lower calories, and then eating everything else, and in between, waiting as long as possible. So this way I'm I'm already more often than not. I'm already going to feel fuller in a time if I would, comparing like that, if I would eat, first all those like good stuff, like what I enjoy, or safe place. So this in order of eating and waiting, those are just the simple things. And other thing is, with the water I love to drink, always glass of water before I start eating. So it gives also that feeling of fullness and that I'm not making sure that I'm not thirsty while I'm still it's it's sometimes it's really hard to recognize that if you are actually thirsty, or if you are if you are hungry. So those couple couple things are, are things, what I personally love to do and what I always love to recommend. Then there is, of course, you could be, if you are baking, making cookies, you could aim to find some alternatives. But this is something like, this is, it really depends, like, if you like, I, I, I pay cookies once in a year for Christmas. It's not for myself, but for my clients and in my group workouts, and I make traditionally finished cookies which are so delicious. And in that case, I'm not, I'm not modifying anything, maybe a little bit amount of super I put little bit less than original receive says, In the end, it's it's only good thing to avoid it. But I'm not trying to find with some other other things. If I happen to make I always love to find some alternatives like and maybe they are not the healthiest options, but I'm not eating them too much so. So kind of sugar replacements, artificial sweeteners, and those kind of things using tin instead of suckers or or just, but basically finding some healthier alternatives in those original receipts. As original receipts, I feel that sometimes they are just made of that, you know, they don't think about how healthy they are or or your weight loss goals or something. It's, it's just made of without sacrificing any taste. But some things like, uh, I do one type of cookies every single year. I'm not going to sacrifice too much of taste it, it's that's not the time. Then I do some other options rather, and find a ways to save my calories or or do in a different way than swapping some healthier options. So those are just just a couple ideas how you could, how you could do it. And then other thing is about the workouts like I don't I find like that the best way, especially during the Christmas time. I don't necessarily like push myself to strength train. I might take a week off during the Christmas time, or at least, I'm not going to do a lot of strength training. So it's, it's sometimes it's going to, it's doing only good for everybody today, it there's you are not losing any progress. If it's a if it's a plan, like I love to plan these things ahead, so then I don't feel that guilt. I'm not aiming for doing between Christmas and New Year five workouts. If I know that most likely I will not do it. I then I tell myself, rather, that I'm not going to do any so then, and instead, I'm aiming for being active. I love going to hikes, walking, walking a lot. So those are going to be my actions. Maybe I'm going to play ice hockey. I'm refereeing, you know, in a Christmas time. So I will be, I will stay active in other way, what I naturally enjoy, and just simply taking off week. It's not going to but I, what is very, very important for me is that I plan when I restart. And that is non negotiable. I'm not going to tell myself that I will start January 2 and then January 2 to say no, start eight and then a date, it's going to be that up, it's going to be 15. So those, if I make some promises for myself, I make sure that I will keep them, and at least getting getting started with with workout. So other things like, like I said, workouts. You could be doing some very short sessions instead of aiming for, let's say you are doing normally one hour or 45 minutes to 10 minutes to 15 minutes, or five five minute workouts. And it doesn't need to be a lot. You could be doing a body weight workout just a couple spots, just because it's, it's really like, maintaining your muscle is relatively easy. Maintaining Your progress is relatively easy, and it doesn't need a lot. It says need what matters a lot more is consistency, or other options are like, if you if your endurance is important for you, incorporating like, kind of heat workouts, intervals, which are time effective, so you can make every so this is, this is, these are kind of tips for workouts, but I rather focus on spending time with the family, staying active and doing some other other things, like holy holiday gatherings. If you have dinners, we usually go at least 25th 26th we go before we go for a big dinner. We are doing some longer walk or or something like or at least getting some fresh air. So this is, this is, and it, it has been such a game changer for Christmas time, because usually it's, it's, I feel like I can't do it anymore. But if you are going for for a walk, or just some simple, easy activity, that is helping so so much, and also it helps with the mental health, and if you are in a position that you are, you have levels. At the moment, it's such an important to have to do these kind of outside activities to reduce that stress and other other option, what I recently found out is to do some kind of breathing exercises. So those are like, especially after workout, taking time, like a couple minutes, two to five minutes time to breathing exercises. And this was some technique. What I learned from Tom in my recent podcast, we thought he told about it like how to focus on your breathing. And we have been doing it with my group now for the past group workouts, and people have been loving them. So right after workout or this, you could be doing it basically anywhere. So just take a couple minutes of time and just focusing on your breathing. We are laying down on our back and kind of in a string. And just it's kind of also kind of stretching for your abdominal shoulders and then focusing on breathing and focusing three to four seconds breathing in through your nose, and very long, six to eight seconds breathing out through your mouth, and doing that for a couple minutes. It helps. First of all, it helps with the recovery. As you are sending signals to your body that, okay, now that hard work is done. Now it's time to start recovery. Because if you don't, if you don't do it, your body is still going, especially if it was a harder workout, it still goes pure it. Your body doesn't understand that now it's it's done. We are done. But when you do these kind of breathing exercises, you connect your nervous system and it tells you are telling to your body that now it's done, we are done. We are done here, and now you can start recovering. So it helps the uh, uh, that recovery part. So those kind of, those kind of things, and for mental health, I always love to take, like, course, it's especially now it's, it's a time when you are when those expectations, and I gotta say that I personally struggle with my own expectations, that you know, sometimes I really think, when is enough? What is enough? When you will be feeling because it's it feels like that continuously, you are wanting something more. You want to help more people, you want to make more money, you want to do this and this and this, and always something more, and you are never basically happy and grateful what you already have. So it's a time end of the year, like I have a birthday on January 8. It's a time when I take, usually, at least 30 minute time for myself, writing down everything, what I'm grateful, what I'm what I have accomplished. And being more or or, how could I get something more? It's just basically stopping looking, looking, what is, what I have, what is, what is good in the moment. And that helps that kind of reflection and gratitude. It helps when you look back for the past year or past six months. And then, of course, then the other one is setting goals for next year. But first, I always love to reflect on the past year and looking what I have achieved within the past year, and practicing that gratitude, because it's it feels, at least for me, it feels such a hard task to practice that gratitude and being able to reflect or everything what you have, what I have accomplished past year, because during when there is a regular days, it feels always that you are busy doing, always something more what you should be doing, and you are basically never, or at least I never really like satisfied with what I have accomplished. Even there might be for someone else, it might be a lot, but then this kind of reflection, it helps so much that to understand that how far what you have actually accomplished, because often what most people focus on, those things which are not good, and what you should be doing more and not being able to feel that gratefulness for things, what you have, what you have accomplished. So this is for mental health, such an important thing that what I'm going to do, and I hope, if you are listening this, you take a time or so to try it, to feel gratitude, because that's going to be a Game Changer. I promise you other other things, like I it's also time when I try to sit down think that what I could be doing, what are realistic goals and what are kind of achievable, and those are always like for my own health, I made a decision that was, I think, two years ago, when I said that for my strength training, that this is the promise, what I'm going to do, and the way how I do it. I look my calendar. Usually it's on Sunday. I decide a week ahead, when I see my schedule, that when I'm going to do my workouts, I put them into my calendar, and that has been a game changer. That has been a game changer for me and and dating like it doesn't matter for me how busy my schedule is, my own health and and fitness is just as big high priority for me that I'm going to do it yourself.

Unknown: 32:39

It that

Turo Virta: 32:47

unfortunately passed away in January, end of January, two years ago, and that was a that was a tough journey to see his struggles, and that was kind of waking me up thinking like that, if I don't take my own health now, I might end up having the same struggles than he had, losing his health, basically at age of 60, losing his life at age of 70. And last 10 years were really, really struggle. So it was just for me, like just a wake up call, and like, the time 42 now, at the time I was 40, and then if I have 20 years quality life left, of course, you never know what is going to happen in life. But it was, I was like, holy, that is not a lot, but years are passing so quickly that major. And for my own health and not finding excuses, it's so I'm okay, accomplishing a bit less, making a bit less money, or whatever, these kind of things that that, if it's away from something, because there is no amount of money, what gives your health back once you lose it there is, it's almost impossible to gain it back. So I wanted to be sure that I'm doing now everything I can, so that hopefully one day when I'm 60, 7080, years old, I'm not looking back that and tell myself that I wish I would do this and this at the time, and I can look back that I did and say, say that I did everything I could at the moment with my best knowledge. And that's basically everything, what I what I think like and if you think like that, because if, if I would make, let's say that I would make now more money. What I would do with more money, if I'm, if I'm ending up losing my health as a relatively young age. So these are, these are, these were kind of my thoughts and and tips for New Year. I hope and wish you and your loved ones very, very enjoyable holiday time, if you are celebrating it, if you are just having a couple days of take time enjoy without feeling guilty, and remember, try to remember at least one two things, what I talked in this episode, and hopefully they help you. So thank you for listening. And for those who haven't give five star rating in iTunes or in Spotify, I would really appreciate if you this was five stars, as they are helping me so much. So that's all what I'm asking. And if you have already done it, huge, huge thank you I really really appreciate the love reading them, and they are helping me to reach more people. So thank you for listening, and talk to you soon.