The Highly Effective Man

Crush the Holidays: Stay Fit, Energized, and In Control Without Sacrificing the Festivities

• JP Bolwahnn

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As the holiday season approaches, chaos seems unavoidable, but what if you could stay on top of your fitness game without missing out on the festive fun? Former Navy SEAL turned life and fitness coach JP Bolwahnn shares his personal journey of maintaining discipline amidst the holiday frenzy. He emphasizes that the key isn't achieving perfection but developing a flexible strategy that keeps you moving forward. Discover how even short bursts of exercise can be powerful tools for maintaining your fitness routine, and learn the art of integrating workouts seamlessly into your holiday schedule. By prioritizing fitness, you gain control over your time, ensuring holiday hustle doesn't derail your progress.

When it comes to indulging in holiday feasts, JP offers a fresh perspective, urging you to think of meals like a budget—spend wisely on what truly matters. Say goodbye to guilt by focusing on portion control and striking a balance between proteins, carbs, and fats. Listen in to understand how strategic fasting and mindful eating can revolutionize your holiday dining experience. With JP's tactical survival guide, not only can you relish the holiday traditions, but you can also emerge from the season feeling fit, energized, and in control.

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Highly Effective man podcast, hosted by former Navy SEAL turned life and fitness coach. I'm your host, jp Bolwan. This podcast is your resource for unlocking the healthiest, most productive and highly effective man within you. Let's go. What's up, guys? Welcome back to the Highly Effective man podcast. I'm your host, jp Bowen. Hope you guys had a great week.

Speaker 1:

My week has been pretty good all right, almost done with the house, started moving some stuff into the gym, got a couple workouts in, so, oh, also, we started the Dominate December Challenge. So if you're in on that, congratulations and thank you for joining. But today's podcast is about crushing the holidays staying fit, energized and in control without sacrificing the festivities. We're going to talk about strategies to enjoy the holidays guilt-free while maintaining your fitness and nutrition goals. So today's big three topics we're going to talk about prioritizing fitness during chaotic schedules, navigating holiday indulgences without guilt and creating a simple game plan to thrive instead of just merely survive. So when I was in the teams, I felt like these are going to be the biggest challenges of my life, you know, and once I got out, I quickly realized that as I've gotten older and you know, you have these holidays that come up some of the hardest challenges are around the holiday season and trying to learn how to juggle workouts, festive meals and family commitment. And I've realized that staying disciplined wasn't about being perfect, but it's about having a strategy that allows for flexibility so that you don't lose momentum. Okay, so, when it comes to the holidays, it's not all or nothing. It's about balance. Okay, so, if you focus on small, intentional actions, you can enjoy the season without derailing your progress. All right, the holidays are a battlefield, no doubt about it. Okay, full of temptations and excuses, but, like any mission, having a clear plan ensures success. So think of this as your tactical holiday survival guide for fitness and nutrition.

Speaker 1:

So number one is that we want to prioritize fitness during chaotic schedules. Okay, I mean, it's almost a guarantee that I'll find myself at some point during the holidays with no gym access and family activities that are going to be planned back to back. Okay, and it's, it's tempting to just ride it off. Uh, but that's when you got to improvise. Okay, whether it's I got to get up early you know whether it's 30 minutes earlier than everybody and bang out some type of gymnastic or cardio type workout, or I've got to stay up later. Right, it's just. It's just a matter of getting it in when I have time to myself and before the chaos starts. Typically, that's going to be early in the morning before everybody else gets up. So what's the lesson here? Fitness doesn't require perfection, but it requires commitment. Okay, whether it's 15 or 20 minutes a day of body weight exercises something to maintain your momentum okay. So make fitness part of your holiday routine instead of a disruption. Morning workouts or late night evening workouts you know those set the tone okay, and mornings typically give you enough energy and mental clarity for the rest of the day. So if you don't control your time, the holiday chaos will control you. So schedule short, effective workouts that fit your day, not the other way around.

Speaker 1:

Number two navigate holiday indulgences without guilt. All right. It wasn't long ago that anytime a holiday meal came around, I was gonna load my plate with everything, and I mean everything. Usually, by the end of the night I felt bloated, guilty, questioning why did I do this? You know I feel terrible, and by the next morning I decided I would be like okay, you know what, I'm going to change my approach. Instead of avoiding indulgences, I'll just focus on portion control and balancing my protein with carbs and fats. So think of the holiday meals like a budget Spend on what matters most, right? So when you get your plate load up on lean protein and vegetables, before you put in any of the other richer foods like, say, sweet potatoes, rice, anything that's, you know, somewhat indulging, make sure you're staying hydrated and avoid mindless snacking.

Speaker 1:

You can also. Another strategy is just to fast earlier in the day If you know you're going to have a big holiday meal later. Just fast for half the day, or three earlier in the day. If you know you're going to have a big holiday meal later, just fast for half the day or three quarters of the day, so that you still have that budget to work with for the day. Okay. So it's not about, it's not that just one meal ruins progress. It's going to be the spiral of giving up afterward. So enjoy indulgences, but balance them with intention. The holidays are a celebration. It's not a free pass to abandon your goals. Enjoy, but don't overindulge. You can savor without sabotaging.

Speaker 1:

Number three stick to a game plan, okay, stick to a game plan that ensures progress, okay. So two years ago I ran a men's group from November to January and I was. They had to navigate Thanksgiving, christmas, new Year's and these guys were busy working, traveling and dealing with holiday stress. But we focused on three things moving daily, calorie and macro tracking and balancing indulgence with strategy Okay. And staying accountable to the group. Despite the challenges, every single one of them made progress. One guy lost 10 plus pounds over this over the season, while still enjoying his family feast Okay.

Speaker 1:

So with the right game plan, you can stay consistent, all right, and this is what you need to focus on Daily movement. So, whether it's like a walk, a stretch or do a quick body weight circuit something, balance nutrition, stick to protein and veggies for most meals and save indulgences for the main event Accountability. Surround yourself with a community or a partner who pushes you to stay consistent. The key is simplicity. Don't overcomplicate your strategy, just move, eat smart and stay connected. With a clear plan and a support system, you can thrive during the holidays while others are falling behind. So imagine having a team of guys who get it, guys who understand the challenges and hold you accountable every step of the way. Join the Highly Effective man community on school, where we share strategies, wins and solutions to crush your goals, even during the toughest of seasons.

Speaker 1:

Think of the holidays as a marathon, not a sprint. You don't have to go all out every day, you just have to keep moving forward. Stay consistent with the small steps and you'll cross the finish line stronger. So here's your tactical holiday survival plan Commit to 15 to 20 minute, 30 minute workouts, especially in the morning, if you can Balance indulgence with intentional eating, so you can enjoy big meals without guilt. And number three, stick to three key habits Move daily, eat smart, stay accountable. So, if you're ready to dominate the holidays and roll into a new year fitter, stronger and more confident than ever, join the Highly Effective man community today.

Speaker 1:

Subscribe to the podcast, share it with a friend and leave a comment about how you're tackling the holiday season. Let's make this your best holiday yet. Let's go. Thanks for tuning in to the Highly Effective man podcast. If you found value today, hit that subscribe button and stay connected. I want to invite you to join my incredible community, the Highly Effective man. The link is in the show notes below. It's a powerful space where you'll find support, accountability and camaraderie with men who are committed to growth and living purposefully. And your voice matters. So leave a review and share your thoughts and help us reach more men just like you. Together, let's elevate our lives and become the best versions of ourselves. Stay highly effective. See you next time.