Happy Holidays!

We’ve gotten a few requests for a bit of a strategy as the week of feasting approaches. Here’s some non-typical advice this holiday season – hope this helps!

1) Eat the damn cookie. A lot of ‘experts’ will recommend avoiding all sorts of things during this time of the year. But there’s more to life than calories and vegetables, right? Once per year, friends and family gather to celebrate – do you really want to be that guy at the party who doesn’t have fun? Consider letting go a little. Instead, eat the cake, enjoy the hell out of that cake, and just be mindful about eating a slice or two, not the whole freakin’ cake. Instead of stressing about the calories, connect with the people you love and have a freakin’ great time.

2) Chew your food more, and chew slower. Not kidding, just slow it down and enjoy the food without needing to shovel it in your face. Nobody is telling you to eat less – this isn’t about restriction. Eat as much as you want, just take your it time with it. Actually feel joy from it – it is about enjoyment, not bingeing.

3) Do something physical every day. You don’t need to go nuts, nor do you need to go to the gym every day. Maybe it’s just 50 squats or 50 burpees when you wake up. This will help you recover from the previous day’s feasting, and will also keep your body active enough so you don’t feel super sluggish and lethargic when you jump back in to the intensity of January.

4) Go outside. You know what? Skip the gym if you feel like it. Go on a hike in nature, go with a group of friends. Go rock climbing, swim in the ocean, learn to paddleboard. Forget about the ‘high intensity’ and ‘ultra efficiency’ for the next week, go explore your fitness capacities and have fun with this body you’ve been working so hard on this year.

Merry Christmas, ya’ll. Get weird.

Be Brave,
Ian Tan