January 24, 2025 “Summer Bodies are Made in the Winter!”
What did this snow break make you think about yourself? Did you work out? Did you eat healthier? Were you more committed or did it give you an excuse to relax to be lazy? What you do during your downtime reflects what you do in your up time. Remember summer bodies are made in the winter. So, if you have summertime goals, now is not the time to slack off.
I ask these questions because basically the midpoint numbers for the first bootcamp of the year are poor. Not sure if these snow breaks are the issue or if people still have that holiday mindset.
As many of you can attest to, motivation dwindles with the loss of warm weather and daylight. It’s natural for your eating habits to get flipped upside down during the colder months – we all experience it, even me! I crave banana breads and hot chocolates and decadent cheeseboards. If I had to guess, I’d say your motivation to workout, whether in bootcamp, personal training or classes, also dwindled. More inclement weather means less walks and jogs, less motivation to jump out of bed or even leave the house and go to the gym.
More oversized and comfy clothes also mean less skin on display, and this out-of-sight out of mind comfort triggers more of a desire to hibernate than it does a desire to look good in the summer. And so, this is where the winter blowout occurs. People abandoned the meal plan during the holidays, eating more of the wrong foods, indulging in more alcohol, and eating nonstop without thinking. Some of you did not participate in the mini holiday bootcamp or any other form of exercise for that matter. I get it, we want to take a break, enjoy the holiday parties, have fun with family and friends and for the most part the end of the year is all about that. No one is thinking about ways to maintain a healthy diet when you have Thanksgiving, which is a holiday based on eating and then Christmas right around the corner with more food. And don’t get me started about the parties. I must have attended at least five parties during the month of December, and healthy food was not on the menu for most of these parties. But if we carry these habits and behavior 2-3 months into the year, a summer body will not be achieved.
However, after all the excess and slack, many start with this “new year new you” mentality. You came back all gung-ho after the indulgent holidays, then you let little snow not just slow you down, it stopped you in your tracks. As soon as the inclement weather rolled in all thoughts of a “new you” and “summer body” flew out the window. In some instances, many just became plain old lazy. I provided snow day workouts, which required no equipment and not a lot of your time. You were in the privacy of your home, could go at your own pace, and do it at any time, morning, noon, or night. And yet most of you did nothing. I rolled out the No Mess Fitness Challenge at the start of the year to motivate everyone to keep moving. And many of you participating in the challenge did nothing.
Know this, when June comes along you will not be able to undo 6 months (or more) of unhealthy habits in 3-4 weeks. And while the crash diet, summer cleanse, and other fads will promise you can, the results are often unsustainable, and the methods are unhealthy.
Furthermore, while it’s natural for your weight, shape and mentality to waver throughout the year – your mood and lifestyle are to a degree, affected by the seasons – yoyo-ing from winter to summer not only affects your chances of success in the short term, but can make it harder for you to lose weight in the long term. Starting earlier or maintaining a healthy base level of fitness and wellbeing not only alleviates the pressure come summer but achieves better results overall. Which is why we should be starting the year off right and strong. You cannot let a little inclement weather take you out, especially when Tadda, Team Tadda and TFC offer you so many ways to build and keep up good habits.
The best results I’ve seen in clients and members have been from those who set out on a lifestyle transformation, rather than a body transformation, and who are in it for the long run from the get-go. Such a transformation doesn’t happen overnight, it’s dedication year-round, with only the occasional acts of laziness. Laziness has to be the exception, with being healthy and fit being the rule. Remember your health isn’t seasonal, nor is your body, you live with it and should be taken care of year-round. No Mess.
