After putting in an entire calendar year of intensive training and diligent dieting, the last thing you’d want is to undermine your progress by slacking off in December. It’s critical to finish the year strong—and while we get it, you’re human, being aware of the potential pitfalls posed by an extended vacation and time away from the gym doesn’t hurt.
Nothing can wipe out a full year’s worth of progress like the dinners, parties, commitments, and stress that come in those few short weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. It’s a six-week period that can easily undo months of hard work.
To help you avoid falling into those traps, here’s a heads up on the four biggest holiday fitness destroyers, and some tips on what you can do to keep them at bay.
<p class="fs-gallery__header__gallery-title">
The 4 Biggest Holiday Fitness Destroyers </p>
<span class="fs-gallery__header__close-btn">
<span class="hidden-except-readers">Close gallery popup button</span>
</span>
<span class="current">1</span> OF <span class="total">4</span>
<p class="slide-count desktop-hidden">1 of 4</p><img width="1109" height="614" src="/uploadfile/2025/0103/20250103102152532.jpg"><p class="photo-credit">eli_asenova/Getty Images</p>Treats in the Office
Every office has an aspiring Julia Child that slings baked goods from desk to desk like it’s going out of style. While tempting and delicious, nothing will derail your muscle definition faster than a couple of slices of pumpkin cheesecake during your 3 o’clock coffee break.The best way to avoid the temptation of grabbing a quick, unhealthy lunch in the office is to set up a proximity defense. Most office treats get set up in a specific conference room, in the kitchen, or at the baker’s desk. Do everything you can to avoid going past these areas and you’ll be much less likely to indulge. It may require you mapping out a new route to the bathroom, but no one said that keeping your title of “Best Biceps in the Design Department” would be easy.
Neustockimages/Getty Images
Waiting Until New Years
So, you’ve let your gym membership slide and you’re thinking you’ll just wait till the post-New Year’s deals before you re-sign up. Or you figure, with all the holiday parties and dinners you have lined up, you may as well wait until after January 1 to really commit to that new low-carb diet plan.The problem with this kind of thinking is that while you’re waiting for the perfect time to make fitness your priority, you’re packing on inches to your waist and getting further and further away from your goals. And, at this rate, it’ll take you until April just to get back to where you were in October.The answer is simple: don’t wait. Find a nutrition plan or a workout program that excites you, and start today. You’ll have a great head start going into the new year, and you’ll stand out as the guy who is going against the grain by putting his physique first this holiday season.
yulkapopkova/Getty Images
Bottles of Booze
We can almost guarantee that you’re much more likely to enjoy a few too many cocktails this time of year. And while that glass of bourbon may make you feel like you’re really good enough to be on the next season of Dancing With The Stars, you’ll end up with anything but a dancer’s body by the time you add in all those extra calories from the booze.Alcohol has more calories per gram than either protein or carbs. Plus alcohol is what is called a “priority nutrient,” meaning that your body will prioritize using it for energy before any other substrate. In other words, all those alcohol calories have to be burned off before any fat loss can start to take place. Makes you think twice about having that third gin and tonic, huh?Use the tried-and-true trick of having one glass of water for every cocktail you take in. This will not only cut down on the amount of booze you knock back, it will also help you stay hydrated and improve the quality of your sleep.
Corbis images
Bad Meal Planning
It’s no mystery that holiday meals are total calorie bombs. What you may not be sure about is how to go about holding back from that next slice of cheesecake. There are a few strategies you can apply.First, eat something healthy and filling an hour before the meal. You don’t want to stuff yourself, and arriving to the dinner table with no appetite will surely break your mom’s heart, but opting for a small salad or an apple or two in your pregame meal will help you show a little restraint. Once at the table, make sure you start by loading your plate with proteins like turkey or ham and vegetables. These are foods that will fill you up, are abs-friendly, and are much less likely to be involved in helping after helping binges (plus, they’re delicious).Once you’re done with those, then go in for normal-size portions of the stuff you’ve been craving. Finally, if the meal is served buffet-style, make a pact with yourself to only load up your plate once, and, again, make sure three-quarters of it are filled with proteins and vegetables.
<span class="hidden-except-readers">Button slide previous</span>
Back to intro
<span class="hidden-except-readers">Button slide next</span>
<h3 class="gallery-item__caption-title">Treats in the Office</h3><p>Every office has an aspiring Julia Child that slings baked goods from desk to desk like it’s going out of style. While tempting and delicious, nothing will derail your muscle definition faster than a couple of slices of pumpkin cheesecake during your 3 o’clock coffee break.</p>The best way to avoid the temptation of grabbing a quick, unhealthy lunch in the office is to set up a proximity defense. Most office treats get set up in a specific conference room, in the kitchen, or at the baker’s desk. Do everything you can to avoid going past these areas and you’ll be much less likely to indulge. It may require you mapping out a new route to the bathroom, but no one said that keeping your title of “Best Biceps in the Design Department” would be easy.
Waiting Until New Years
So, you’ve let your gym membership slide and you’re thinking you’ll just wait till the post-New Year’s deals before you re-sign up. Or you figure, with all the holiday parties and dinners you have lined up, you may as well wait until after January 1 to really commit to that new low-carb diet plan.
The problem with this kind of thinking is that while you’re waiting for the perfect time to make fitness your priority, you’re packing on inches to your waist and getting further and further away from your goals. And, at this rate, it’ll take you until April just to get back to where you were in October.
The answer is simple: don’t wait. Find a nutrition plan or a workout program that excites you, and start today. You’ll have a great head start going into the new year, and you’ll stand out as the guy who is going against the grain by putting his physique first this holiday season.
Bottles of Booze
We can almost guarantee that you’re much more likely to enjoy a few too many cocktails this time of year. And while that glass of bourbon may make you feel like you’re really good enough to be on the next season of Dancing With The Stars, you’ll end up with anything but a dancer’s body by the time you add in all those extra calories from the booze.
Alcohol has more calories per gram than either protein or carbs. Plus alcohol is what is called a “priority nutrient,” meaning that your body will prioritize using it for energy before any other substrate. In other words, all those alcohol calories have to be burned off before any fat loss can start to take place. Makes you think twice about having that third gin and tonic, huh?
Use the tried-and-true trick of having one glass of water for every cocktail you take in. This will not only cut down on the amount of booze you knock back, it will also help you stay hydrated and improve the quality of your sleep.
Bad Meal Planning
It’s no mystery that holiday meals are total calorie bombs. What you may not be sure about is how to go about holding back from that next slice of cheesecake. There are a few strategies you can apply.
First, eat something healthy and filling an hour before the meal. You don’t want to stuff yourself, and arriving to the dinner table with no appetite will surely break your mom’s heart, but opting for a small salad or an apple or two in your pregame meal will help you show a little restraint. Once at the table, make sure you start by loading your plate with proteins like turkey or ham and vegetables. These are foods that will fill you up, are abs-friendly, and are much less likely to be involved in helping after helping binges (plus, they’re delicious).
Once you’re done with those, then go in for normal-size portions of the stuff you’ve been craving. Finally, if the meal is served buffet-style, make a pact with yourself to only load up your plate once, and, again, make sure three-quarters of it are filled with proteins and vegetables.