Holiday-Proof Your Progress: Enjoy the Season Without Gaining 10 Pounds
Joseph Perez • December 2, 2025
A simple plan to stay consistent, feel good, and keep momentum through the busiest month of the year.
The holidays tend to pull everyone in a hundred different directions. Between events, travel, family, late nights, big meals, and unpredictable schedules, it’s easy to lose your rhythm and fall into the “I’ll get back on track in January” trap. But staying consistent in December doesn’t require perfection. It just requires a simple, realistic plan that keeps you grounded, feeling good, and in control of your progress.
Below is a straightforward approach anyone can follow to enjoy the season, protect their progress, and roll into January feeling proud of themselves—not panicked.
1. Stick to 3–4 Workouts Per Week (Your Anchor Habit)
December isn’t the month to chase six workouts a week or overhaul everything. Life is simply too busy for that. What does work is committing to 3–4 sessions per week—consistently.
That’s enough to maintain strength and muscle, keep your metabolism responsive, reduce stress, support better sleep, create weekly structure, and keep momentum alive.
Think of it this way: if you just keep showing up, the holidays can’t pull you off track.
2. Use the “One Plate, One Protein” Rule at Big Meals
Holiday meals are abundant, delicious, and often oversized. Instead of restricting yourself, use this simple approach: build one plate, and make sure at least one-third of it is protein.
Protein keeps you full, stabilizes your appetite, and naturally reduces the urge to overeat. This lets you enjoy everything without feeling stuffed or guilty.
3. Walk 8,000 Steps on Days You Don’t Work Out
You may not be able to train every day, but movement absolutely matters. Aiming for 8,000 steps on non-gym days keeps your metabolism active, reduces stress, improves digestion, and prevents that sluggish holiday feeling.
These steps don’t need to happen all at once—short walks add up quickly.
4. Follow the “Don’t Skip Twice” Rule
You don’t need a perfect month to stay on track. You just need to avoid sliding backward. The rule is simple: if you skip a workout, don’t skip the next one. If you eat off plan, make the following meal a good one.
This prevents the downward spiral that usually turns one off day into two weeks of lost momentum.
5. Have a Simple Alcohol Strategy
Alcohol is often the real reason people gain weight during the holidays—not the food. A helpful approach is choosing two of the three: frequency, quantity, or quality. If you want higher-quality drinks, reduce quantity. If you want multiple drinks, choose lighter options. If you want to enjoy multiple nights out, drink less each time.
Enjoy yourself, but stay intentional.
6. Protect Your Sleep (Even a Little Goes a Long Way)
Sleep tends to fall apart in December, and when that happens, everything becomes harder—fat loss, cravings, mood, energy, and motivation. Aim for 7 hours when possible, and treat 6 hours as the bare minimum. Protect the first hour of your night: put the phone down, dim the lights, breathe, stretch, and wind down on purpose.
Better sleep alone can completely change the way you feel this month.
7. Choose One Small “Anchor Habit” Each Day
Instead of trying to do everything, commit to one small win each day. It might be protein at every meal, getting your steps in, drinking enough water, showing up to class, or getting to bed on time. One daily win keeps you connected to your goals and prevents the month from feeling chaotic.
Small wins stack. Small wins build momentum. Momentum is what carries you into January feeling confident—not defeated.
The Real Goal: Start January Proud, Not Panicked
Most people enter the new year feeling behind. They’re tired, unmotivated, frustrated, and starting from scratch. But when you follow a simple plan like this, you enter January already in motion—already consistent, already feeling good, and already ready to build on the foundation you created.
You don’t need a strict diet, a challenge, or perfection this month. You just need a simple structure that helps you navigate real life.
Stay consistent. Stay flexible. Stay in motion. And give yourself the space to enjoy the season while still honoring who you want to become.
Let’s finish the year strong—together.
About The Outsiders Dispatch
Every day, we publish two free workouts—Limited Equipment and No Equipment—that you can do anywhere: at Oregon Ridge, on the NCR Trail, in your garage, or here with a coach at Outsiders CrossFit.
We also share weekly conversations on training, nutrition, and real life on our Outsiders Unloaded podcast, plus free coaching tips on YouTube.
This is for Sparks and the surrounding community—built to help you stay fit for life, out of the ER, and thriving with your people. Enjoy.
The post The Outsiders Dispatch 10/29/2025 appeared first on Outsiders CrossFit.
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About The Outsiders Dispatch
Every day, we publish two free workouts—Limited Equipment and No Equipment—that you can do anywhere: at Oregon Ridge, on the NCR Trail, in your garage, or here with a coach at Outsiders CrossFit.
We also share weekly conversations on training, nutrition, and real life on our Outsiders Unloaded podcast, plus free coaching tips on YouTube.
This is for Sparks and the surrounding community—built to help you stay fit for life, out of the ER, and thriving with your people. Enjoy.
The post The Outsiders Dispatch 10/28/2025 appeared first on Outsiders CrossFit.
About The Outsiders Dispatch
Every day, we publish two free workouts—Limited Equipment and No Equipment—that you can do anywhere: at Oregon Ridge, on the NCR Trail, in your garage, or here with a coach at Outsiders CrossFit.
We also share weekly conversations on training, nutrition, and real life on our Outsiders Unloaded podcast, plus free coaching tips on YouTube.
This is for Sparks and the surrounding community—built to help you stay fit for life, out of the ER, and thriving with your people. Enjoy.
The post The Outsiders Dispatch 10/27/2025 appeared first on Outsiders CrossFit.
About The Outsiders Dispatch
Every day, we publish two free workouts—Limited Equipment and No Equipment—that you can do anywhere: at Oregon Ridge, on the NCR Trail, in your garage, or here with a coach at Outsiders CrossFit.
We also share weekly conversations on training, nutrition, and real life on our Outsiders Unloaded podcast, plus free coaching tips on YouTube.
This is for Sparks and the surrounding community—built to help you stay fit for life, out of the ER, and thriving with your people. Enjoy.
The post The Outsiders Dispatch 10/25/2025 appeared first on Outsiders CrossFit.
About The Outsiders Dispatch
Every day, we publish two free workouts—Limited Equipment and No Equipment—that you can do anywhere: at Oregon Ridge, on the NCR Trail, in your garage, or here with a coach at Outsiders CrossFit.
We also share weekly conversations on training, nutrition, and real life on our Outsiders Unloaded podcast, plus free coaching tips on YouTube.
This is for Sparks and the surrounding community—built to help you stay fit for life, out of the ER, and thriving with your people. Enjoy.
The post The Outsiders Dispatch 10/24/2025 appeared first on Outsiders CrossFit.
About The Outsiders Dispatch
Every day, we publish two free workouts—Limited Equipment and No Equipment—that you can do anywhere: at Oregon Ridge, on the NCR Trail, in your garage, or here with a coach at Outsiders CrossFit.
We also share weekly conversations on training, nutrition, and real life on our Outsiders Unloaded podcast, plus free coaching tips on YouTube.
This is for Sparks and the surrounding community—built to help you stay fit for life, out of the ER, and thriving with your people. Enjoy.
The post The Outsiders Dispatch 10/23/2025 appeared first on Outsiders CrossFit.
About The Outsiders Dispatch
Every day, we publish two free workouts—Limited Equipment and No Equipment—that you can do anywhere: at Oregon Ridge, on the NCR Trail, in your garage, or here with a coach at Outsiders CrossFit.
We also share weekly conversations on training, nutrition, and real life on our Outsiders Unloaded podcast, plus free coaching tips on YouTube.
This is for Sparks and the surrounding community—built to help you stay fit for life, out of the ER, and thriving with your people. Enjoy.
The post The Outsiders Dispatch 10/22/2025 appeared first on Outsiders CrossFit.
About The Outsiders Dispatch
Every day, we publish two free workouts—Limited Equipment and No Equipment—that you can do anywhere: at Oregon Ridge, on the NCR Trail, in your garage, or here with a coach at Outsiders CrossFit.
We also share weekly conversations on training, nutrition, and real life on our Outsiders Unloaded podcast, plus free coaching tips on YouTube.
This is for Sparks and the surrounding community—built to help you stay fit for life, out of the ER, and thriving with your people. Enjoy.
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