Five major holiday events make up about 16% of December, which fits an 80/20 approach: stay disciplined on regular days and enjoy yourself at parties, or skip the stress entirely. Either way works if your habits are solid the rest of the year.
What you do between Christmas and New Year's does not matter. What matters is what you do between New Year's and Christmas. I see a lot of people getting unnecessarily worked up over the month of December, and I really don't think it's that big of a deal. Let's break it down. Say you've had 5 big nights out: the work Christmas party, your friends group dinner, Christmas Eve, the day itself, Stephen's Day, whatever you like. 5 days out of 31 is 16%, which is well within the 80/20 rule that myself and a lot of others would follow and recommend. That means being on point with your routine 80% of the time and allowing 20% for some flexibility. If you want to offset the increase in calories, you can keep training away and be smart with your nutrition when you're not at social events, or you can completely relax and let loose. It's your call, but it's not the be-all end-all. However, what you do during the rest of the year is. Zoom out, look at the bigger picture, enjoy the holidays. I'll see everyone in the gym in January. Let's go!
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