The months of October, November, and December, are what I like to call, the Fall Back Season.

What does this mean, exactly?

Perhaps, my explanation will make more sense if I start with the month of January.

In regards to fitness, the months of January to April are known as, New Year’s Resolution Season. We’re all familiar with it. This is the time of year where people are trying to get back into shape, or newbies are beginning to work out more regularly for the very first time in their lives. 

Are you with me so far? Let’s move onto the next season.

You’ve heard the term, hot girl summer, right? Well, I call the months of May to September, Hot Girl/Boy Season. This is when people are either:

• Maintaining and continuing their progress from New Year’s Resolution season
• Are just now beginning to frantically workout and “catch up” so they can look a certain way before summer is over. Others might call this time of year, Swimsuit Season, but that’s not as fun to say!

Finally, we arrive to the months of October, November, and December. AKA, the Fall Back Season. 

The Fall Back Season is when people become more relaxed about working out. Gym sessions lessen. The desire to workout plummets. In addition, a lot of improved dietary habits made from earlier in the year, steadily fades as Halloween draws near. Before people know it, they’re neck deep in Pumpkin lattes, sweet treats, and major grubbin’ occasions with loved ones! In other words, the fitness progress made from earlier in the year, can easily come to a standstill!

The thing is, the Fall Back Season doesn’t have to be all that bad!

Here’s what I tell my own clients when this time of year arrives:

Start by being honest with yourself. Are you working out regularly? More importantly, are you as focused on your diet as you should be, or might normally be?

I can tell you from experience, no matter how often a client trains with me, if they’re enjoying more treats and heavier meals than usual like at those Las Vegas buffets, their progress is likely going to slow down. They might even add on a little extra weight and body fat. If they expect their results to continue to improve, despite a change in their dietary habits, they’re to come away feeling disappointed. 

This is why it’s super important to be honest and realistic with yourself during the holidays. As the saying goes, you can’t outwork a bad diet! 

That being said, I absolutely 100% encourage clients to enjoy themselves during the holidays. It’s a special time of year. Personally, I love the sweet treats during this time of year! 

Does this mean I’m suggesting people throw their better eating habits out the door? Not at all. What I am saying, for the umpteenth time, be honest with yourself. 

If you plan on making progress with your goals during the holidays, awesome! Just be mindful of what you eat. Even if you enjoy yourself a little more often, you can still excel with your goals! Just be sure to track your food in a journal or a calorie counting app. 

If you plan on enjoying more goodies, but won’t necessarily keep track of what you eat as often, that’s fine too! Just know your progress may slow down during that time period. If you know this, and are okay with it, great! You can always get back on track when you know you’re ready.

Fall Back Season is real, yall! As long as you keep this in mind, your holiday season will be a good one!