Most of us enjoy the officially-sanctioned period of over-indulgence at Christmas, and it's natural to want to give your body a break at the end of it. Healthy eating and refraining from drink can even seem easier when you've started to tire of endless booze and fatty snacks, and this sudden nostalgia for raw celery and orange juice can be a good way to kick-start a healthier regime.
What is less realistic, however, is setting a series of far-fetched and unachievable goals in the aftermath of your festive blow-out, setting yourself up for failure at the darkest and most miserable time of the year. You may well wake up on Jan 1 completely adamant that you are 'never drinking again', but is this really the best time to plan your regime for the rest of the month or beyond? It's important to ease yourself in to a strict diet or exercise plan gently, and a more moderate approach is better - perhaps leaving those plans (if you must make them) to later on in the season when your body has had time to recover from the shock of too much food and can more readily accept too little.
Yet a sudden and dramatic change is what the majority of women seem to go for, often setting themselves up to fail at the first hurdle. And this is no surprise: without a huge amount of support, planning and physical preparation a major diet overhaul is tough. For the past few years now I have not even attempted a January 'detox' and have done nothing more than follow my body's needs. If I feel like a week off the booze after a few day's indulgence then I'll do it - but I'm not going to be a party pooper when a good friend celebrates his birthday on January 15th. Equally, I'm not going to forego a hot jacket potato with cheese for a salad if the long-expected cold snap decides to arrive one week after NYE.
January is often cited as the 'most depressing' month of the year and I think we can all appreciate that to a certain extent so why make it even more of an ordeal with a crazy diet or punishing exercise programme? Once again, following your body's needs is the best way to go and I'm sure I'm not alone in finding that my body naturally wants to do these things a little later in the year when the spring arrives with its milder weather and more inspiring seasonal changes. I'm waiting till spring to even think about giving up the little comforts that make life worth living, and in the meantime, will be enjoying coffee, alcohol and sugar in moderation while taking advantage of the emptier pubs and restaurants (and their discounts!) to catch up with some like-minded friends. Who's with me?
