Can you maintain your physique and have a social life?

Summer is here, it’s time for BBQs, beer gardens, festivals, weekend trips and holidays. 

Now the question is…can you do these things and either maintain a physique you are happy with or keep working towards a physique goal?

As a coach to many people it is something that I have come to discuss weekly. It’s not always a situation that I myself raise but more often than not; a situation that my clients raise. I usually get two different scenarios…

“I’m going out for a meal this weekend so I’m just letting you know I’m likely to fall off track, I’ll get back on it Monday though”.

Or…

“I’m going out this weekend so what shall I do with my calories and how do I account for this, I don’t want to ruin my progress/undo my hard work?”.

Being bluntly honest here I will give you the thoughts that enter my head before I respond…

To the first scenario; They don’t want their progress enough. If they did they wouldn’t be allowing themselves to ‘fall off track’.

To the second scenario; They are looking for the balance of a social life but still being mindful of their progress along side. This is the best case scenario because by still monitoring their weekly average calories they can enjoy themselves socially but also continue to progress on their programme. They are serious about their physique.

I’m not being harsh or bashing anyone that allows themselves to fall off track by any means at all but I’m guessing if you are at this point of the blog then the title triggered you to read on because this is something that you would also like to be able to do. Maintain your physique and have a social life at the same time.

So can you?

Yes…if you are mindful.

No, not if you are going all out and eating/drinking like an arsehole without any consistency the rest of the time.

I am going into week 9 of a photoshoot prep with 4 weeks to go. I’ve still had social events, days out with family, trips to the cinema…and I’ve still continued to progress week on week. 

This is only because I have been MINDFUL of what I am doing during these times. I have chosen good food options or even taken my own. I said no to fish and chips in Blackpool, I took a sandwich bag of healthier goodies to the cinema and I have avoided situations that I know may be tempting or not allow me to progress in the way that I would like. 

And that’s not boring…it’s mindful and serious about my journey. 

I am going to London 4 days before my shoot and I will take every bit of food prep that I need for the day that I am there so that I don’t fall off track. 

Again, not boring. Mindful. I will still have the best time in London but I will also progress whilst I’m there. 

Granted I don’t drink alcohol, so straight away here on a night out or social event I don’t have to worry about consuming liquid calories that go down a lot easier than the bulk of food, but that being said…you can still account for alcohol on a night/weekend out.

Track it before you go out/estimate what you may consume and you will know what you have left over to play with during the week.

If you don’t particularly count your calories then be mindful of what you consume throughout the week and much the same for you, be mindful of the weekend.

What we also tend to find and I’m sure that you can relate in some way is that a night fuelled by alcohol leaves you feeling rough the next day and much more likely to want food that satisfies the craving or gives you a boost of energy. Junk or hearty food. Your ‘one night out’ then turns into a weekend of over consuming and when Monday comes back around you feel a bit shitty.

If this happens every weekend then in a months time you aren’t going to look the same are you? Let’s be honest.

It’s foolish to think that you can go all out and binge regularly and not undo your progress. You can.

It’s also foolish to think that if you aren’t being mindful during the week or exercising regularly alongside that your physique will remain the same. It won’t.

This brings me back to how serious you are about staying/getting in shape. It’s completely normal to want to go out and enjoy life. That’s what life is all about. AND YOU SHOULD!

But if you want to look and feel a way that makes you feel happy, comfortable and at your most confident with your physique then something has to give a little somewhere along the line. You have to be realistic and honest with yourself and your coach/PT if you have one.

I’m not a coach that will bullshit you by saying ‘Ohhh it’s fine, go out and enjoy yourself and get back on track on Monday” because you come to me/read my blogs for a reason…to get in shape or for inspiration/information on health and fitness.

I’m also not a coach that will say ‘life is all about balance’ because I’ll be really honest, finding a balance is hard.

I am a coach that will say ‘You have to be AWARE. Aware of what you are eating, aware of what you are drinking and aware of when/how intensely you exercise’.

That is…if you want to have a social life and maintain/progress on your physique at the same time.

Now listen. If you are happy and comfortable in your skin and you have no desire whatsoever to maintain or further your physique then YOU DO YOU! Go out and enjoy yourself and that will be that. This blog isn’t for you.

However, if you are bothered about the way you look, want to stay in shape or maintain the progress you have made then take on board the advice I have given out above. You can’t have it all roads and you certainly can’t live a life of riley and then moan about what you see in the mirror. Simple.

There was never going to be a simple YES or NO answer to the question headed in this blog because the way your physique looks is down to you and how much you VALUE it.

It’s your choice and it’s also your responsibility to look after it and fuel it as to have it look the way you desire.

Your life certainly doesn’t have to be boring for you to look good. You just have to be mindful whilst having fun. 

Now I’m going to track my two party ring biscuits and be on my merry way to do cardio…and feel great for it! 

Thank you for reading and I hope this blog can be of help to you ❤️. 

Kelly ❤️

If you are someone who struggles to stay on track either side of social events and feel you need help then WE CAN HELP YOU! Drop us a DM and we will be in touch.