Don’t Let the Wheels Fall Off: Eating & Training Through the Holidays

Happy holidays from Kracht Amsterdam! We know this season gets busy with family dinners, travel, and festive fun. You deserve a break! But how do you hold on to your hard-earned fitness gains and not gain unwanted weight? The good news is, you can enjoy the holidays guilt-free and maintain your performance with a few realistic habits. So you don’t come back feeling like you need 2 weeks to get back in the groove. In this guide, we’ll coach you through a flexible plan for training and eating during a two-week holiday period so you stay consistent (and come back in January feeling great).

Avoid All-or-Nothing Thinking During the Holidays

It’s easy to fall into the “all-or-nothing” trap during the holidays, thinking you either have to train full throttle and eat perfectly, or else do nothing at all. But that’s not true, especially not when you realize that some times, your goal can be maintenance, not progress. Which impacts how you can approach things!

Maintaining is a win. In fact, simply holding steady (not losing fitness or gaining weight) during a hectic period is a huge success, far better than burning out or backsliding. So be kind to yourself. A few missed workouts or indulging in some treats doesn’t ruin your progress. Consistency beats perfection, and something is always better than nothing. But there are a few guidlines that can set you up for success.

Use the “Don’t Mess Up Twice” Rule to Stay on Track

One of our favorite habit hacks to avoid that all-or-nothing spiral is the “Don’t Mess Up Twice” rule. In a nutshell: It’s okay to break a habit or do something less healthy once, just make sure the next choice is a good one. Enjoy a big holiday meal or a night out and truly savor it, that’s okay! Just don’t do two heavy splurges back-to-back, or make sure that throughout the rest of the day you eat according to your regular routine. If you skip a workout one day, no problem, do some exercise the next day instead (we’ll discuss the how and what in a bit). This approach keeps you on track without guilt. One indulgence or missed session won’t set you back, but two or three in a row can quickly snowball. So have your fun, then get back to your healthy routine. Consistency, not perfection, is what counts.

How Much You Really Need to Train Over the Holidays

Let’s start off by saying you won’t loose all your gains in 2 weeks. That’s nice to realize knowing that over the holidays, you might not stick to your full training schedule, and that’s fine. The key is finding the minimum effective dose of exercise that maintains your strength and conditioning. The goal is to set yourself up well to pick back up after the holidays.

Excitingly, current research shows you can cut your training way down for a while and still hang on to your performance, as long as you make those few workouts count (high intensity!).

What does the science say? Researchers have identified surprisingly low weekly training needs to maintain fitness:

Strength Maintenance: You can maintain your strength and muscle mass with as little as one strength workout per week, performing just one hard set per exercise/movement pattern (yes, just one!), provided you lift heavy and keep the intensity high, think +/80% of 1RM or RPE8+. This means that

Endurance Maintenance: To keep your conditioning (cardio endurance), aim for about two sessions per week of heart-pumping exercise. Even short workouts (~15–25 minutes) will do the trick if you push yourself to a challenging intensity (think getting your heart rate up). So doing some conditioning each week (even if it’s brief) will help you stay in shape.

Bottom line: Quality over quantity! Focus on intensity over volume. You don’t need five days a week in the gym to maintain your gains during a 2-week holiday. Just 1–2 focused workouts per week can sustain your strength and cardio. Keep the effort high in whatever you do, intensity is the key variable for holding onto performance pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov . Think of it as “maintenance mode”: you’re not trying to hit personal records, just giving your body enough stimulus to remind it, “Don’t detrain!”

And if life gets so busy that you only manage one workout in that whole two-week span, don’t panic. Research shows even training once every 14 days can preserve around 90–95% of your fitness levels over a few months. So, worst case, a short break won’t spell disaster. But a couple of short, intense sessions will make you feel better and ease your return to full training after the holidays.

Staying Active While Traveling: Gym vs. Run

Holiday schedules and travel can disrupt your normal gym routine. You might wonder, “Should I find a local gym for a workout, or just do a quick run or bodyweight session?” The answer: do whatever fits best, just do something. Both options can maintain your fitness; it depends on your circumstances on the day. Remember, anything is better than nothing! Here’s how to choose:

If you have gym access and the time: Take advantage and squeeze in a full-body strength workout. Hitting some heavy lifts will help maintain your power and muscle. Focus on big movements (squats, presses, pulls) and you can be in and out in under an hour. This is ideal if strength is your priority or you just miss throwing around some weights.

If no gym is handy (or time is short): Go for a quickie workout instead. A 20-minute high-intensity bodyweight circuit in your hotel or an energetic run around the neighborhood is fantastic for keeping your conditioning up. For example, you might do a simple circuit of push-ups, air squats, lunges, and burpees, fast enough to break a sweat.

When in doubt, mix it up: There’s no rule you can’t do both during your break. Maybe one day you drop into a local gym for a strength session, and later in the week you go for a trail run with family. Do whatever sounds fun and manageable that day. Consistency (even in small doses) beats being sedentary.

Drop into a box: Finding a local gym that has classes similar to Kracht can be such a fun way of exporing your holiday destination and can help you stay on track quite well!

The takeaway: some exercise is always better than none. Don’t stress if it’s not your usual program. A couple of workouts, whether lifting or cardio, will maintain most of your fitness. And you’ll feel better mentally and physically for having moved your body. Listen to your circumstances and choose the active option that fits best.

Smart Eating Tips for the Holidays

What’s a holiday without good food and drink? We want you to indulge and celebrate, that’s part of a healthy life! The trick is doing it without derailing your overall nutrition habits. Here’s how to embrace holiday treats while staying on track:

Practice moderation: Enjoy your favorite holiday foods without guilt. The key is balance. One big meal or party is fine, just don’t stack splurges back-to-back. Follow indulgent moments with lighter meals to stay in control.

Prioritize protein and veggies: Eating lean proteins and vegetables keeps you full and nourished. Start your day with a protein-rich meal or eat a salad before heading to a party. It helps prevent overeating and supports your muscle maintenance.

Skip the guilt: One meal doesn’t define your health. Enjoy treats and move on. Use the “don’t mess up twice” rule, get back on track with your next meal or action. This mindset keeps your habits strong without stress.

Wrap-Up: How to Stay Fit, Healthy, and Happy Through the Holidays

Staying fit over the holidays isn’t about being perfect, it’s about maintaining a balance. With just a couple of workouts a week (or even some well-timed mini-workouts), you can absolutely preserve your strength and endurance. And by enjoying holiday foods in moderation and prioritizing healthy choices the majority of the time, you’ll prevent unwanted weight gain while still partaking in the festivities.

At Kracht, we believe fitness is a lifelong journey, and it needs to be flexible. The holidays are a time to recharge and enjoy life. So be realistic and kind to yourself: do what you can when you can, and don’t sweat the rest. If you maintain your current shape through New Year’s, consider that a big victory, you’ve kept the momentum going. Come January, you won’t be “starting over,” just ramping back up.

Enjoy the time off, stay active in small ways, and savor those holiday moments with family and friends. We’ll be ready for you at the gym, stronger, refreshed, and guilt-free. Happy Holidays and see you in the New Year! 🎉💪