Someone messaged me last night saying they had already smashed a box of mince pies, grabbed a tin of Heroes “for the house” and had two work nights out confirmed.
Then they joked, “Might as well sack it off now. I will get serious in January.”
There it is.
The annual November switch off.
People act like these next six weeks are a write off because they think progress needs perfection.
Perfect training.
Perfect food.
Perfect routine.
The second life gets messy they think they have blown it, so they give up until the New Year.
That is the All or Nothing Trap.
It hits hard every single November.
You can almost set your watch by it.
What they forget is this.
Progress does not come from perfection.
It comes from structure.
And right now, a lot of people are quietly keeping that structure going while everyone else folds.
You see it inside our gyms every year.
November is when our lot lock in.
They know what is coming.
Meals out.
Work buffets.
Kids events.
Too many chocolates in too many places.
Real life in full swing.
So instead of trying to be perfect, they do something smarter.
They get ready for the next block of training we run over Christmas, which starts tomorrow.
We call it forty forty because it runs for forty days and forty nights.
It is basically six weeks of accountability built to survive this messy stretch of the year.
Weight training three times a week.
Clear food guidance that fits actual life.
A weekly WhatsApp check in so work stress does not bounce you off track.
And you still eat mince pies.
You still have drinks.
You still enjoy yourself.
And you still lose weight.
Last year it proved itself again.
Richard from Congleton HQ lost five pounds.
Tracey from Whaley Bridge HQ dropped seven pounds and bought smaller jeans for Christmas.
Just a couple of examples from many!
Nothing extreme.
Nothing fancy.
Just consistency in the hardest part of the year.
This is what most people miss.
They think the reason they slip every December is a lack of willpower.
It is not.
It is because they do not have a plan that survives real life.
Strength training three times a week works.
It keeps muscle on you, which means your body uses more calories.
You feel stronger and more in control which stops the spiralling.
You move better.
You sleep better.
You have more energy and that alone stops the overeating you do when knackered.
Food structure works.
Not a diet.
A structure.
Simple meals.
Decent protein.
Plenty of food volume.
A plan you can stick to even when life is chaos.
Accountability works.
A message once a week saying how things are going keeps you off the “sod it” train.
You cannot drift for long when someone is watching your progress.
And this is the main thing.
You do not need to be perfect for the next six weeks to feel better.
You just need to stay in the game.
People who keep training now roll into Christmas week feeling lighter, fitter and far less stressed.
They enjoy the food without guilt.
They start January ahead while everyone else is Googling “quick seven day detox” in a panic.
Meanwhile they are already fitter, leaner and stronger.
You get to pick which group you want to be in.
The ones who switch off and regret it.
Or the ones who keep a bit of structure and feel better for it.
If you already have a routine going, stick with it.
If you are thinking you need something like this in your life, take it as a sign.
Every year I see people say they will sort it in January.
Every year they wish they had started now instead.
– Ryan
P.S
If you want to get fitter, lose weight and stay on track through December instead of resetting the whole thing in January, you can join our December intake.
December only, you get seven weeks for the price of six, to help with that Christmas week indulgence.