No one talks about periods in relation to fitness so when professionals mention it the press seems to be shocked and it becomes front-page news. But what about the hundreds of thousands of women who take a local fitness class when they’re on their periods? This post is for me, you and all of the thoughts that fly through your head during a class, because it’s an amazing biological process and we should all talk about it more

1. A tampon and a pad is enough isn’t it?
2. Maybe I should have put 2 pads in
3. I’m going to wear the black leggings because then if there is a leak no one will be able to tell
4. But the Nike ones or the Gap ones? The Nike ones can sometimes go see-through and I don’t want anyone to see the wings through my leggings
5. Ok, the Gap ones it is
6. Time to warm up. Ugh, star jumps, I think everything is about to fall out
7. Every time she tells me to brace my core it squeezes a bit more blood out
8. Squats? Really?!
9. Oh god, am I leaking? Or was that just sweat?
10. Come on, focus. You’re 29, you’ve had a period pretty much every month since you were 14
11. How many times have you actually leaked? Maybe twice when they first started but not for years!
12. Ooooo is that a cramp in my uterus or is it just my core switching on?
13. Uterus, definitely uterus
14. Time to take a breather, pretend you’ve got a stitch and wait for the cramp to pass
15. Hang on, why am I pretending it’s a stitch? My womb is shedding its lining. ITS LINING
16. Actual flesh
17. Right, back in. Burpees
18. It doesn’t matter how much you clench or engage your pelvic floor, that blood is coming out
19. Ugh, that felt like a lot
20. Phew, time for the cool down
21. Please don’t ask me to split my legs to stretch. I’m convinced I’ve leaked
22. Just take a quick surreptitious look in the mirror. It’s ok, there’s nothing there, must have been sweat
23. And breathe. You did it
24. Don’t mind me legging it out of the class, I need to get home and shower
25. But you know what, I feel a hell of a lot better
26. In fact I feel on top of the world!
27. Now get me home and get a hot water bottle on my womb

Why did I want to write this post? Well, holidays for me from the age of about 11 have been surrounded by weeks of worrying on either side. Before the holiday there’s all the stress about being on a diet so you look good in your swimwear (or as a kid so I didn’t feel as fat as I thought I was in front of the other kids) and then after the holiday you feel like a beach ball and want to diet back down to how you looked when you started the holiday.

With all that stress it’s a wonder why holidays used to be a fun thing at all. Now that my relationship with food and my body has changed so has my attitude towards holidays. In the weeks leading up to this trip, my honeymoon, I’ve been catching up with lots of friends and eating plenty of delicious food. With the mouthfuls of the tastiest morsels I’ve been declaring that ‘I’m on my beach body diet’ because my beach body is my body on a beach, nothing more, nothing less.

Holidays for me are about experiencing everything that place has to offer, especially once in a lifetime trips like this one. That means that we’re doing lots of sightseeing, lots of walking, lots of watching the world go by and lots of eating and drinking.

My biggest tip I can give you on how to eat on holiday is to eat according to your goals. For example, if you have a bikini competition 3 weeks after you get back from holiday then you’re going to need to stick strictly to your nutrition plan while you’re away (which begs the question why you’d be going on holiday at that particular time). Alternatively, if you’re in training for a strongman or strongwoman competition and you need to be in a calorie surplus to continue gaining strength while you train then you’re going to need to eat plenty of food but track it too to make sure you’re hitting your macros.

However, I am not currently in training for anything so my goal while I’m on holiday is to enjoy everything edible that Argentina and Mexico have to offer. I don’t want to come back having missed out on the dish of the trip because I thought I should probably eat the chicken salad with the dressing on the side.

So far, eating for this goal has meant that I’ve enjoyed the most incredible steak I’ve ever had in a local meat market, I’ve drunk far too much of the Argentinian Malbec and sampled plenty of empanadas with a variety of fillings. Then in Mexico I’ve eaten my fill of tacos, ceviche and sampled every guacamole I can get my hands on. Oh and the ice cream but don’t get me started on the ice cream.

Most of the hotels we’re staying in include breakfast so we’ve been eating a big breakfast each day of cereal, scrambled eggs, meat, cheese and pastries (with dulce de leche, obviously). Lunch has generally just been a small snack as we’re still full from breakfast and then dinner each night has created a lengthy debate about which of the amazing restaurants we should sample in each town.

We’ve also been quite active with some total relaxation days thrown in because #balance. We’ve been hiking through the jungle, bike riding to Mayan ruins, scuba diving, SUP yoga, horse-riding, kayaking and I’ve even managed to squeeze in a couple of gym sessions. For me the key to enjoying a holiday is to sample everything there is to offer, stay active and eliminate the feelings of guilt. Just enjoy it.

When I get home I’ll be starting a 6-month training plan to get my fitness back up so that I can take on the Olympic distance at the London Triathlon at the end of July, 5 days after my 30^th birthday. My body composition will very likely change with the increase in cardiovascular workouts but this will be a by-product of my training, not the main goal. My goals for 2017 are about performance, not aesthetics and I can’t wait to get started. Right after I finish this margarita…

Mince pies, mulled wine, turkey and stuffing sandwiches, chocolate advent calendars, Christmas parties, hungover breakfasts, the list of temptation goes on.

But what happens if you have goals that don’t mix with that list above?

I, for one, am working towards the best body that I can have for my wedding in 6 months time. So while I’ve still got time to work on it I don’t want to lose sight of my goals over the next few weeks.

So here are my top 5 tips that I’ll be sticking to over the festive weeks:

1) Don’t let the workouts drop

If you’re going to eat a few extra carbs then you might as well put the energy to use and smash your workouts. If you’re lifting weights it might be a good time to try for that PB that’s been eluding you or if you’re a cardio queen, use that extra fuel to go further, faster or longer. If you can’t make it into the gym then set up some circuits at home and get sweaty or grab the rest of your family out for a long walk to burn off those breakfast mince pies

2) Limit the booze intake

It’s impossible to avoid at this time of year but try to limit the damage by alternating alcoholic drinks with water and drinking less calorific drinks such as vodka, fresh lime & soda. If you do have a blowout then sweat it out with a workout the next morning and refuel with plenty of water and a lean bacon sandwich with a micronutrient-packed side of steamed spinach, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms

3) Make the right choices

There can be a lot of dinners and lunches with friends, colleagues, family and clients at this time of year and there’s nothing more testing to willpower than a Christmas menu. However, if you make the right choices you can save yourself a lot of calories and stick to your plan. Go for grilled meat or fish (or turkey breast), steamed vegetables and boiled or steamed rice or potatoes. Ask for sauces on the side so you can control how much goes on your food. And then, since you’ve been so good with your main course, get a dessert. With extra brandy butter on the side.

4) Don’t beat yourself up

Slip-ups do happen, especially when surrounded by so much temptation so don’t get too stressed out. A meal off-track doesn’t have to turn into a day or even a week off-track, just shrug it off and hit it with your next workout or meal. One meal (or even two) will hardly affect your body so don’t feel like you’ve failed

5) It’s Christmas, give yourself a break

Admittedly this isn’t a tip to keep you on track but it is a tip to keep you balanced over the festive break. If you try to stick to your plan 100% you might struggle so go on, indulge yourself a little. If you are hitting your workouts, making the right choices and enjoying spending time with friends and family then a few mince pies or extra glasses of mulled wine is good for the soul.

As I sit here sipping on my protein smoothie, looking forward to a strength workout tomorrow and planning training sessions for clients, I can’t help but think how much my life has changed in the last 2 years.

2 years ago I couldn’t walk 2 miles without getting out of breath, I was so unhappy in myself and I was the heaviest weight I’d been in years. Back when I started my journey back to fitness I definitely met with a few sceptics in my life. It wasn’t ‘normal to workout 5 times a week, it wasn’t ‘normal’ to make restaurant choices based on healthy options and it wasn’t ‘normal’ to get more excited about new trainers than new heels.

Fast forward 2 years and now everyone goes spinning, that woman down the post office does hiit workouts using an app and your neighbour and her dog only ever wear lycra. Fitness has spread.

And you know what? I love it. Far from being annoyed that it’s now mainstream, I love that my lifestyle is now easier to follow and much more supported by everyone. Here’s the other reasons why I love the fact that fitness has gone mainstream:

1) No one even looks twice if I order something off the menu in a restaurant

2) I don’t get pressured to drink on nights out anymore

3) Health has become a priority for many more people which is great for everyone involved

4) The emphasis is now on strength which fits with my goals and an increasing number of my clients’ goals

5) Early morning workouts with friends have become the new coffee dates

6) Even if I’m not the ‘smallest’ or ‘lightest’ I’ve ever been I’m definitely the strongest and most importantly, the happiest I’ve ever been

7) It’s acceptable to wear lycra in between clients, even if I’m not actually exercising

8) Telling people you’re taking on a massive personal fitness challenge won’t garner looks of disbelief and pity

9) Talking about macros, PBs, deadlifts and burpees is totally acceptable at the dinner table

10) Not going to lie, as a personal trainer this shift has been lucrative!

What do you love about fitness becoming mainstream?