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39 episodes

Holidays, Travel & Social Life

Staying on track through holidays, vacations, alcohol, dating and social events without all-or-nothing thinking.

From Nikkiey Stott and the WarriorBabe coaching team · Updated Oct 25, 2026

You have put in weeks of steady work, and then a holiday, a girls trip, a wedding or a long weekend shows up. It can feel like you have to choose between enjoying yourself and protecting your progress. Maybe you skip the food and feel miserable, or you decide the week is already ruined and promise yourself you will start again Monday, or in January. Either way, all-or-nothing thinking wins.

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The full guide

The WarriorBabe Show takes a different position. Across these episodes, Nikkiey Stott keeps returning to one point: one meal, one night out or one trip does not make or break your progress. The damage comes from the spiral afterward, the regret and the screw-it mindset that turns a weekend into weeks off track. In "Why Women Over 40 Fall Off Track and How to Stay Consistent," she explains that you don't lose your results first. You lose your standards and routines, and your body is the last place it shows up. The answer is to treat fitness as a lifestyle and get back on track at the next meal.

That doesn't mean winging it. Nikkiey's approach is planning plus grace. In "How to Stay on Track With Nutrition at Social Events," she walks through looking up the menu ahead of time, loading earlier meals with protein and veggies, deciding how many drinks you will have before you arrive, and building your plate with protein first. In "How to Stay Consistent With Fitness in December," she asks you to pick a few minimums you won't negotiate on, such as steps, protein, water, sleep and a realistic number of workouts, instead of chasing perfection. Shorter workouts still count, because something is always better than nothing.

Alcohol gets its own attention. In "Does Alcohol Stop Fat Loss and Muscle Gain After 40?" Nikkiey explains the ways she sees alcohol working against muscle and fat loss, including what it does to sleep, and shares her own Oura Ring data. In "Does Alcohol Stop Fat Loss? What Women Over 40 Should Know," she focuses on frequency and pattern: one intentional night out won't wreck your results, while drinking several nights a week quietly works against you.

The topic goes beyond the holiday table. "How to Stay on Track With Nutrition While Traveling" covers packing protein, finding gyms and meal prepping on longer stays. "How to Date While Tracking Macros and Staying on Track" reframes your standards as a built-in filter rather than a burden. And "How to Stay on Track When Your Partner Isn't Supportive" helps with the people at home who don't understand what you are doing.

Where to start depends on where you are. If you are coming off a long weekend right now, begin with "How to Get Back on Track After a Holiday Weekend," where Nikkiey explains why the scale jump isn't fat and how to pivot to your next best step within the hour. If you recognize yourself in the perfect-or-failure pattern, listen to "How to Stop All-or-Nothing Thinking in Fitness" next. Then pick the episode that matches your next event, and walk into it with a plan.

What women ask

Ask Nikkiey →

  • Holidays, Travel & Social Life

    What should I do after overeating on a holiday?

    Get back to your normal routine right away, without guilt or punishment. Nikkiey's advice: hydrate, move your body, eat your next solid balanced meal built around lean protein, and hit your workouts as planned. Don't slash calories, skip meals or try to burn it off with a three-hour gym session. That approach only keeps the spiral going.

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  • Holidays, Travel & Social Life

    Will one holiday weekend ruin my progress?

    No. Nikkiey says one plate, one event, or even a whole weekend won't erase the progress you've built. The scale jump afterward is mostly water, salt, sugar, alcohol and poor sleep, not fat. What actually sets you back is the story that follows: I blew it, I'll start again Monday.

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  • Holidays, Travel & Social Life

    How do I stay on track during the holidays?

    Set a floor you won't drop below, and treat each holiday as one day, not a whole season. Nikkiey suggests keeping one to three minimums, such as protein at every meal, water, 8,000 to 10,000 steps or three strength workouts a week. Then get right back to your routine the next morning instead of waiting for January.

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  • Holidays, Travel & Social Life

    How do I stay on track on vacation?

    Nikkiey's approach is to eat well during the day and enjoy a smart free meal at night, like an entree and a dessert. Cook breakfast, lunch and snacks at your rental, pack food for the beach, skip tracking macros, and get right back to your routine the day you get home.

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  • Holidays, Travel & Social Life

    Can I drink alcohol and still lose fat?

    Yes, but how often you drink decides it. On Ep. 359, Nikkiey says one or two intentional occasions a week is something most consistent women can handle while still progressing. Drinking three to four nights a week shows up in your results. In earlier episodes she takes a stricter line and suggests keeping it rare.

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  • Holidays, Travel & Social Life

    How do I keep working out during a busy holiday season?

    Schedule your workouts before the holidays hit and treat them like non-negotiable appointments. Nikkiey says something is always better than nothing: a 20 to 30 minute session counts, with intensity over duration. Set a realistic number of days, and if you train four days a week, move sessions anywhere within the seven days.

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Every Holidays, Travel & Social Life episode

Common questions

Will one holiday meal or party ruin my progress?

No. Nikkiey Stott repeatedly makes the point that one day won't undo months or years of progress. What sets you back is letting one event turn into a spiral, so get back to your normal routine the very next day.

Why does the scale jump after a holiday weekend?

In "How to Get Back on Track After a Holiday Weekend," Nikkiey points to water, lost sleep, sugar, salt and alcohol as the likely causes, not fat gained in a few days. In her Thanksgiving episode she explains that a big, carb-heavy meal means water retention and inflammation.

Can I drink alcohol and still lose fat after 40?

Nikkiey explains that frequency and pattern matter most: one or two intentional occasions a week, done strategically, is compatible with progress for most consistent women, while three to four nights a week works against you. Decide in advance how much you will drink, choose options like clear spirits with soda water and lime, and front-load your protein earlier in the day.

Should I skip meals to save calories before a big holiday dinner?

No. Nikkiey calls that rookie energy. Eat your normal breakfast, hit your protein, drink your water and walk in fed so you can build your plate with intention.

How do I keep working out during the holidays or while traveling?

Nikkiey schedules four sessions a week around the holidays with flexibility to slide a day, and shortens workouts by dropping a set, cutting a few reps and going a little heavier. Without equipment, pack bands or do a bodyweight circuit, or look up hotel and local gyms ahead of time.

Should I track macros on vacation?

In her travel nutrition episode, Nikkiey says she tells clients not to track macros on vacation, because one week away won't ruin progress and getting back to routine at home is what matters. Guest Amber Brueseke offers another option for restaurants and trips, her 'all or something' rule: estimate, log it and keep moving rather than quitting because you can't be perfect.

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