The Holiday Survival Guide for Women Who Refuse to Be Puffy

You can have the martini and the muscle tone.
But not if you’re winging it.

Let’s be real: December isn’t a month — it’s a battlefield.
Back-to-back parties. Champagne on repeat. Sleepless nights. Truffle mac in a tight dress. The holidays don’t play fair.

But neither do we.

This isn’t a “drink more water” guide.
This is a savage-sculpt-smart protocol to keep you glowing like you just got back from a detox retreat in Tulum — even if you’ve been inhaling stuffing and espresso martinis in a velvet dress.

What’s Actually Making You Puffy

It’s not just calories. It’s what your body does with inflammation:

  • Alcohol = water retention, hormonal chaos, facial bloat

  • Sugar = insulin spikes, gut disruption, belly fat

  • Dairy = mucus, bloating, sluggish lymph

  • Lack of sleep / stress = cortisol, cravings, weight gain

  • Sitting too long = lymph stagnation, digestion stalls

Individually? Manageable.
Together? Puffy, exhausted, inflamed, and spiraling.

Your December Survival Protocol

This is how we neutralize the chaos, sculpt as we go, and bounce back fast.

DAILY NON-NEGOTIABLES

  • Sculpt Juice Every Morning:
    Hot water + lemon + ACV + Himalayan salt + cinnamon

  • 10–20 Min Fasted Walk
    Bonus if uphill or on a vibration plate

  • Dry Brush Pre-Shower
    Lymphatic support in 3 minutes

  • Green Tea or Black Coffee + Collagen
    Clean energy + skin glow

  • Magnesium Before Bed
    Use glycinate or Calm powder

WEEKLY GLOW PLAN

  • 2x Pilates (Move with Nicole, Pilates by Isa)

  • 10K steps daily baseline

  • 1x Sculpt Flow (light weights or EMS)

  • 2x Infrared Sauna or Sauna Blanket ($99 on Amazon)

  • 1x Foam Rolling or Wood Therapy

SUPPLEMENT STACK

  • Berberine or L-Carnitine (glucose control)

  • Magnesium + GABA (sleep + reduce water retention)

  • Electrolytes (especially after alcohol or sauna)

  • Digestive Enzymes (before big meals)

BEFORE / DURING / AFTER PARTY PLAN

BEFORE

  • Eat a protein + fiber meal 90 mins before

  • Move your body — 20 min walk or Pilates

  • Hydrate heavily, skip bloating foods (beans, dairy)

DURING

  • Stick to one alcohol (tequila or vodka + citrus, or martini with lots of olives ;)

  • Water between drinks

  • Skip dairy-heavy appetizers

  • Eat slowly (yes, it matters) . No mixing sugar + alcohol + fried.

AFTER

  • Magnesium + electrolytes before bed

  • Castor oil belly wrap overnight

  • Protein-rich breakfast (eggs, collagen)

  • Walk + detox meal (greens, broth, lemon water)

Tools to Have on Hand

Why This Works

Because it’s not reactive. It’s proactive.
You’re not “fixing” holiday damage — you’re preventing it, while actually enjoying your life.

This plan supports your gut, lymph, hormones, and skin… while everyone else is spiraling into shame and sugar crashes.

Book a Session

🖤 Black Friday spots are still open — if you want one, don’t wait.
check our deals here

Want an at-home kit? DM us, we’ll send what you need.

This December, let them spiral.
You? You’ll glow like it’s paid for.

Our Point Is…

Glow isn’t earned. It’s designed.

So eat the damn cookie.
Just dry brush in the morning.
Drink the martini.
Just take your berberine and walk it off.

This is the art of living well — and still looking like you train for a living.

Happy Holidays!

Petra G.

Hi! I’m Petra — founder of The Body Lab™, sculptor, educator, wellness nerd, and forever rebuilding from scratch (until I didn’t have to anymore). I went from burned out and broke to building a beauty biz that actually changes lives — mine included.

On this blog, I’m sharing everything I wish I had when I started: the real advice, the mindset shifts, the body hacks, and the behind-the-scenes of building a life that feels as good as it looks.

This isn’t just a blog. It’s your glow-up manual.

xoxo, Petra

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We Call This the “Oh Sh*t My Trip Is in 10 Days” Body Reset