Staying on Track

The holidays are here so NOW is a good time to consider how you would like to feel come January 2nd!

Many people "give up" on health and fitness over the holidays and end up with the physical "baggage" to prove it. Weight gain can be avoided over the holidays without sacrificing the celebrations we all love to have. Here are some tips to keep in mind and help you through...

1) "The Holidays" are usually considered to be the period of time between Thanksgiving and New Year's, so roughly about 6
weeks. Over those 6 weeks your average person will tend to gain 5-8 lbs. if they aren't careful about how they choose to
celebrate. Here's some news... in my estimation, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New
Year's Day add up to 5 days, not 6 weeks of celebration! Having a big meal one day won't totally derail your weight loss/
maintenance efforts as long as you continue to eat healthy foods and portion sizes the rest of the time. Sometimes I think
we just need to change our perspective on the holidays. Too many people use the 6 week holiday as a great reason (or
excuse) to "treat" themselves to cookies, candies, desserts, large meals, snacks, too much alcohol and too little exercise.
The reality is that you don't need to throw good habits by the wayside for 6 weeks and then try to do damage control on
January 2. This year, why not try to limit your celebrations to the actual holiday and honor your healthy eating habits and
exercise program outside of that? I guarantee that you will notice a difference!

2) Are you thinking, "There is no way I could do that! I have too many office parties & family functions to go to, too much
Christmas shopping to do, I'll be away from home and can't get to my gym, I will be on the road and eating in restaurants
too much, etc."? I'll tell you what I'm thinking... "Too many excuses!" And here's what you can do about it:

3) "I have too many office parties & family functions to attend to be able to stick to my healthy diet."
Bologne! Just because you have a party to go to doesn't mean your eating habits need to change dramatically! Magazines
will tell you to eat something before you go but unless you are starving, I think that's a terrible idea. In my opinion, that
rarely stops anyone from eating more at a party and simply adds additional calories to what you are about to consume. I try to follow the RULE OF ONE: If it is a potluck situation, make sure you bring a healthy dish like a yummy salad, veggie platter with hummus, fruit plate, or something else you know you could eat and be satisfied with. Then allow yourself to have ONE appetizer or small portion of a food you wouldn't normally eat - but make sure it is just one. And that's it! I'm telling you that you won't gain weight if you follow the RULE OF ONE. Make it apply to your beverage consumption as well. You don't need to have 4 or 5 drinks to have a good time, and if you do, maybe you need to reconsider why you went to that party! If it's a cocktail or dinner party without many healthy choices, have ONE portion of something that looks good and make sure you eat something healthy when you get home. Keep in mind that you don't HAVE to eat at these gatherings... you CHOOSE to eat. Remind yourself that you always have a choice instead of telling yourself that you don't.
After the party is over, go home, get a good night's sleep and return to your healthy eating habits the next day. If you
receive a lot of gifts of holiday candy and specialty foods that could set you off track, either give them away, throw them
away or request that people don't give you gifts of food. It's not mean... it's saving you a lot of extra work in the New
Year and is a much better gift to your heart and your hips!

4) "I have too much shopping to do and no time to eat well or exercise."
Hmmm... Me thinks there are ways around this one! What this requires is careful pre-planning! Do your exercise in the
morning or at lunch for the next few weeks. That way it is done for the day and after work you can do your shopping. Or,
do a lot of your shopping on-line! It takes a lot of the stress and hassle out of holiday gift giving! And, you can have a
healthy meal cooking on the stove while you shop! The key to this, really, is to decide that your fitness and eating
routines are important to you and to create a schedule that will accomodate all that you have to do. Plan ahead for the
week! You can do it!

5) "I'll be away from home and can't get to my gym."
That's what exercise bands or tubes are great for! They pack easily into a suitcase or carry-on bag and can give you a
great workout. I will be bringing mine on holiday with me and plan to do little 30-minute workouts every other day.
Also, you don't need equipment to do squats, lunges, push-ups, dips, crunches, jumping jacks, running, walking or
hiking! All you really need is a little space and the DEDICATION to do it! I know you can!

I truly believe that we can fully enjoy the holidays without having to pay for it in January. The biggest mistake people make is to give up and figure that they are destined to gain weight... like they have no control. Keep in mind that you DO have control, that you CAN make good choices and that you ARE going to enjoy the holidays without letting go of the good health you've created in your body!

Happy Holidays!