It's that time of year... time to eat, drink, and be merry right? I don’t want to ruin your good time, because I’m sure you deserve it, but... could you for just one moment put yourself in the January timeframe and consider how you’ll be feeling? Or just picture yourself the day after a big holiday party where you consumed too much food, too much alcohol, and got no exercise.This is a busy time of year with decorating, shopping, chauffeuring the kids around, and the obligatory holiday parties. All of these things can get in the way of your exercise routine and the party food can ruin your healthy eating habits.
But there is hope. First of all, don’t wallow in guilt if you overindulge. Not that I suggest you overindulge in the first place, but if it happens just let it go and move on. Try to learn a lesson from how it makes you feel the next day, and picture that lesson when it’s most vital.
Don’t cut yourself off from the holidays just to avoid eating a cookie. Go ahead and enjoy yourself, but know your limits when it comes to alcohol, sugar, fats, and other less than healthy foods. Holiday grazing can add up to a vast quantity of food, so I suggest you grab a plate and put your food on it, instead of picking at the spread piece by piece without any means of keeping track.
Most importantly, do not abandon your exercise habits. If you can keep up your exercise habits, or some semblance of your normal workout schedule, and you can keep your holiday eating moderate, you will come out of the holiday season the way you went in, and hopefully with a tad more motivation to stay on track.
Next week I’ll keep the tradition of the FitDaily Christmas poem alive...
