Dec
According to my calendar, it’s December first today. Here we are facing another holiday season. Before things get out of hand, let’s make a better plan for the holidays this year. Let’s arrive at January first, 2009 feeling great because we didn’t overdo it on unhealthy, fattening foods and we stuck to our exercise routines.
If you’re one of those people who loves the tradition of making cookies and other sweet treats, consider trying out some other crafty creations like making your own wrapping paper, tree ornaments, or healthy food items like raspberry vinegar or rosemary olive oil. I find that having all those sweet treats around doesn’t do anybody in the household any good. A nibble here and there and before you know it, your jeans are a little tighter.
For holiday parties, eat a little something before you go like a small handful of walnuts and a piece of light string cheese. This will help prevent you from noshing on party appetizers and helps prevent the absorption of alcohol. Overdoing it on alcohol packs on the calories and can greatly diminish your ability to make good eating choices. For dinner, skip the starchy side and stick with protein and vegetables and watch out for rich sauces.
Make time for regular grocery shopping. As people get busier this time of year, takeout food, fast food, and eating on the go becomes way more common. Having healthy, easy-to-prepare snacks on hand will help to keep you on your normal eating routine.
Make time for exercise. Put it on your calendar just like you would any other commitment and stick to it. Even a thirty minute walk inside the mall everyday will keep your energy up, your attitude positive, decrease your stress, and keep the pounds from creeping on. If you don’t get regular exercise, don’t wait until January for those New Year’s resolutions to kick in…get going now!
Think how much better you will feel on January first – one month from today – if you ditched the sweets, kept to your healthy eating plan, got plenty of exercise, and not only maintained your weight through the holidays; maybe even got rid of some of that excess weight. How awesome would that be?
