Healthy Holiday gains!!

It's straight up HARD during the holidays to not give in to ALL the indulgences around us! Isn't it??

No one is perfect! Below are a few tips to make sure that you have the RIGHT kinds of gains this season--gains in healthy habits, gains in the right direction, gains towards your goals. Make is a priority

1. be consistent! Be the same health minded person you are on Friday night at happy hour as you are on Tuesday morning when you avoid the donuts at the meeting. Don't take 3 plates of food at a party when you would have one at home with a healthy meal.

2. Don't miss a workout for a special event. Work out and THEN go to your party, happy hour or family gathering. Do you run every morning, then you can run on Christmas and on New Years! Make a family event of it, but DO.

3. Take action Go to the gym, go to the grocery store, go volunteer instead of a party, get up and move, invest in winter workout gear, take up a winter sport, treat your days off as if they are the same as your days of the week, write your goals, plan your action steps to your goals...ACTION precedes motivation, we DO to feel driven to do... Aim to always be moving forward, examine your actions and ask yourself "is this going to be a GAIN for me? or a loss? Will it help me move forward?" if YES, then take action!

4. Moderation Don't over indulge in drinks New Years Eve party, have one and then have a glass of water. Stick to three drinks and make sure they are ones you LOVE, Love.

5. Don't use holidays as an excuse to eat things you feel bad about! If you don't normally eat fried food, sugary foods, etc, then don't replace your healthy foods with unhealthy foods you wouldn't eat....have one indulgence to enjoy and then even it out with your healthy norm. There will ALWAYS be treats, always be sweets and always be a chance to have something special! DON'T sacrifice what you want right now for what you want in the long run!

6. Plan ahead Plan your meals, plan your workouts in detail. Plan to take snacks to to work, plan healthy alternatives at parties, bring your six pack of water, bring your healthy alternatives! Bake, bake away, but have a plan: make plates for neighbors, bring it all to the office, give it away, just plan to WIN and you will!

Holiday gains don't HAVE to be 5-10-15 extra pounds, they can be NEW healthy traditions, they can be NEW ways of cooking, NEW levels of moderation and self control, NEW starts to your goals in the midst of much stress and over indulgence!!

ENJOY your holiday, aim for the right kind of holiday gains and push into the new year feeling strong, healthy and ready for all that is in store!!