Fighting Off Pounds During The Holidays

The day after Thanksgiving, I walked into a store and there were already Christmas decorations hanging everywhere. In fact, Starbucks even started using their holiday cups in the middle of November. Many people usually wait until after New Year’s Eve to make the resolution that they want to lose weight for the upcoming year. Whether it is a diet, the new workout fad, or just living an overall healthier lifestyle, people believe that the new year is going to be different somehow. They feel that making a resolution will make them more motivated this “time around”. In actuality, people are making New Year’s resolutions just to take off the weight they added during the holiday season. So why wait until after you’ve already gained the pounds to then try and lose it? What if you try motivating yourself a month earlier?

During the holidays there are too many tempting treats to resist. There’s no need to outlaw all sweets and treats; it is just a matter of eating them in moderation. Allow yourself a small treat each day (less than one serving size). By giving yourself a small bite of something to reduce your sweet tooth, you’re fulfilling cravings without overdoing it. Any good overall wellness routine requires healthy eating and exercise. So don’t let yourself slip on your workouts just because you “deserve a break during the holidays”. Set a long-term goal for yourself and check-in right at the beginning of the new year. Maybe it entails a certain weight loss, a decrease in your body mass index, or a simple competition with your friends on who can eat the healthiest. Whatever the goal, do your best to stick to it.

Then again, maybe you even want to go even bigger, and sign up for a race right after the holiday season. Start your training now.