As you continue your fitness journey, you will inevitably have to contend with the holidays. It’s inevitable because they tend to be packed full of indulgent food and drink, and it’s difficult because they are a time when people often let their guard down and go a little crazy. As you’re planning your holiday season, consider these 10 expert tips to help you stay on track during this festive (and potentially dangerous) time:
Focus on the small stuff. Don’t wait until the end of the year to get serious about losing weight or exercising more. Instead, start focusing on the small stuff now. For example, if you have a soda every day at lunch, cut back by one can each week until you get down to nothing. This way, when January rolls around and you have to make more drastic changes, you’ll feel better about them because you’ve already made progress.
Prepare for all possibilities in advance. Set up a refrigerator full of healthy foods that are ready to eat so that you don’t end up eating something unhealthy just because it happens to be there. Also, plan ahead when it comes to entertainment – what do you want to watch? If it’s going to involve junk food or alcohol, enjoy those things in moderation or not at all.
Give yourself a gift – find an exercise buddy who will keep you on track. If you’re too embarrassed to ask a friend, try signing up for a class instead. You’ll not only have fun and meet new people, but you’ll also be held accountable to show up every week (or in this case, every month).
Keep track of your progress by writing down how much weight you’ve lost or how far you’ve ran each day (it’s possible that your partner has been lying about the amount of work he has been doing). Make it visible so that it constantly reminds you how far you’ve come and how much further there is to go.
Susan Kowal
Susan Kowal is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor/advisor, and health enthusiast.