5 Tips for Managing December

Thanks for all these great reminders. At the beginning of November, I (once again) had the right frame of mind, that I am going to lose this weight (about 100lbs) once and for all. A well meaning friend who I had not seen in years, first words when she saw me were "wow, you have gained ALOT of weight". Stung to the core - but realizing she was absolutely correct, I said I am doing this now - once and for all. So not wanting my plan of action to become a "New Year's Resolution", I began to change my eating habits and lifestyle 3 weeks ago. I knew from past experience the treadmill was not going to do it for me alone, so I joined Curves. Heck, I am an almost middle aged fat lady - so I fit right in with all the others. 3 days a week there, on alternate days I am doing the treadmill for 30 minutes. I break a really good sweat, and my heart rate gets up there so I know I am working hard enough. I am eating about 1200 calories a day and it's all healthy. I really have eliminated most all of the junk ( once a week I do have a treat if I am craving it). I feel wonderful.

I got through Thanksgiving without a hitch! I am worried about December and actually had been thinking about how I was going to deal with it, to keep the process moving in the right direction. 10 pounds gone - 90 to go. Thanks for the great tips - If I can stay on track, I know I will be healthier for it and at this time next year, 100 pounds lighter!

I try to focus on the long term--how I'm going to feel in January keeps me going through the temptations of December. It doesn't really matter unless it works!

I would like to add another suggestion. If you are going to a pot luck, bring a healthy dish. This way you know there will be something to eat that you won't feel so guilty snacking on. I know it is tempting to bring something that is sinful and delicious. It is always nice to hear the oohs and aahs over something you made, but the majority of the people will be very grateful for a healthy choice.

Nothing beats cardio in the morning, especially during the holidays. Do it before you eat... you'll burn your leftover stores and will feel stoked all day long.

If trying to preserve muscle when doing morning cardio, you can down a calorie-free amino acid drink. I prefer Scivation Xtend.

Thanks for sharing these great tips! What I like to do at parties is pop a mint or a piece of gum before I go. This way, my mouth is already "busy" by the time I get to the event. I also try to stand on the other side of the room from any trigger foods (sometimes this is harder than it sounds).

I think to a certain extent some unhealthy eating is unavoidable during the holiday season. I think the important part is to not think that since you eat something unhealthy once, that you have fallen off the wagon and should give up. As long as you keep track of what you eat, don't go overboard, and continue to do some types of exercise you can make it through the season relatively unscathed.

I always make sure to prioritize my workouts during the holidays so I can enjoy some of my favorite holiday treats with no guilt. I don't usually go all out for Christmas...I may have a glass of red wine or a specialty microbrew and I HAVE to have some of my homemade toffee. I only make it once a year and I only have a little bit around the holidays. You have to avoid stretching Christmas into "Christmas-through-New-Year's". Or even longer, lol.

When I go to holiday parties, I usually keep a glass of water or diet soda in my hand to keep me occupied while other people are pigging out on all the food. I will also sometimes put on lipstick or gloss to keep me from being tempted to snack. It's really not TOO hard to stay on track if you have a good game plan in mind and do your best to keep yourself out of trouble. Like if you really LOVE sugar cookies, don't bake 16 dozen of them and keep them out on the table during the season.

Here's another one I'd add:
Plan your Christmas to include some fun family activities rather than just family eating activities. Have a treasure hunt, a dart tournament, a hike etc....

A tip that has helped many of my clients is to have a healthy snack before heading out to holiday parties.

A piece of fruit and a glass of water beforehand can go a long way toward helping you make it through the long December.

Holiday's are tough! I'm keeping up the exercise it's just the food that gets to me - my will power is just not what it should be. I plan on doing a cleanse program in the new year to get myself back on track.

I think point 5 above is the key!

My strategy is to use a monthly calorie budget. I did it in November and it worked well... I lost 7 pounds even with Thanksgiving indulgence. I just set a number of calories I can eat in the month (52000 this month I believe) and I subtract off what I eat each day. This forces me to pay attention to every bite. I have a lot of 1300-1500 calorie days which leaves me extra for days when I am really hungry... or for Christmas cookies. I do plan to have a few treats but only those that are worth the calories and fit in the budget.

Thanks for the information, i usually struggle over the winter months and pack on some few unwanted kilograms. Healthy diets really help out when you dont want the winter foods to go o your waist.

Good suggestion. If you have been consistently exercise and watching your diet, December should not be a big problem.

a strategy that has worked well for me at parties is to bring a camera and take pictures of everyone all night. be the paparazzi! at my mom's wedding reception, i always had a glass of champagne in one hand and a camera in the other, so i was able to stay far away from the piles of treats. and bonus, we had tons of wonderful pictures of friends and family to remember the great party!

eventually of course, people notice if you're holding back from the goodies, and harass you to eat, EAT! EAT MORE! sigh.

I write down all the holiday dinners that I'll be going to and try to decrease what I've been eating a couple days before. Not to the point of hunger, but so that my larger dinner will "average out" to be about the same caloric input as would have normally been consumed.

I also try to eat whatever I want but be more meticulous with serving sizes, eat half of what I really want to.

Also I find the best thing is to have lots of water on hand. If you think you still feel hungry, you are usually dehydrated (especially with all the Christmas wine!), and if I have a lot of fluid on top of my food, I'll feel full like I ate a lot of food, and will wake up nice and NOT hungover the next day too!

December or January... it doesn't matter. Just remember that SMALL actions taken over a long enough period of time can produce extra-ordinary results!

The little decisions that you made during the holidays will add up so like the article said, do indulge, but to your limits.

great advice

Sahil M
flawlessfitnessbook.com

I think not depriving yourself is really important at this time of year. But, it's about getting the balance right, isn't it?

Halloween all the way through New Years can be tough.

Theres just too much temptation, but great article. I'll definitely keep these tips in mind for Christmas through new years :)

I've got to stop using the excuse "Its the holidays, its alright to eat bad" ahah

Definitely agree with not depriving yourself but planning what treats you will have.

2 things that also help me are:

NO 2nds - get a plate with what you want, then tell
yourself "that's it I'm done". Enjoy what you do eat.

Thinking in advance about what type of food will be served and which are the healthier options, and which are the unhealthy but TOTALLY WORTH IT options. That way you don't waste your calories mindlessly eating a bread roll you could have done without.