It's a Big Back on Track Monday!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I really enjoyed Thanksgiving.  It's funny but the day after I realized what I loved most about that day.  I enjoyed being with my family and friends.  Sure, like everyone, I loved the food but what I loved most was being with my family and friends.  I think most everyone feels that way.  Since I have lost the weight and set up my healthy eating and exercise patterns, I can now see a huge difference in the way I celebrate the holiday season. 

In the past, there were few limits and I really couldn't tell when the holiday season began or ended.  Actually, it was a huge blur.  That's because I made it that way.  Let me provide you with some examples.  I would start cooking and baking things early and snack all the way throughout the process.  I would eat the day of Thanksgiving and the days before and after.  Very soon after Thanksgiving, I would begin to buy Christmas colored treats in the store such as Peppermint Bark and chocolate Kisses.   Yes, I would have those treats in my home for everyone to eat any time they wished.  Of course, who I am I fooling, I was the one who ended up eating most of these treats!  Yikes!  A week before Christmas I would start making fudge, pecan tarts and pralines.  I would eat them all along the way and right up to New Year's Day!

I'm far from perfect but I have now found a great balance.  There is no such thing as perfect in life anyway.  There is a place where we can aim to find a balance in our lives.  That's my overall goal and it is the goal I strive for each day in order to maintain my weight or balance out the special eating occasions in my life.

If you stop and think about it, we are now less than a month away from Christmas Day or the holiday season.  There are many things we can do right now to prevent any additional extra weight gain.  Sure, some of us may be waiting for the New Year to begin watching our weight but why wait?

The truth is, we don't have to wait, we can start right now by not gaining any extra during the holidays.  This way we have less to take off in January!

Here are a few reminders of how to prepare for the holiday itself way ahead of time.

1) Look forward to eating "off track" on that one particular day with family and friends.  That's the day where we can moderately eat "off track".

2) Limit what you bring into your home over the course of the next few weeks and before and after that one special day. 

3) Limit what you eat at any holiday party you will be invited to during the season.   If you have an opportunity, take a couple of your own healthy dishes.  That's what I did when I was in weight loss mode.

4) Have a plan in place before you attend these parties.  Eat before so that you will not be starving.  Taste and take small amounts of only the items you truly wish to eat.  Stay away from the areas where food is served.  Keep reminding yourself, "I'm here to mix and enjoy the people at this party."  Make a mental note of the weight goals or fitness goals you want to reach in the near future and start trying to get that image in your mind now. 

5) Oh yes, this is a biggie, because it has helped me more than ever.  Get your basic cardio in each day.  It does not have to be anything big.  You can walk out your door and walk 30 minutes a day.  Build up to it if you're not ready to go for the full 30 minutes.  Believe it or not, this one thing, helps keep the weight off and makes you keenly aware that you are doing what you need to do each and every day to form an everyday balance.  This also gets rid of a lot of the mental stress associated with the holidays and it improves your mood overall.

Remember to always check with your Dr. before you begin to establish an exercise pattern.

I love the holiday season but I'm not about to let the holiday season control my eating patterns for a solid month.  I'm going to control what I choose to eat every step of the way throughout the holiday season.

I'm going to keep up with my exercise more than ever.

I'm going to remember what the holiday season is truly all about. 

Have a great "Back on Track Monday!"