How to Make and Keep Your Fitness Goals Over the Holidays

The holiday season brings many opportunities for us to sabotage our fitness goals. Office parties, family dinners and the general stress of the season can all sidetrack you. Our aim here is to help you make and keep your fitness goals this holiday season.

Make Reasonable Goals - Keep your fitness goals within reason and make them attainable. If you fail quickly to reach your goal, you will be much more likely to abandon it during the stress of the season. Instead of vowing to lose an enormous amount of weight or drop multiple sizes by New Year's; make fitness goals that will keep you on track and still be reasonable. If you know you will be tempted by the extra goodies this season and you plan to partake of them, then you know large weight loss goals are probably not going to happen. Instead you may vow to work out consistently to balance out the extra calorie intake.

Be Prepared - You know what holiday dinners look like with friends, family and co-workers. If you need to provide your own healthy dishes and snacks, make them and bring them so everyone can enjoy them with you. Maybe you'll start a new tradition of healthy alternatives. Our family has the usual holiday gravies, pastries and fatty meats; but we also make sure there are cut veggies and dip and other less calorie heavy items. You know there will be temptations out there, so mentally prepare yourself and plan ahead by deciding how much you are willing to stray from your healthy eating.

Practice Moderation - We don't recommend that you completely restrict yourself. You are more likely than not going to feel deprived and end up overindulging when you do give in to temptation. Have that piece of pumpkin pie, just take a smaller serving or go without the whipped cream on top. Make choices that allow you to enjoy the holiday while not ingesting an excess of food. We are no longer at a stage of evolution where we have to store up for the winter shortage. Make sure that you don't let nature take over there.

Avoid Alcohol - The holidays are a time of celebration and often that means more alcohol consumption. When you have fitness goals, you don't want to be consuming the additional calories that alcohol provides without adding nutritional value. Again, if you feel you must imbibe, do so in moderation and expect to exercise a bit more to make up for it.

Commit To Yourself - We have all been the target of well-meaning friends and family members who insist we try another piece of this or another drink of that. You have to make a commitment to your health and fitness goals and be strong in carrying them out. Don't let others' opinions and comments keep you from being serious about reaching your fitness goals. Be strong and proud of your commitment to a better you.