Can you handle the holidays?

(originally an email to my Fat Loss Contestants)

Well, we've made it to the start of the holiday season. Thanksgiving is this week - and I'm sure you're all looking forward to a few days off from work. I know I am!

But without the schedule of work, your normal eating habits (all those habits you've been improving for these past two months!) can easily spin out of control. And your exercise schedule can also just as easily disappear. So, for this coming extended weekend, it's important that you try to remain loyal to your new healthy eating habits AND your exercise routine.

Even if you're traveling or you've got family in town... schedule in some exercise! Be careful of serving sizes. Continue to eat small meals every 2-4 hours (except maybe on Thanksgiving Day... that can be a "cheat day"). Eat lots of fresh veggies. Consistently choose clean, whole foods - and plan in advance 1 or 2 specific times for treats like pie and cookies (don't just snack on 'em all day!).

Since Thanksgiving Day is definitely a big eating day, and you are no longer used to eating a gigantic meal in one sitting - to minimize the effects of the day, you can a) plan a quick, challenging morning exercise session before the munch fest, and b) make sure you are practicing clean eating habits on the days leading up to Thanksgiving and all the days following.

Remember, most folks decide to throw their nutritional rules out the window during this holiday (and they tend to continue this pattern and let good nutrition slide throughout the remainder of the holiday season). But there is no reason for you to do that! I KNOW you can control yourself. That serving of mashed potatoes and gravy (that is 4x the size of a normal serving!) or that extra slice of pie is just not worth it when you're already on the way to becoming a healthier version of you. It's not worth it! And you don't need it.

While others are gaining an average of 7-10 pounds this holiday season, you will be LOSING weight. Imagine how jealous those folks will be come January 1st!

So, don't give up on yourself and your goals. Don't give in to a moment of weakness. Enjoy some good holiday food in moderation, then be done with it. You don't need to have those extra holiday splurges just because you want them, or just because everyone else is eating them. (And I'm not just talking about sweets... I'm talking about drinking extra beers that you normally don't drink during the week, eating massive turkey sandwiches and huge servings of your favorite dishes, or just overindulging in anything throughout the next 5-6 weeks). There's no good excuse this holiday season for throwing your progress out the window.

Yes, it will be hard to resist all the goodies and alcoholic beverages at holiday parties (Keep a bottle of water in hand at all times! It'll give you something to put in your belly, and no one will be upset that you're not getting drunk...).

It will be easy to just stop exercising because you want to relax, you have out-of-town guests, or you need to get your holiday shopping done. But you are on a mission. The goodies and beverages will always be there, so there's no need to overindulge NOW - and exercise will not take much time away from all the other stuff you need to get done or all the down time you want to enjoy. Just go get it done.

Okay - so your goals for this week are:
- To maintain your weight and body composition (We'll go back to losing next week...)
- To enjoy your favorite foods in moderation
- To plan your cheat meals (remember, you only get 3-4 per week!), and stay clean the rest of the time
- To exercise as much, or almost as much, as you always do
- To be prepared to return to your plan of action as soon as Thanksgiving weekend ends!

Have a wonderful, relaxing Thanksgiving weekend. Get some rest and enjoy some time w/ friends and family. And good luck shopping at the sale events, if you are that brave!
I will be talking to you again next week. And I expect you to be proud of the control you displayed this weekend.... YOU are in control of your decisions, and I'm super confident that YOU can successfully beat your temptations. Good luck!

Happy Thanksgiving!
Kim Ball