If you’ve made it through Halloween unscathed, avoiding the pitfalls of sampling the trick-or-treat candy, it’s time to start planning for the next holiday. Thanksgiving is coming fast and it’s a holiday that’s all about food and sitting around the table filled with a feast. Even worse, it merges with the preparation for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, St. Lucia Day. or Three Kings Day, depending on your beliefs. That makes it a hectic stressful time, too.
Create a holiday challenge for yourself.
Start now and work through New Year’s to achieve a holiday challenge. It an be something simple, such as adding an additional half hour to your present workout schedule or not missing any workouts. It can be a specific number of pounds you want to lose or how much weight you want to lift. Whatever excites and motivates you to get moving is excellent.
Get the facts on the food.
If you aren’t already knowledgeable about the best foods to eat and what not to choose, at least not in large portions, it’s time to start learning before you have to choose from the holiday fare. It’s also time to start planning a Thanksgiving menu of healthy food if you’re the one doing the cooking for the holidays. Remember, there are lower calorie alternatives that are still great desserts, so don’t omit them because you’re worried you’ll gain weight.
Set a goal for a new outfit for the holidays.
The size of that piece of clothing should be smaller than your present size. If it’s something that you can get anywhere, such as traditional jeans, no need to buy it ahead of time. If it’s a not-so-easy-to-find design, commit to it by putting it on layaway if possible. The fact that you’ve paid money upfront will help provide the incentive to earn that special reward. You can also reward yourself with some great looking boxing gloves.
- Take up a new active sport. If you’ve never ice skated, it’s time to learn. Of course, I always promote boxing. It’s great for people of either sex, challenging and loads of fun.
- Start your Christmas window shopping early. Go to the mall frequently and hike the area, checking out the buys in all the stores. You might even do a little early holiday shopping.
- Plan a night out dancing to burn off a few extra calories and have some fun. Stick with water or coffee while you’re out on the town, since alcohol is high in calories, with little nutritional qualities.
- Put in a workout video and train in your living room for an extra workout each week. It can be spontaneous and used when you have some extra time that you otherwise would waste lounging about.