The SINGLE BEST way to survive the Holiday Week ahead!

Posted on 21. Dec, 2009 by Becky in Work Your Body

Okay, health and fitness enthusiasts!  Get ready, moms!  The Christmas week is upon us.  Get ready for gift-wrapping marathons, last-minute runs to the toy store, 20 pound hams to glaze, sugar cookies to frost, and a house to clean before the relatives get here!  Aaaaah!

So…we all know that the week ahead will have plenty of opportunities for wellness pitfalls.  Cheese dip, anyone?  How about the eggnog?  Or maybe it’s the fudge that will do you in.  No matter who you are, this will probably not be your most nutritious week of eating.

But, don’t despair…it’s Christmas!  It comes once a year, and as long as you slow yourself down and pay some sort of attention to your internal satiety register (that means, if you’re so stuffed you think you might puke…stop eating.  Rocket science, I know), you will probably get through unscathed if you follow my ONE PIECE OF ADVICE to make it through the holiday week.

Yep.  That’s right.  One thing.  This is not a 5 Step Plan that will further complicate your life.  I’m talking one SINGLE THING to make it through this week without hating yourself next week.  Are you ready?

So this is it:  FIND THE TIME TO WORK OUT AT LEAST 3 TIMES THIS WEEK.

I think exercising 3 times a week is a pretty moderate standard.  And I know you can fit it in if you make it a priority.  Let’s look at my life, for example.  Santa will come to our house Wednesday night and we’ll open our presents Christmas Eve morning.  Christmas Eve afternoon we’ll drive up to Idaho where we’ll spend time with my husband’s family.  Christmas Day afternoon we’re back to Salt Lake to stay overnight at a hotel and catch a plane the next morning at 9 am.  We’ll arrive in Wisconsin that evening at 5 o’clock and drive up an hour to my parents’ home where we’ll celebrate Christmas that night.

Whew!  That will be pretty crazy with a 5 year old, 2 year old, and 6 month old.  So, you can bet your buttons that Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I will be hitting the treadmill, the step, my Turbo DVDs, or teaching a Zumba class between baking, wrapping, and packing.  Then, maybe, just maybe on Saturday or Sunday I’ll be able to fit in one more family-oriented workout to make it 4 for the week. Oooh!  Extra credit!

See?  I’ve got it planned.  I’ve even got it written down in my planner.  That’s the silver bullet.   I promise that just staying consistent in your workout schedule will keep you from waving the white flag and stuffing yourself silly this week.  Not to mention, the endorphins will work wonders at relieving the family-togetherness stress that sometimes comes along with the relatives.

So…here’s your challenge:  WORK OUT 3 TIMES BETWEEN NOW: MONDAY, DEC. 21 and next MONDAY, DEC. 28th.

Will you commit?  Get out your planner right now.  Plan it out now before the craziness gets to be too much!  And let us all know if you did it!  I know you can!  And I know it will make your holidays even more balanced and blessed than ever.  Have a Merry Christmas!  Can’t wait to hear how it went!