Feeling a bit stressed lately? With holiday plans, shopping, travel, family gatherings, and work parties clogging up your schedule, who wouldn’t be feeling worn out? The last thing you want to do is add anything to your to-do list right now, but taking care of yourself is even more important during times of stress. These five tips are easy to implement, and will help you sail through the rest of the month feeling healthier and more balanced.
Focus on basic nutrition principles. This time of year, you’ll face dietary temptation everywhere you look. You’re going to have a cookie here and there, or a bite of fudge, and we don’t blame you. But keep your focus on the nutrition principles you’ve learned from your weight loss plan. Stay on your normal diet, and just allow yourself a few treats. You can enjoy the holidays without falling off the wagon completely.
Maintain. Don’t worry about adding extra distance to your walks or runs, or about lifting more weight at the gym. If all you can do is maintain the progress you’ve made all year, you’ll be doing just great. Starting in January, you can begin making forward progress toward your fitness goals once again.
Birds of a feather should flock together. You’ll be spending time with family and friends, and of course you want to make time for everyone. But allow yourself to gravitate a bit more toward those who have similar lifestyle and fitness goals, rather than those who constantly tempt you to over-indulge in sweet desserts and sugary cocktails. Put together a game of tag football or ultimate frisbee in the front yard, go for a walk with your super-fit cousin, or shoot some hoops with your brother.
Take some time for yourself. Whether it’s just fifteen minutes to catch your breath alone, or an hour for a yoga class, work some “you” time into your schedule. Relaxation is more important now than ever.
Think of food as fuel. Food contains calories, which is just a fancy term for “energy”. So if you do munch a couple of Mom’s cookies, think about what you’re going to do with that fuel. Go for an extra walk or volunteer to run some errands.
If you’re having trouble sticking to your fitness and weight loss goals, give us a call. We can schedule an appointment to discuss your strategy, and help you identify nutritional and exercise solutions that are right for you.
