Winter Eating

I don't know what it is about the cold weather and Holidays that makes people want to eat, but I am guilty! All of the good food smells, tempting sweets, and winter dishes are so hard to resist. The best advice I can give you is to stay focused throughout the season, and indulge on Christmas and New Year's. Two days of indulging is far better than weeks or even months of eating whatever you want. Don't keep the goodies in the house. Reserve it for the Holidays.

I am a weekend eater.... I eat clean all week, then allow myself to enjoy my favorite things on the weekends. This works for me, but it may not work for you. Especially if you binge on your favorite things and pack on 5 pounds in 2 days. It's all about self control and moderation. I allow myself to indulge on the weekends, but I keep it under control and still get my exercise in. I am not perfect. There are weekends that I take a rest and just relax, but my normal habits are to make sure I get in a good workout each day and try to keep my cheating to just a couple of my meals, instead of blowing it from Friday night through Sunday night.

Everyone is different. If you are trying to lose weight, this may not work for you. You have to pay attention to how your body responds to your habits. You need to stay focused on your goals, even when you cheat. Think about how this will affect your efforts and your goals. I do find it helpful to allow yourself some sort of cheat at least once a week, as long as it isn't holding you back from your goals.

I may not have the best advice on how to resist all of the winter temptations. I understand how hard it is this time of year for most people to stay focused. And I understand that this is a time to gather with loved ones, and that when we gather, we eat. But, I believe that learing to stay focused is the key. Keep your mind set on your goals. Ask yourself if this indulgence is worth it? This temporary satisfaction may not be worth ruining all of your hard work over. Think about the guilt trip that will soon follow. Think about all the times you have started over. How easily you got to the point of having to start over. How frustrating that is. It's such a mental thing. You have to get control of your own mind and stop allowing it to trick you into giving up that control.

I know it's beginning to get cold out there, but get outside and get some exercise. Don't let the cold weather keep you inside. I hate the cold. I don't enjoy it for a minute. But, did you know that your body burns more calories trying to keep itself warm than it does trying to cool itself off? I say take advantage of that! Get out there and walk for half an hour. Go for a jog. Forget the treadmill.... Take advantage of the extra calorie burning boost you get in this cold weather.

Thank you for taking a minute to read my blog. My goal is to inspire healthy living and encourage you to get and stay focused. You can do it. I know you can. Anyone can. No, it's not easy. If it were easy, there would be no problem. But it is rewarding. All things that take work are rewarding.

This time of year, you may be telling yourself that you are going to get focused at the beginning of the new year. New Year, new you. And I think that's great!! If you need help from me, never hesitate to email me. I would love to help you find a plan that gets you the results you need, and works for you so that you have no excuses to quit. If you don't live near me, I may still be able to help. So you can't allow that to be one of your excuses!;) You don't have to wait for the new year to start. Today is also a good day to get started!! Good luck to you on accomplishing your goals!! My email is lacysfitnessblog@gmail.com