You’ve been doing so well this fall.  Summer was behind us and it was time to turn your priorities back to you – exercise, less wine, more healthy food, more time for you.  And now, ugh, the holidays are coming up and you are afraid all your good intentions are going to come undone.  Here are five simple ways to have a peaceful season with no holiday regret.

Get On The No Train

Do you feel overwhelmed with the amount of social events, parties and girls nights out?  It sometime feels there is an exhausting amount of socializing, late nights, and a fervor to get it all in before January 1.  It’s hard to turn down invitations and parties, but remember this: the more you say yes to parties you really don’t want to go to or people you really don’t want to spend time with, the more you say no to you and your priorities.  Learning to say no to things you don’t want to do is one of the best things you can do to honor yourself.

Its Not About The Food

Come on, admit it, the holidays gives you the ultimate excuse to indulge – in drinks, high octane holiday cocktails, desserts, pies, chocolate,

candy canes, sugar everywhere.  While many of us equate the holidays with the food, here is something that might be hard to hear.  The holidays are not about the food, period.  We’ve lost our sights on what the holidays really are about: feeling thankful, giving, being with family, being together.  The food and drink memories will fade, the thanks (and extra pounds) will remain.

Never Go To A Party Hungry

This is a #1 rule of people who have successfully survived the holiday weight gain.  Don’t starve yourself all day in preparation for the big chow down.  When you go to a party ravenous you are more likely to drink more, eat more and make poor food choices.  It may seem counterintuitive, but going to a party with a light snack under you belt is your insurance for party success. What would count as a pre-party snack?  Almonds and dried fruit, an apple with almond butter, a hard boiled egg – all good choices.

Keep Moving

You’re tired, its dark and its cold outside.  But this is not the time to stop exercising!  In fact, it is more important than ever right now.  We may think that the reason we get run down and sick is from the cold weather but the real reason is from staying indoors too much and getting run down from all those parties you didn’t say no to.  Exercise, especially outdoors, helps keep your energy up, gives you an opportunity to get outside and get some fresh air and sunshine.

Pick Foods That Support You

I have written that eating seasonally is important for our health and wellbeing and our food choices in the Fall season are no different.

If you are looking for ways to support your health goals this season push aside the sweets and look no further than your Thanksgiving table.  What can you eat that doesn’t spell disaster for your diet?  Winter squashes such as butternut squash soup, roasted turkey, Brussel sprouts, roasted sweet potatoes (without the marshmallow topping!) are all ideal choices for the holidays.  Avoid the pies, fruity drinks, eggnog and candied vegetables and you are on a path to success.

Now I would love to hear from you.  What are your thoughts on the holidays? Do you have strategies for surviving the holidays?  Let me know in the comments below!