Tips to Stay Healthy During the Holidays

I'm as much doing this blog post for me to remember, hey, just because you have an event Thursday night doesn't mean that your whole week is pig out week. I sometimes think that it is ok to blow my healthy eating habits all week long if I know I have an event with limited food selection one day that week. HELLO stupid thinking.

I hate that I have such an all or nothing approach to the healthy lifestyle. My caloric consumption varies so much from day to day that I give a new meaning to swing dieter. One day I bet I'll only consume 900 calories then the next day 2900 calories because I'm so flipping hungry from the 900 calorie day.

My friend Lisa and I spent the past year working out religiously 2-4 times per week doing fun classes like Turbo Kick and Zumba. I recently just moved to Dallas, Tx and lost my workout buddy, and clearly my motivation for keeping fit. By some grace of God, I have not gained too much weight since I moved here, but I have lost muscle and that makes me feel terrible about myself.

I'm waking up this Monday morning and saying, GET IT TOGETHER SARAH.

Here are my tips and tricks for staying focused and fit during the holidays, well really any time of year!

1. Utilize your iphone: Track, track, track, then track some more. The best app I have on my phone is My Fitness Pal. I just went through and friended as many random people as possible so I have people cheering me on, and vice versa. Who cares if I dont' know them, in fact, that may even make it better because I can be more honest! I update my weight every monday, and when I lose weight, it get's announced in my "news feed" then all my friends start to congratulate me on my weight loss! Whoo! Friends or strangers, encouragement and congrats are always fun to receive.

2. Choose your cocktails wisely: Here are my tips for cocktail ordering... best to stay to the left!

3. MOVE: Move somehow. Do something. Don't stress out this time of year about not being in the gym for an hour. Do a 30 minute spin class instead of an hour of turbo kick. Do 15 minutes of abs. Walk the dog for longer than normal. Go to Zumba instead of spin if you just can't fathom being in spin class for 45 minutes. I know that is so hard for me sometimes. Run around in circles in your apartment... regardless, just move, then you can have more wine!

4. Don't live an all or nothing lifestyle: If you mess up at a catered work lunch, don't dwell, your day is not shot. Eat a salad for dinner! Those who wander are not lost!

5. Fear the most common misconceptions: 

6. Take Pictures: Pregnant women take pictures of their belly's growing and post it on Facebook every week. Well, take similar pictures and watch yourself shrink. I try and pick the worst possible outfit that makes me look super heavy on day one of a health overhall. My go to is usually this awful pair of pink workout tights. No clue why I bought them other than to make myself feel like a fatty! I update my picture each week to see my progress! Of course, I don't post the on facebook, OBVI!

I realize this information is pretty basic, and common, but sometimes it helps to remind yourself of the essentials of a healthy lifestyle. Just in case you need a bit more motivation to be skinny and fit, here you go.

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Never eating again.