Post Thanksgiving Blues

Here we are ... the Saturday after Thursday's food fest. Yes, Thanksgiving is over and so is Halloween ... we're on the home stretch to Christmas and New Year's! How did you do so far? Are you sitting at the kitchen table today feeling downcast and sick to your stomach from overindulgence? If so, fear not! It's never too late to pick yourself up and change directions. I mean that! I'm proof in the pudding.

Let's forget the past few weeks and focus on the next five weeks. The weeks ahead have no mistakes in them yet. They are like clay at this point - ready to be molded and shaped the way you want. That's right ... they way YOU want. Only you can determine what you will eat and what you will do in the days ahead. The past is done, you can't change it now. But the future is open with wonderful opportunities! So ... sit down today and make a game plan for yourself. Get as detailed as your personality needs. For some, that means you only need the ideas in your head and you'll act on those. For others, you'll need to physically write down foods that you'll choose to eat, meal plans, and even time slots for exercise with a list of which exercises you'll do. How detailed you get in your plans is an individual thing - however, a game plan, regardless of it's physical formation, is essential to achieving success in health and fitness!

One thing you could try: Game plan what you will NOT eat in the coming weeks. You see, we all have poor nutrition habits of some sort. Pick one and determine to avoid it for these five weeks. That way, you'll have conquered something that's already been an issue for you instead of trying to come up with something new to do in a nutrition regime. It might be eliminating soda, or eating after 7:00 p.m., or eating more than one dessert, or snacking on junk between meals, etc. YOU know yourself.

After you've game planned the one poor nutrition habit you can eliminate these next five weeks, game plan an activity that you will commit to for these five weeks. Do you have an exercise tape you like? How about a stationary bike or treadmill? Is your climate temperate enough that you could fit in a daily walk? You will be amazed at how much holiday stress you alleviate when you've got your body moving - it increases serotonin levels which is the chemical that boosts your "happy" mood. And don't forget, you can ALWAYS incorporate smart choices into your daily life...taking stairs instead of elevator, take a parking spot at the back of the lot, getting that "thing" from across the room instead of asking your child to do it, etc.!

The one thing that will revolutionize your body shape the most is boosting your metabolism. Your metabolism is the level at which your body burns calories, and the more efficient your metabolism, the better it burns those dawg-gone calories you eat! Click on this Web site to see some great tips to revving up your metabolism: http://body.aol.com/diet/basics/metabolism-boost

It is my wish for you that you see hope for your health in these food-crazed weeks leading to Christmas and New Year's. Remember, you can't change the past, but you can certainly change the future!