Tis the Season :)

We all know that Christmas is right around the corner... seriously! Are you ready? I definitely still have some shopping to do, and I know that shopping can be a workout in itself.  However, getting to the gym should still be high up on your priority list.

An average American will gain between 7 and 10lbs between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Do you want to be a part of that statistic? I DON'T THINK SO! I know I don't, that's for sure.

Since there is about 10 days left till Christmas, I'll give you 10 Tips to stay fit over the holidays!

1. Make time for yourself: we all tend to get overwhelmed during the Holiday season. We are so busy thinking about everyone and everything else that sometimes we forget about ourselves. Try to find at least 5 minutes to relax! Do some deep breathing exercises if you are getting over stressed. (In through the nose out through the mouth)

2. Don't set unrealistic exercise goals: As I said before our workout time gets cut shorter during this time of year.  Set a goal of working out for 15-20 minutes each day, so that you are not disappointed when you aren't able to stay for that 45-60 minutes.

3. Holiday activities instead of Holiday COOKIES: We all know that our mom's and grandma's are busy in the kitchen making the delicious Christmas cookies that we all enjoy eating.  Now I'm not telling you that you can have one here or there, I'm telling you not to over-indulge. Try to start a new holiday tradition like a family football game, or family sledding or snowman building.  Anything fun you can think of the include and encourage the whole family to stay active.

4. Find a friend for motivation and encouragement: Working out with someone always makes the workout better and more fun.  You can get encouragement, ideas and motivation! If your a competitive person you can make a friendly competition from exercise to exercise :)

5. Don't try to necessarily lose weight over the Holiday, but try to maintain!: Trying to have a super stricked diet over the holidays is going to be really hard and frustrating for most of us. We all have our weaknesses! Mine is definitely caramel corn! I could eat it all day long... BUT I don't! I am trying to stick with my healthy meal plans and regular workout routine just to stay on track over the holidays and that's what I would recommend for all of you!

6. Drink plenty of H2O: I know it's not summer and were not sweating as much and getting dehydrated as easily. However you still need to have your 64-120 oz of water daily. Drinking water helps counter the feelings of dehydrating effects of traveling and drinking alcoholic beverages.  Drinking water may also help you feel less hungry, many people mistake the feeling of being hungry and being thirsty. Most people are more inclined to grab the food before they would grab a glass of water.

7. Don't over do it with alcohol or caffeine: Having to much of the stimulants could actually add to your stress level, and that's the last thing that you want.

8. Spread out your meals: When families gather around the dinner table for Holiday feasts they always try to fill up every ounce of their plate.  Try using a smaller dinner plate so you aren't taking as large of a portion.  Also it is good to take a little break between eating the main meal and then having dessert.  It's good to get everything cleaned up so you have a decent amount of time to let your food settle. You may find yourself eating less dessert and not getting so many stomach pains from being over stuffed!

9. Don't aim for perfection, and enjoy the imperfections: I know that I come from a crazy family and we always say that it's not a family holiday till somebody cries.  But it's so true, we all try to have these images of perfection in our head, when in reality we know that perfection is impossible! Nothing is ever going to be perfect, so relax and don't stress out if something doesn't go the exact way you think it should this Holiday.

10. LAUGH! Laughing is a great tension reliever. It also burns calories, reduces stress and usually means that you are having a good time! Keep a smile on this Holiday and enjoy the people that you get to celebrate with.  Even if parts of your family are far away you know that you will always be thinking about them.  Well, at least I know that I will.

I hope these 10 Holiday Tips help you get a little more out of this Holiday season.  Keep your eyes pealed for my next few posts I'm thinking about posting Tips on how to grocery shop!!