Almost There

It's probably stating the obvious to mention that, this time of year, it can be difficult to keep up your healthy habits. Your co-workers keep bringing in seasonal treats, and there are plenty of festive parties and happy hours to attend. All of the baking, shopping, and social occasions can take time away from your normal workout routine. It's tough to strike the right balance between staying more or less on track and being overly austere at the expense of enjoying the season. Now that we're well over halfway between Thanksgiving and New Year's, I thought it would be worth taking note of how the holiday season is going.

Eating habits: Things have been working well on this front! I've avoided knowingly eating gluten since Thanksgiving weekend. I think I accidentally ate some at a work potluck-- I nabbed some meatballs before remembering that most people make them with some bread crumbs as a binder. I'm taking it easy on the sugary treats, but still enjoying a few more than I normally would. The highlight so far has been the spread of gluten-free goodies at a friend's holiday party last weekend. As with sugar, I've had a few more drinks than I normally would, but nothing too crazy.

Exercise: You may recall I'm shooting for 12 gym visits in December. I'm at six so far, so I'm a little off pace. The second week of the month, there were some logistical issues that prevented me from getting there on any of the weekdays. I've got a system for the rest of the month: I put all the classes I want to attend in my calendar. I know, it sounds like something straight out of a women's fitness magazine. But hey, it works! Having that little reminder staring me in the face when I look at my calendar helps me to internalize what I need to be doing and when. If everything goes according to plan, I'll be knocking out my final visit on December 30th.

All told, I think I'm doing pretty well! The big challenges are still yet to come, though. This weekend, we start family celebrations that will last through Wednesday. After that, there are a few days of normalcy before New Year's Eve hits. So, how are the holidays going for you? Have any good strategies to share?