December Fitness and Nutrition Challenge
Thanksgiving is over, Christmas is 25 days away, and New Years is 31 days away. No one wants to miss out on any of the amazing foods that are part of this next month but everyone also wants to look (and feel) great at all of the many holiday parties. The question becomes how you stay motivated while also practicing moderation to enjoy all your favorite treats.
I have been noticing different month long challenges recently and thought I would give it a go. If I have a competition I tend to stick to a plan more. I recruited my sister and mom to try this and provide accountability and motivation. I put myself in charge of making the rules. This challenge will be for the month of December. The rules we decided on are:
30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week
Limit junk food to 3 or less days a week
64 ounces of water daily
For myself I also added yoga 3 days a week because I know that this time of year is stressful. I have been meaning to add yoga to my weekly routine but have been making excuses for not adding it in for months now.
I had to define junk food. I am defining it as sweets, snack foods, and other processed foods. This is less than three servings each week. Setting a goal for exercise keeps me accountable and helps me avoid making excuses for skipping it. With this busy time of year it seems so easy to just skip your workouts because of parties, work, etc.
Being a dietitian I feel that most people think I eat healthy 100% of the time. This is not totally accurate. I will admit I have eaten more than my share of cookies from the cookie exchange I went to last week. When we went grocery shopping this week I avoided all of the junk foods to get myself back on track. I loaded up on fresh vegetables and fruits along with low fat yogurt for snacks.
I hope you will join in on this month long challenge to help get through the busy holiday season a healthier, happier you. The biggest thing is to not give up. If you miss a workout one week just get back into it next week. If you eat extra sweets at a holiday party just remember tomorrow is a new day.
I will be keeping track on a calendar on my fridge. Join in and let me know how you are doing! Alter the challenge to fit you and your life so you can be successful. I look forward to hearing how you all do in your own challenge this month!