19 Nov Look out, here come the Holidays! Tips to avoid gift of extra pounds

The Holidays are quickly approaching and we all know how hectic they can be. There are holiday plans to make, gifts to buy, work demands and then when you finally sit down at your family’s dinner – enough food to feed a small army.
The average American packs on 5-10 extra pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s day.
Here are some tips to make sure you give yourself the gift of fitness – not an unwanted present of 10 extra pounds:
* Control your diet – Eat smaller meals rather than one epic smorgasbord. Eat an apple or other healthy snack one hour before you sit down at Aunt Maggie’s Thanksgiving feast to help curb your appetite.
* Be disciplined with your workout schedule – It’s even more important than usual to stick to your workout schedule. It will not only help you burn off extra calories, but aid with stress relief from staying at your mother-in-law’s house, or dealing with cousin Bryan’s seemingly wild pack of indoor dogs and cats.
* Be forgiving of yourself – Don’t beat yourself up too badly if you slip up on your diet once or twice, or miss a workout or two. Just try to compensate by getting back on the treadmill or jogging trail as soon as you can.
* Make time for yourself – Finally, with all the demands other people put on you, which can result in great family memories, make some time for yourself, too. And that time should include fitness!

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com