Surviving the Holidays: 5 Strategies for Success

10 Days Till Christmas! Can you believe that? I'm back from New York- after a wonderful weekend of big fun, birthday celebrations, wonderful people, excessive SHOPPING, and more. Amazingly - I managed to eat decently and walked what felt like 10 miles a day!  Brooke was a wonderful & healthy hostess- she had pre-stocked her fridge with my favorite TJ's options, including a homemade mushroom pizza waiting for me upon my late night arrival! Such a great trip, I can't wait to go back!
I arrived home in the thick of the holiday season... and temptations are everywhere.  Cookies at work, chocolate at home (Chris!!) and social occasions what seems like every night of the week!
Here are my 5 tips to holiday food trap survival:

1. Make a Statement. Tell people you're trying to eat well.  That way it's more embarrassing and you're less likely to grab another cookie at the office or re-load your plate at the party buffet. 
2. Drink Smart. Although there are tons of fun holiday specialty drinks- most are loaded with unnecessary calories.  Stick to your usual, a glass of wine or a vodka soda is going to have a lot less empty calories than egg nog. Drink too much? Try my favorite new miracle cure for hangovers- coconut water. You can find it at Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and even some convenience stores. It provides extreme hydration which will leave you hurting less the next day- and hopefully lessen that craving for greasy hangover food! 
3. Stay Positive.  So you indulge and eat too much at a Christmas party. So what? It's not the end of the world.  Holidays have a tendency to derail dieters to the point where they just "give up" and figure they'll mend their ways after the New Year.  Don't give in to that- you are just as able to get right back on track the next day after a slip up and you'll have much less damage to undo with your New Years Resolution.

 4. Cook Smart.  If you're the one hosting the party- or Christmas dinner, you're in control.  There are lots of healthy substitutions you can make to even the most classic of holiday dishes that your friends and family won't even notice. Cooking Light is a great resource. Check out their holiday menus here:
 Cooking Light Apps
 Cooking Light Holiday Dinner Menus
5. Fit it In. Want to workout- but have no time to get to the gym? Try a Workout on the Go- which you can download to your Ipod for free from Women's Health Magazine! Workout Downloads.  Or make do with what you've got.  Fit in a power walk around the neighborhood to look at lights, or do some push ups when you get out of bed in the morning.  It all counts!
Most importantly, take time to enjoy your holidays.  They're not about cookies, candy,or even gifts, the holidays are about spending time with the people you love the most.  Make quality time with your friends and family your priority and thoughts of "sugarplums"will quickly fade to the background. 
XO
Chel
PS- keeping this quote in mind won't hurt either :) If hunger is not the problem, then eating is not the solution.