December....It's Here Already?!?

Does anybody else out there feel like we just finished up Christmas 2012?  

Anybody? 

I promise you I blinked and December appeared again!

I have heard people moaning about the parties, the food, the weight gain, the stress, and all of that other "stuff" that comes around from Halloween to New Year's and Mom 4ce is here to help you.  Lynette and I want you to enjoy the next month; NOT beat yourself up over every incident that pops up.  

First of all; let's be real, you are going to eat a cookie or two.  You might even have pie for breakfast.  That's okay!  Please just make sure that this doesn't happen every day.  In my home I schedule dessert or treat days and I don't let cookies hang out in jars or tins.  I know that sweets are a trigger for me and so I keep them at bay.

Second, keep a snack of protein and complex carbs with you.  Don't let yourself get ravenously hungry!  I keep some dried cranberries and Macadamia nuts in a baggie with me.  If I'm out running errands and I get hungry I pull that out to eat.  It stops me from going through the drive thru.  Some other ideas include beef jerky, trail mix, and fruit with an individual packet of nut butter. Just make sure that it is LOW in sugar.

Third, plan out your meals.  If you know that your kids have a play one night make sure to take advantage of your slow cooker that day.  Take the time to sit down now and plan out your meals so that you know you are eating wisely in the midst of all of the festivities that you are going to participate in.  

Fourth, give yourself permission to enjoy the season.  Relax and enjoy yourself!  If you want a cookie, piece of pie, glass of egg nog, or whatever else means celebration to you; ENJOY IT!  Also take the time to focus on the people you are around and reason you are celebrating; NOT the food, your to do list, or whatever else pops up.

Fifth, this one is actually my biggest struggle, get plenty of sleep!  You can't enjoy your December if you are crabby or sleep deprived so get some sleep!!!  If you are well rested you are also less likely to get sick so for your health, sleep.

Last but certainly not least, get moving.  I know it's easy to skip your workouts when you are super busy but strive to keep active at least three times a week.  This will help you sleep better at night too!  I write my workouts on the calendar and give my husband permission to hold me accountable to my workouts so that I don't skip them.  This works 95% of the time! 

Do you have any tips that have worked for you?  I would love for you to share them! 

Rest

In the last couple of years our family has been extremely busy.  The boys played soccer, our oldest was in Boy Scouts, all three boys were in AWANA, we tried karate for a very short season, we had homeschool co-op, piano lessons, soccer camp, MOPS, swimming, and the list goes on.  Quite honestly, it was exhausting!  Our calendar was full and we were TIRED! 

Then, we found out we were moving and I slowly cut out activity after activity.  I thought that we would be bored, but the exact opposite happened my kids have THRIVED on having free day after free day.  

I have never felt more relaxed and my house is quickly being packed up.  I'm not stressed out at all.  

I am thankful for this season of rest.  It has allowed my kids to be creative and all of us to grow closer as a family.  Once we get settled in Austin I know that we will add in some activities but they will be quality ones, not just stuff to fill up our calendar.  

 It's so nice to have a moment or two or three to stop and enjoy the beauty around us instead of just running through it as we head off to another activity. 

Shh...

I slept in this morning.  I had every intention of getting up early and getting a workout in, but my body had other ideas.

Do you know the importance of rest when you're working out?  

I know many people, when they start working out, they go 7 days a week.  Then they end up frustrated a couple weeks into their program because they're injured or they have no motivation to continue- no energy.

If they had approached their program differently, they would have had different results.

It is too often thought that if you rest or take a day off from working out, you're not doing any work.  And for most people that means that you're not making any headway on your goal to lose weight, get in shape...

But, it's when your body is resting that it's doing the most work.  When you work out, you are damaging your muscles, depleting their energy stores.  If you don't take the time for them to repair and replenish, you're depriving your body of the chance to get stronger and to burn fuel more efficiently.

Don't be afraid to take a day or two a week off of your program.  Even the elite athletes take time to rest and let their bodies recover.  You'll come away from a rest day feeling stronger and with more energy to tackle your next workout.