Handle the stress!

Hello everyone, I hope you all had an amazing Christmas! The holidays are a time to be with family and friends. But let’s be honest... Sometimes being around the ENTIRE family, all together, can be just a little bit stressful. Trust me, I know! Today I want to share three things to help you deal with family and friends that will help you avoid the stress.

1. Handling the Food Pushers (I learned this the hard way): Every family has Food Pushers. They’re the ones who keep pressuring you into eating food when you have absolutely no desire or interest… I used to spend the holidays with an Italian family and there is no way to say no when they’re piling food on your plate. There were SO many times I’d eat SO many calories…and couldn’t believe I’d done that because it was so not worth it!

Here’s the solution: keep a positive attitude, share your goals, and don’t feel like you HAVE to eat something just to be polite. Just say No Thanks! Even jump up from the table and show them a new exercise you’ve learned. Yes, they might think you’re nuts, but you’ll distract them from scooping another helping of mashed potatoes on your plate!

2. The Beeline to Stress Central -- the Kitchen: Please don’t do this! Why? If you’re stressed and you hang in the kitchen…you’re going to inhale tons of holiday goodies in a feeding frenzy. What do you do instead? Go for a walk! It’s a much healthier way of dealing with the stress.

3. Guilt: Don’t beat yourself up because you go a little off track and eat a bunch of cookies or a piece of pie (with ice cream!). One or two unhealthy things will not put on the pounds. Let yourself enjoy a treat or two and a nice holiday meal…and then get right back on track!

Hope these tips help! The Holidays are all about laughing, having fun, and sharing time with friends and family. Don’t let stress ruin it for you. I'll be back with more tips to get you fired up to get in the best shape of your life in 2011!

Kim