wat does everyone do to stay in shape during the holidays....this is a tough time for me lol..all the good food, it basically ruins how hard i work all year to stay in shape...anyone have any tips?

I don't have a big issue with the eating, but my gym is at work and so when I'm not at work, I don't go. So that's a problem over the holidays. I'm only going to work out 2 times this week and 3x next week and I bet I can tell on the scale.

Anyway, for the eating, I've really worked on not thinking of the holidays as being about food or that the stuff you see there is something you *must* have to properly Celebrate the holidays. For example, we had cake at work today to "celebrate". But one cake had rum in it (I don't like the taste of rum) and the other looked dry. So I had some nice herbal tea and visited with the engineers I don't normally see very often because they are on other projects. I had a blast.

Well, the band takes care of the eating issues for me, but I've never really found Christmas a tough time, maybe I'm sad, lol, but we just dont go to that many functions. Its basically one or two gatherings and Christmas day for us. So given that I cant overeat with a band, there's no real issue.

Nonetheless I've planned my exercise out very carefully. I've had a real blitz during December, i've been working really HARD with high intensity stuff six days a week. So when we head down to a friend's beach house after Christmas for a week and I dont have my weights and treadmill and stuff, i can head out for a nice gentle jog along the beach every morning and have a relaxing recovery week.

I am so glad I'm a self motivated exerciser not reliant on the gym. It is just so easy to go out the front door and have a run that I can keep my exercise routine on tradck very easily. Exercising that way means the time issues etc dont get to you so much.

I track calories. I also work out 5X a week.

I am so glad I'm a self motivated exerciser not reliant on the gym. It is just so easy to go out the front door and have a run that I can keep my exercise routine on tradck very easily. Exercising that way means the time issues etc dont get to you so much.

I need to start running in the real world too. And buy a bike. My triathlon is in April and right now I'm a real hot house flower with all my training being in the gym. Plus, it's hard to do a tri without a bike. :thumbup:

We're going out to buy them after Christmas.... dd and ds need new bikes too so we're all going to get one.

I am so glad I'm a self motivated exerciser not reliant on the gym. It is just so easy to go out the front door and have a run that I can keep my exercise routine on tradck very easily. Exercising that way means the time issues etc dont get to you so much.

i am very reliant on the gym.

to me the gym is an escape from my world for and hr or 2 - i have way too many distractions at home, though i will try to get a quick run outside at least once a wk.

i run a ranch, so activity is always there. horses/dogs/long horns to tend to - i actually can enjoy them not being so overweight & my horse loves i've taken 75lbs off that he no longer needs to carry around.

this time last yr - i was so focused on diet & exercise i didn't come up for the holidays. this yr, i'm giving myself a bit of a break, though i did meet my trainer for weight training yesterday and did a 3mile run plus horseback riding this AM. that extra glass of wine tonight won't be too hard on the hips.

i've had a bit more of "snacks" the last 2 wks, with party after party - my consumption of Snacks is no where near previous yrs. i'm not going to be too hard on myself; and my scale is hidden till the 2nd wk of january. no need upsetting myself - when i feel the best i have in yrs..

The other thing I feel compelled to point out is that it's a FREEZING outside! But not in the gym. :thumbup:

The other thing I feel compelled to point out is that it's a FREEZING outside! But not in the gym. :thumbup:

YES - been 22, snowy & sleeting for about 2 wks now.

a NICE 68 for my run today - makes it a lot easier...can't run in cold/rain/snow.

Oh yes - definitely. I dont have weather issues to deal with. In fact heat is more of a problem than cold in Melbourne. I use the treadmill more in summer than I do in winter.

I'm also a whimpy Californian who complains when it goes below 70 F. :thumbup:

But it's also raining off and on all week and that makes it dark and I'd rather not run when cars can't see me and wet stuff is falling from the sky. I have a 24 days free coupon for a local gym -- I think I'll use it over the holidays.

hah some of you are pretty intense lol....i guess i just need to start doing more cardio...it's hard tho, don't really have a lot of time...the treadmill is boring, plus it's cold outside, but i guess i'm gonna have to try somethin =)

ya the holidays can be stressful with weight...(as if there isn't enough stress on you anyway lol)...but i saw last year on this celebrity fitness show that it's about craving your appetite...for instance, i saw on the show, that i actually tried this year, is to eat what i want one day, then go healthy for a couple days, then eat what i desire, then back to healthy...its still tough cuz i just want to go all out lol, but it keeps everything i have done throughout the year in perspective

ive actually tried that indulge your craving approach around the holidays...it has worked for me before...but this year was a little different however lol..oh well...but i too am a sucker for those celeb fit shows and believe they can help in some ways...im actually interested in the diettribe show on tonight..has anyone else seen the commercials for it...seems like it will be kinda interesting...saw it has jesse pavelka and the therapist from celeb fit club lol : [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv3OqEhpQls]YouTube - DietTribe TONIGHT at 10pm ET on Lifetime![/ame] ...another one that im intersted in is the national body challenge on the discovery channel...anyone see anything about that too???

i watched the first episode last night...i was really inspired to get off the couch and do some sort of excercise, matter of fact, i felt guilty about watching the show on my couch while these women are working so hard to lose weight