10 Tips for Maintaining Willpower During the Holiday Season

FitSugarSource: 10 Tips For Maintaining Willpower During the Holiday Season

With Halloween fast-approaching and Thanksgiving around the corner, holiday party season is almost in full swing. And since that can mean nonstop temptations - from endless sweet treats to reasons to skip your evening workouts - you'll need a plan to make sure willpower wins over giving in. Here are 10 tips for making sure you have fun without going overboard this holiday season!

• Reward Healthy Choices: Holiday treats are not to be missed, so a hands-off policy can stress you out more than it should. Instead, give yourself room to have a treat - just make sure you can justify your indulgence by making smart decisions throughout the day.
• Make Goals Reasonable: Whether it's exercising or eating right, the abundance of holiday treats and fun events can make it hard to stick to your healthy resolutions. So instead of telling yourself that you need to exercise every day and forgo dessert for a week, make it more manageable: divide your goals into daily chunks or vow to make your favorite yoga class three times this week.
• Make a Healthy Switch: The real deal has its place, but sometimes you can make a smarter choice while still calming cravings. Make and eat these healthy Halloween treats to save calories deliciously.
• Keep Healthy Food in Sight: Junk food everywhere you turn? Have your healthy snacks in your line of sight. Keep a couple apples or a banana on your desk so they're ready for you if you feel the urge to seek out office treats.
• Schedule Your Workouts: Holding yourself accountable can be a powerful willpower tool when you need a boost. Make calendar invites on your phone or pencil it into your planner.

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• Enlist a Friend's Help: Everything's easier with the support of your friends and family - especially when it comes to exercising willpower during the holiday season. Have a friend help you stay accountable by joining in on your healthy-eating goals or being there to encourage you to stick with them.
• Eat Mindfully: Whether you're at a party or at your treat-filled office, it can be easy to grab something indulgent to munch on while having a conversation or working. Instead, try focusing on what you're eating so you enjoy it and feel satisfied without feeling like you can't stop your cravings.
• Get It Over With: It's a common routine: you miss a workout and go to bed with all the intention of exercising the next day, only to be sidetracked by other obligations. If this is you, try working out in the mornings, especially during holiday party season: you'll get it out of the way and you won't feel guilty for helping yourself to those holiday treats.
• Eat Breakfast: Besides working out in the morning, eating breakfast is another way to set yourself on the right foot for the day instead of ravenously reaching for the candy jar midmorning.
• Jot It Down: Having a food journal has been proven to be one of the best ways to lose weight, but even if you don't want to track all your eating habits, you can keep tabs of all the "junk food" you're eating. Seeing it all in print can be the wake-up call you need if you find it hard to say no.