DECEMBER DOESN'T COUNT...

Clearly, based on the date of my last Blog post, I have subscribed to this silly notion that often gets the better of people this time of year.
Somehow, it is so easy to write off December. "It's the Holidays" becomes the excuse that works for everything. For example...
I can eat/drink whatever I want... It's the Holidays.
I can't start any new projects/business ventures... It's the Holidays.
I don't have time to work out... It's the Holidays.
I don't have time to clean... It's the Holidays.
The list goes on and on and believe me, I have used them all. I woke up the other morning feeling in a total haze and I found myself thinking "I can't wait for January when I can get focused again." and then I mentally slapped myself in the face and said "HELLO?!? What in the world does January have to do with anything??" Seriously, what is so magical about January?
NOTHING!
We we use the "It's the Holidays" excuse to let everything go in December, so we have to work twice as hard in January to just get back to where we started.
So how to we fight the haze? How do we make December count?
*I know it is already December 22nd, but trust me the majority of the damage happens from now until Jan 1st, so here are a few tips for keeping your waistline and your sanity in tact during "The Holidays".

1. Move your body! Schedule your workouts like you do your Holiday Parties. Make them a priority. It's the best gift you could possibly give yourself.
2. Reserve the "whatever I want" days for the big ones- Christmas, New Years Eve- and don't feel bad about it. There are some days when it's impossible to be good...
3. Think before you eat!

It's so easy to munch on goodies and party snacks, but do you really even WANT them? Are they even GOOD? If the answer is Yes, then by all means... but if you even have to think about it, put the cookie down!
4. Find other "Holiday" activities besides eating and drinking- ice skating, shopping, sledding, or simply taking a winter walk with friends are all good options.
These will be my sledding buddies... my awesome nephews Cade and Nash:


5. Don't stress out. Stressing out often leads to mindless eating of things like Christmas cookies and Fudge. When you feel yourself starting to go there, just tell yourself "It's not that serious," because it probably isn't.
6. Try to accomplish ONE thing on your To Do List every day- whether that means laundry, shopping, wrapping, errands, cleaning up opened presents, or returning that sweater that "just isn't you". I know the list is long, but if you can just focus on one thing at a time it won't seem so overwhelming.
7. Allow yourself to take a break from the action and SLEEP. My Bengal, Charlie is an expert at this one!

(Yes, this would be me trying to find an excuse to show a cute picture of my cat)
and most importantly...
8. Enjoy it! MAKING IT COUNT also means, being present and cherishing time with family and friends, so don't get crazy trying to be good either. Cut yourself some slack.
So, this is my first step in making the rest of my December count- picking up my laptop and blogging.
What are you going to do?

MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE...

Ok, now that I have that, may I have your UNDIVIDED attention please?
I don't know about you, but the latter is a difficult thing for me... For most of my life I have been a chronic multitasker. It's not uncommon for me to be on my laptop, with the TV on, taking on the phone and playing fetch with my cat, Charlie (yes, I have a cat who plays fetch, he rocks). Often times, I feel a little something like this...


Now, I know it is much more effective to do one thing at a time and do it 100%, believe me I do. After all, if I am doing 3 things at once and giving each thing about 30% of my attention, I can't expect to get much more than 30% out of them. I think this mug (which I need to have) says it perfectly:
So what is a girl, who has to do 10 things at a time, to do???
PILATES! That's what.
I know you're probably thinking, "Wait, what? How did we get here?" but just hear me out...
The whole philosophy behind Pilates, is bringing the Mind and Body together, thus the only thing the mind can be focused on during a successful Pilates session is the body.
One thing at 100%- Are you with me now? Good.

There are Six Principles of the Pilates Method:

1) Breath- Properly connecting breath to the movement, which enhances circulation and helps remove toxins from the body
2) Centering- Initiating movements from the core or "powerhouse," and using these muscles to control the rest of the body
3) Control- controling of every aspect of every movement, so you are "in control of the body, rather than at the mercy of it." (I absolutely LOVE this quote by JP)
4) Fluidity- Flowing seamlessly from one exercise to the next, creating a dynamic series of movements and building strength and stamina
5) Concentration- Connecting the mind to the body, and knowing exactly where it is in space and what it is doing.
6) Precision- Proper form is essential to ensure you gain the most benefit.

As you can see, there's really no room to think about anything else, for it to be effective... And I don't know about you, but when I step into a session (or workout of any kind) I want nothing less than 100% of the benefits. Now, I am using what I know about Pilates and working to bring that kind of attention and focus into my everyday life tasks... I can honestly say I have gotten better! So, if you are like me, do yourself a favor, and try engaging in something that it is impossible to turn into a multitask. You will start to find it easier to give your UNDIVIDED attention, and also very rewarding.

image 1: mindcafe.org
image 2: buzzaboutscience.com