NOT FOUND: deck halls.jpgIs it just me, or did I see Christmas decorations and items in the aisles when I was shopping at my favorite warehouse store the other day? Didn’t the kids just go back to school? Either time is moving a lot faster or retailers are eager to get us in the holiday spirit. Perhaps it’s a little of both.

Please don’t consider this a complaint, but merely an observation. I personally adore the Christmas season. My husband has already mentally prepared himself to get my large number of color-coordinated, labeled totes from the garage rafters. It actually began the end of September with fall décor, but the real test of his love comes around Thanksgiving when I ask for the Christmas totes. The day after Thanksgiving is the official decorating day at our house.

So, as I am gathering my thoughts on how I’m going to decorate each room, I am also preparing my “maintaining my health and energy” plan. There is just something about this time of year that brings out the Martha - as in Stewart, the Betty - as in Crocker and the Julia - as in Childs, in all of us. While the reason for the season is not eating, it is for giving and sharing with others. Most of our traditions revolve around some kind of baked goods or family traditions. I refuse to sacrifice valuable tradition for the sake of a couple of calories or grams of sodium, but I understand that it is important to maintain balance. This is true for any season of the year, but since this is the season that seems to sneak up on our will power, I am giving some simple suggestions to help with balance.

You can maintain your weight (or even lose, if you choose), and your exercise by adding a couple of little things to your daily regimen. These are some behavioral tools that will prevent you from falling into old holiday habits. You will feel much better about yourself in January if you incorporate one or more of these tips.

Move yourself:

* Use stairs instead of elevator or escalator whenever possible.
* Park at the end of the parking lot (sometimes unavoidable) and enjoy a brisk walk to the mall. This may help you spend less money because you don’t want to carry all those packages back to your car!
* If you shop online, go to the mall anyway, just to walk around and look at all the holiday decorations. Enjoy the music, the hustle and bustle and be thankful your packages are coming to your doorstep.
* Download some holiday music on your ipod and take a walk around the neighborhood or on your lunch hour at work.
* Plan ahead for holiday parties and visiting relatives – workout earlier in the day, walk at lunch, or increase the intensity of your workout on those days you know you will be consuming more calories.
* Make sure you stretch to recover from your workout and to relieve stress from your day.
* Ask for a wii fit for Christmas.
* Use the wii fit you got last Christmas.

Plan ahead:
* Pack extra snacks to eat during extended shopping trips to avoid those temptations at the mall. Save money and calories.
* If you are going to eat while shopping, plan a stop and sit down to eat – not in the car while driving. Make it an enjoyable experience.
* Order that pecan pie, just ask for a container, cut it in half for tomorrow’s treat and eat only half – slowly.
* Share an entrée at the restaurant. Sure you can eat one by yourself, but they are actually enough portions for two (or more) people. Again, we’re saving money – more shopping!
* If there is a special lunch or dinner at work or church, don’t skip breakfast, just eat a small one and drink a large glass of water before you begin eating the special meal.

These are all familiar and simple tips that you have heard throughout the years. Even if you try one, you will have positive benefits from them. Try more than one and you will add new discipline and self control without realizing it!

Well, I’m going to go dig through my CDs and find my Jackson 5 Christmas Album. It’s right there with the Beach Boys, Andy Williams, Barry Manilow and Alvin and the Chipmunks. ‘Tis the season………