Pick Your Party

In the next twelve days there are a lot of opportunities to celebrate. And celebrating is good. Indulging during every one of those celebrations is not.

Golden LightsI encourage you to “pick your party.” Choose one event for indulging. Because, it is not one holiday dinner that causes holiday weight gain and unhealthy routines. It is the daily treats, late nights, changes in schedules, parade of parties and increase in alcohol consumption that leave us five pounds heavier and a lot more sluggish. Choose the celebration that would be the best fit and stick with it. Be present and engaged for your other events. Enjoy the people, the conversations and the reason for the get together.

I know this may sound like you are depriving yourself. Well, you are: fewer drinks, less indulgent food and limited short nights. But, you are also depriving yourself of the work required to “get back to healthy” when this holiday season is over. And in my book, that is a plan worth considering.

I wish you and your loved ones a very healthy and happy holiday season!

Just Don’t Do It…

“Don’t do what?” you say? Quit.

End of rope

From October to January, things tend to get nuts. That’s actually why this whole Friday Quickie thing got started. The increased obligations and end-of-the-year rush are, at times, overwhelming. The indulging is everywhere, and everything seems to be vying for our time. Some of the holiday hoopla is fun. Some of it is not. If you’re feeling the pressure, I have a message for you: “Hold on!” Resist the urge to throw in the towel because life is throwing too much at you. Don’t let go of those little habits that help keep you healthy the rest of the year.

Keep your workouts (however short), your healthy breakfast (however imperfect), your positive thinking (however trying), your deep breathing (if just ten breaths), your time for movement and your health—all to the best of your ability. Don’t let go of it all because of a few setbacks. I assure you, it is far easier to hold onto the end of your rope than it is to let go of the rope now and later struggle to get a hold of it again. I understand the temptation to “start fresh in January.” But that’s 25 days away. You can do a lot of damage in 25 days. So don’t give up.

I invite you to value your small choices. For example, it’s been a year since I kicked my daily pop habit. (Yay for me.) Recently, feeling a little blue, I was about to indulge in a significant amount of bubbly sweetness with my lunch. “Why not? I deserved it.” “I’m not trying to lose weight.” “I haven’t had pop since the movies” … blah, blah, blah. And then I remembered, my teeth will not be happy about this decision and I will probably feel a pretty mean sugar crash just about the time of day my kids are their most trying. So I tipped my decision the other way and tried to go without the pop. I paused and moved to my homemade seltzer instead. Did I feel deprived? A little. Unsatisfied? Not really. In fact, halfway through my lunch I had forgotten. It was one small decision BUT IT MATTERS. Because, after ten years of Blakely Fit, I’ve noticed a trend: Little habits make a big difference.

So maybe you derailed at Thanksgiving? Maybe you wish you didn’t eat that pastry your vendor left in the conference room? Maybe you haven’t finished your workout as planned? So what—just don’t quit! Taking a ten-minute walk, passing over an extra piece of candy or getting an extra hour of sleep will serve you exceedingly well in this holiday frenzy. Don’t let little setbacks derail you; you’re too smart to throw in the towel. Hold on to what is important: your health, your livelihood and your loved ones. All your small decisions in the end WILL make a difference in your continued success. Just DON’T quit!

Thanksgiving Help

My favorite Thanksgiving tips:


First thing this morning- go for a walk outside – five minutes or fifty – the fresh air and movement will make for a great start. Can’t this morning? How about with your favorite cousin before dinner?

Eat plenty of fruit with your breakfast. (Pack in the nutrients and yes, I absolutely recommend you do eat breakfast.)

Park conversations away from the appetizer table or desert table. (mindless eating is too easy over a spread of delicious treats)

Do not go to the party ravenous – have a snack and plenty of water before you arrive
Looking up from underwater
Mingle, walk around or help your host between dinner and desert. It may help alleviate “food coma” feelings and reduce additional grazing. Lake front
My thanks to you…

I am so very fortunate to have a thriving business and healthy client base. Every compliment, referral and opened email has a tremendous impact on Blakely Fit. A very heartfelt thanks for your continued patronage and wishes for a very healthy and happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!   All my best, Michelle