December Damage Control

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Coco

I have managed to maintain my “happy weight” through this much of 2011, and I would really like to be wearing my skinny jeans when we greet 2012. On the other hand, I am not in the mood to deprive myself of the Starbucks Peppermint Mochas, the homemade Christmas cookies, and the Peppermint Bark that I enjoy so much this time of year.

So, I have devised a three-part damage control plan to get me through December without collecting too many extra pounds along the way.

  1. Sweat Every Day. I will do at least 20 minutes of cardio every day.  While this fits easily in my usual routine, it gets harder in December when I lose my Saturdays to my son’s wrestling tournaments, my Sundays fill up with other holiday activities, and the cold, dark mornings make it tempting to hit the snooze button. I’ll be Tweeting my cardio with the #sweateveryday hashtag.
  2. Planks. I will do planks every day, starting with 60 second planks (three) and working up to 2 minute planks. What better way to keep my waistline in mind than working my core with planks? Maybe my abs will be too sore to reach for that platter of cookies. 😉 I’ll be Tweeting my planks with the #plankaday hashtag.
  3. Drink 64 Ounces Water. I will drink 64 ounces of water every day. This used to be easy, but my normal consumption has dropped off to about 48 ounces, and sometimes I don’t drink any water at all once I get home from work. I know that keeping hydrated will make me feel better and help me “just say no” to the not-worth-it, store-bought holiday fare that often is served at holiday parties. I will be tracking my water consumption with my Waterlogged App.

Waterlogged Version 1.3.5 IPA App iPod Touch iPhone iPad

I will be Tweeting other healthy choices under the #Back2Basics hashtag, inspired by Colleen’s Back To Basics challenge.

Do you have a damage control plan for December?

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9 Responses to December Damage Control

  1. Miz says:
    December 5, 2011 at 1:59 am

    Ive harnessed this challenge to motivate me too.
    Love seeing the tweets and Im getting ALL back to basics in everything from fitness to WRITING.

  2. David H. says:
    December 5, 2011 at 4:38 am

    I have this issue of fighting the body's natural reaction to gain wait in the winter – it's an instinctive thing to add pounds for winter warmth. I'm going to fight that this week by eating a salad every day for lunch. Workout wise, I feel like I do enough, but I'm trying to add some little things this week as well. Yesterday, for example, I did 15 push-ups before and after my run. As I realized a long time ago, all the little things add up. I just have to do the "RIGHT" little things.

  3. Barbara says:
    December 5, 2011 at 4:06 pm

    I've been doing the plankaday for a while now….and love that I finally have no pain in my lower back when I cycle or go on long runs. I also started going #candyfree earlier in November – those little mini candy bars in the office were killing me – before I knew it I had eaten a full candy bar….something I would never just go buy and eat. So far, 18 days candyfree. I'm going to join you in the water challenge. I don't drink nearly enough water and am going to make an effort to drink 64 oz each day. Thanks for the inspiration!

  4. Courtney says:
    December 5, 2011 at 8:38 pm

    dude you are spot on. great goals and totally in line with some of my own as well! you are inspiring me to get back to basics, too. all the best!

  5. Sheri @Motivation Fo says:
    December 6, 2011 at 3:57 pm

    My damage control is to continue doing what I have been doing the last 3 years of maintaining. Don't abuse food, but its okay to enjoy special foods on the holiday and not stress about it.

    I like your goals especially the 20 minutes of cardio a day.

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