Manage YOUR Weight during the Holidays [Challenge Tips #2]

The biggest most helpful thing you can do during the holidays to help you survive is to make a plan.
  A plan needs to be:
~ Realistic - in other words don't make it something that you know you are not going to be able to accomplish.  If you do, it will just lead to frustration and disappointment; which could in turn lead to you giving up completely! No good!!
~ Measurable - at the end of this you want to be able to look back and see how you met your goals.

 Here's my plan to survive the holidays without weight gain (hopefully!)

1. Work out at least three times a week.
     ~Realistic - During my normal life I work out five days a week and that sometimes is a struggle.  As busy as the holidays are, I knew that committing to workout five days a week was unrealistic.  I adjusted to saying at least three days a week.  I know that I can at least get that many done.
     ~Measurable - I can easily count off my three days a week to see that I have them done.

So far I have been meeting this goal and exceeding it I believe.  I think I have at least four workouts, if not five.

2. Take smaller portions
     ~Realistic - There is NO WAY I can give up desserts during all the family feasts.  Plus my birthday is during the holiday season, I am not going to give up my only chance to eat my birthday cake!  What I can do is take smaller portions.  I do this with my normal feast food, by taking only one scoop the first time through the line.  My second time through the line, I take one more scoop of my favorites and then end up with the normal serving size that most people would take. 
Here's a good article from Spark People that discusses portions for Thanksgiving dinner.  Although Thanksgiving has passed us, you can relate it to the rest of your holiday feasts as well!
    ~Measurable - I can measure this by making sure that I'm only taking one spoonful of each item and one small serving of dessert.

Both Thanksgiving Dinners

So far I have been reaching this goal.  I posted about this technique on my last tips. I did it this Thanksgiving and was actually a little bit hungry for Mike's and my second Thanksgiving dinner!!!

3. On Feast Days try to fit in some short, form of exercise
     ~Realistic - this is my only goal that might be on the boarder line of realistic, but I think I can make it work. A short form of exercise, for me, can be a 15-20 minute walk, some Dance Central, or an ab workout at home.  In previous years, I'd do nothing, so even something small this year will be an improvement. Plus the more calories I burn while working out, the more I'll have for stuffing my face :D !!
     ~Measurable - This is something that I can make sure I'm doing every Feast Day (Feast Day = holiday meal with the family)

Thanksgiving 2012

So far so good.  Mike and I celebrated both families Thanksgiving dinners, so I had two dinners worth of delicious food.  The morning of Thanksgiving I went for a run outside.  It was a gorgeous day :)

What is your plan for maintaining your weight through the Holidays?

The Challenge
Read the last Challenge Tips
#1