This is the time of year where we tend to prepare for the joyous holiday season. We celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas and Ring in the New Year with new resolutions and fitness goals. To get the most joy out of the season we have to be more health conscious about our choices during this 2-3 month period. For the fitness enthusiast this means you can have a little more lee-way during this time period, if you have plenty of lean muscle on your body and therefore a higher resting metabolic rate.

On the other hand, if you are struggling to keep off those 10 pounds of holiday weight, I would like to offer you some important health tips that could really make the difference on not feeling guilty when January 1, 2006 comes.

First of all make a personal commitment to yourself in writing and put this where you can see it – a kind of self-made contract. Establish goals that can be reached in small increments at a time. Before you know it you will have accomplished all you have set out to do, so don’t let anyone distract you or talk you out of making it happen – because they will try!

“The flesh is weak but, the spirit is willing”. Realize that the commitment to do well is made up of a lifetime of daily choices. Make the choice to live as well as you possibly can.

Have someone you can trust help you be more accountable i.e., your spouse, a friend or a certified personal trainer. If you are planning on being the host of holiday parties, I would suggest that you invest in a healthy, low-calorie recipe book that will help you be more prepared. You will be helping those whom you know and love who may be feeling the same about those extra pounds during this season. Most of your guests won’t even know the difference if the meals are beautifully and tastefully prepared.

Keep your workout journal accurate and complete. Instead of the normal three days per week workout time, add one more day i.e., start with a two-day split routine Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Friday. Always start off the weekday with a great workout. Take the weekend off and let the body recover for 48 hours.

For the beginner, you will want to start off slowly with short walks through the neighborhood. A fifteen to twenty minute walk will be a good start. Always get cleared by your family doctor before starting an exercise program. Changing your habits requires changing your daily behavior. Stay away from trigger foods like chips, donuts, refined sugars, and candy. Make good choices like low-glycemic foods that will stabilize your blood sugar throughout the day. These include foods like apples, strawberries, tangerines, legumes, whole wheat breads, colorful salads, whole grains and protein. Also use virgin olive oil, primrose, and omega 3 fatty acids as these oils are better for the body.

Alphonso Allen is a health and fitness expert and the owner of Cre8yurbody Personal Training Studio. He can be reached at (951) 699-7138 or on the web at www.cre8yurbody.com. 1corinthians 6:19-20