No matter how a person chooses to define Christmas, no matter what his or her beliefs, the end of the  calendar year is often a time for families and friends to gather and celebrate the time passed; to look together to the next year and what the future might hold.

And, more often than not, these gatherings are centered around food and drinks.  Cookies, egg nog, creamy mashed potatoes…  chocolates, more baking, and then you find yourself slumped over in a food coma, begging for it all to end.  But then the next year rolls around, and there you are again, overindulging again.  “It’s Christmas,” you tell yourself, “I’ll get back on track in January.”  We all say it.  And we really do mean it.  But that doesn’t make it any easier when the New Year comes. 

Why the continual self-sabotage?  Why is it that holidays and celebrations set us back so far? We KNOW they’re coming. We KNOW there will be high calorie, figure-damaging food wherever we turn.  But it just keeps happening!  We rely on the often-failed New Year’s resolutions to repent from our holiday sins.

How about we do things differently this year?  We should still celebrate and enjoy with our loved ones.  We should still allow ourselves to relax and savour Christmas wares.  But this year, I challenge you:  from today until Christmas morning, every day is just another day.  A workout day.  A clean eating day.  So stick to your routine.  Rest up, eat well and exercise.  Then give yourself Sunday.  Laze around the house (or rush around, catering to dozens of bad sweater-sporting in-laws), dip your finger in the gravy, enjoy a mid-afternoon glass of wine.  Live, love and laugh.  Give yourself the gift of indulgence.  Then fall into a deep slumber, and dream of cream puffs and grandma’s stuffing.  When you wake from your food-fuelled snorefest, it will be Monday.  Just Monday.  Another day.  A workout day.  A clean eating day.  You’re back in the game.  You made it.  Put on a smile, and keep reaching for the stars.

Merry Christmas, Status readers.