'Tis The Season for Burning Rubber!

My motivation is supercharged! I have increased my workouts to one hour a day in two half hour increments. I work out on the elliptical machine for 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening. I also invested in a pair of neoprene slim shorts and a neoprene waist slimmer belt (think wet suit material). These specially designed exercise shorts, made of 80% neoprene and 20% polyester, use natural body heat to increase perspiration around the waist, hips and thighs. They aid in the reduction of excess water weight so you quickly lose unwanted inches. OMG when I workout with these on I am literally soaking wet with sweat! It's gross but highly effective! I also have a set of ankle weights and wrist weights to enhance my workouts. Whoohoo, I'm burning rubber (or should I say blubber?) now!

Alas 'tis the season for holiday social challenges! Last weekend we went to my husband's company Christmas party. During cocktail hour I ate four wheat crackers with about 2 ounces of goat cheese, and filled the rest of my plate with strawberries, blueberries and grapes. For dinner I ate baked fish and green beans, and left the rice pilaf untouched (I ate a wheat roll for my carbohydrates instead). When dessert came around (a rich fudge cake with a thick layer of chocolate ganache) I excused myself from the table to get a cup of decaf coffee and asked my husband to tell the server I did not want a piece. Then when I returned to the table I only had a couple bites of his cake, enough to taste it and be satisfied. I also made it a point to do a lot of dancing at the party for a bonus workout.

I handled it well, but I have a few more challenges coming up over the next couple of weeks with get-togethers. One is being hosted by me so I have control of the menu; one is pot luck at a friend’s house and another one is at a restaurant. I know that planning ahead is my key to staying on target with my goals, so I'm currently working on how I'm going to deal with these social situations.

I'm enjoying the holiday season with renewed confidence. As tempting as it may be to overindulge this time of year, I have worked too hard the last few months to let it all unravel now. I want to continue with my success and reach my goals, and I'm not willing to let anything get in my way of that. I know what I need to do to succeed: pre-plan and keep up with the exercises are the keys to my continued success.

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