Weekly Topic: Reality-check the holidays

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Sure, December is a festive time, but it can throw down challenges, too. You're surrounded by tantalizing aromas of favourite holiday foods, your to-do list is longer than ever, and it's not always shiny and bright where family is concerned.

Thinking that it's impossible to stay on track during the holidays isn't necessarily realistic. On the other hand, it's probably not realistic to assume they won’t have any impact on your healthy habits, either. A reality check of the situations you'll be facing, plus the flexibility of WW FreestyleTM, and a few smart mental shifts can help you make it through to the New Year (and beyond) without undoing all your hard work.

Some tactics that help:

Plan ahead

You know they're coming, so set yourself up for success during the holidays by planning for what's likely to happen rather than how you think or hope things will go Look back on how they've played out in the past. Note what went well and what challenges you faced– before they begin—to help you plan how to keep your healthy habits on track.

Be realistic

You probably won’t have time to lovingly to wrap all your gifts with handmade paper and elaborate bows, someone will push food on you and a batch of your famous sugar cookies will scorch on the bottom. Your Weekly gives you an effective way to shift from unhelpful thoughts to helpful ones. What you think about a situation affects how you feel, which in turn influences what you do. Shifting to a realistic but positive mindset can lead you to take smart actions.

Ease up a bit

You might fire on all cylinders the rest of the year, but this can be a difficult time to make drastic changes. Keep it simple and celebrate small victories like remembering to pack a healthy snack for work so you’re less distracted by the holiday candy. If you're trying to reach a weight goal, consider keeping your weight loss on hold during the holidays or even allowing yourself a small gain—that can help you feel less pressure. A little flexibility can help you more than being too rigid, feeling deprived, and then overdoing it.

Use your WW tools

Your options on WW Freestyle really shine now! Along with the ZeroPointTM foods—many of which you can find at party buffets, such as shrimp or grilled chicken skewers or fresh fruit—you have your weeklies and your rollovers to save and spend as you like.

And there's a powerful wellness aide that's always at hand: your WW app. Pre-track holiday meals, find SmartPoints® values for restaurant items, see how many FitPoints® you earned for all that mall walking. If you want a little inspiration and encouragement, turn to your fellow members on Connect. Need to catch your breath and de-stress? Check out Headspace.