5 Tips for Staying on Track Through the Holidays

Are you staying strong this holiday season and continuing to work towards your health & fitness goals?

There have been plenty of Decembers when I decided I'd just eat whatever I wanted and start fresh in January with my New Year resolution to lose weight and get healthy. But this year I am making an effort to stay on track and I hope that you will join me!

I have teamed up with Christina at Love Yourself Healthy to create a "Healthy for the Holidays" series over the next three weeks. But even better, there will be a giveaway each week! Each week we will be posting on a different topic to help you (and us!) get through the holidays in the healthiest way possible.

Let's be the best versions of ourselves at the beginning of 2016 and start the year off right!

1. Plan Ahead 

"Failing to plan is planning to fail." If you know that you'll be attending a holiday gathering where there will be high calorie (and tempting!) food, you can plan ahead so that you are more likely to make good decisions. Drink a protein shake (or even half of one) before leaving the house-- this will fill you up and you won't be going into the party so hungry you could eat anything in sight. Fill up on baby carrots, an apple, or a salad prior to leaving. Bring sugar-free gum to chew on or mints to suck on to keep you from impulsively taking a bite of that cookie. If it's worth it to you to indulge, fit in a workout before attending the party to help burn the calories and boost your metabolism.

2. Harness the Power of Your Mind

The mind is a powerful tool and if you can harness its power you will be prepared to succeed. It can be helpful to have a mantra to run through your thoughts when you are confronted with foods that aren't going to bring you closer to your goals. Pick a mantra and post it where you will see it often. Put it on your fridge, on your computer monitor at work, or in your car. Repeat it to yourself over and over again. My favorite mantra is, "Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels".

3. Be Realistic

We call it the "holidays" as if it's a month long festivity. In reality, there are only a few days that are actually holidays. There is Christmas eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, and New Years Day. That's four days at the most. You will be much better served to treat the other 12 days left of the holiday season as if they were the same as any other day out of the year and make good choices. You'll be much happier with yourself for doing so.

4. Indulge a Little

There are conflicting views about this topic and you have to do what works for you. Some people believe that even a little taste will be enough to spiral out of control. For me, indulging a little helps me feel satisfied and like I'm not missing out. For example, I can eat one cookie and only one cookie. I'll eat it slowly and mindfully, savoring every bite. 

5. Stay Hydrated

There are all kinds of delicious beverages this time of year and most of them are full of calories. Make sure to drink enough water to stay hydrated. You can verify your level of hydration by taking a look at your urine in the toilet- if it's closer to clear then you're hydrated, if it's dark yellow-- you'd better drink some water right now. You wouldn't stop watering your plants because it's the holiday season, right? Your body needs water to function, why would you stop drinking water?

This week, we are challenging you to drink your water! Make it a point to get those eight cups of water in each day-- you will feel so much better for doing so.

You have a chance to win a $25 gift card to Walmart or Target by entering the giveaway via Rafflecopter below! You will need to visit Christina at Love Yourself Healthy and comment on her blog as well as mine. Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

4 Tips to Ensure Energy Efficiency with your Windows & Doors this Winter

Something you may not know about me?

I know a lot about windows and doors because I worked for a window and door company for 8 years—actually writing help articles for the company’s website, etc. I loved the challenge of the job and I learned so much.

While this is totally different content than I normally share, I thought I’d share some simple and easy tips to eliminate heat loss this winter because I think most of us would love to save a little bit of cash on the heating bill! (Hello, more money for new clothes, amiright?)

These are very basic solutions for easy to fix issues. I hope you can find some use of this article!

Disclaimer: I’ve used a couple of Amazon affiliate links when I mention a product. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission from the sale which helps keep this blog running.

1. Check Weatherstrip

If you have quality windows & doors, you will have some type of weatherstrip seal at all contact points on the product. It’s important that this weatherstrip is in good condition and making a seal.

What does this mean?

A simple way of putting it is that there is some type of material (rubber, foam, etc.) where the parts of the window/door (that open and close) meet when the window/door is in the closed position.

Simply open the window or door and check for tears or other signs of wear. If your product is old, it may be a good idea to install new weatherstrip for general maintenance.

It’s best to contact the manufacturer for replacement weatherstrip, but if you don’t know the manufacturer—you can also install a generic weatherstrip like the one shown in the photo—just make sure you use one that isn’t too thick as it could affect the operation.

 

2. Check Locking Operation

Locking your window or door helps seal it to prevent the outside elements from getting into your home. If it’s not locking correctly, you are probably also experiencing air or water infiltration.

Lock your window or door and try to move it, as you would when you are opening it (not too forceful!). If there’s a lot of wiggling going on, chances are your product is not locking as efficiently as it could be.

Simple Solutions: Make sure your lock is secured to the product and screws haven’t loosened over time. Make sure the lock isn’t actually physically broken.

Beyond that, it could be a variety of issues that are pretty dependent upon proper installation and adjustments—which vary depending on the manufacturer. At this point, you would be best to contact the manufacturer’s customer service department for help.

 

3. Check Alignment

Many products, especially doors, have adjustments that can be made to maximize efficiency as you use them.

An easy way to check if your product could possibly need an adjustment is to check the reveal, which is the space between where the part of the window/door that opens and the jamb that it closes into.

If the product slides to open: open your window or door an inch or so and inspect the space from top to bottom or from side to side (depending on the orientation of the product).

If the product opens on hinges: leave the product closed and check the reveal (space) between the part of the product that would move if you opened it (window sash/door panel) and the jamb that it closes into (the part on the wall).

If the reveal is even (the same width of space), then your product is aligned correctly.

If the reveal is uneven (example: wide at the top, narrow at the bottom), then your product is not aligned correctly.

Lack of alignment can be caused by a variety of factors including improper installation or just the fact that the product has moved over time and use and needs to be adjusted. Contact the manufacturer for product specific adjustments.

 

4. Install Window Insulation Kit

The fact is, if you have old windows—they probably don’t have weatherstrip and aren’t all that energy efficient. Unless you are ready to fork over the money for new energy efficient windows, you can make the best of the situation and install a window insulation kit. It literally only costs about $15 (on Amazon) to cover 10 windows.

While we have been slowly replacing old windows in our home, most rooms still have windows from the 1940s and it is difficult to keep the home warm in the winter. We have noticed that it does help keep the air out by installing this shrink film on the inside of the old windows in our home.

 

Did you find this article helpful? Do you have additional ways that you weatherproof your windows and doors for the winter? Please share in the comments! I’d love to hear your thoughts.