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Many women are putting in overtime in workouts at the gym this time of year in anticipation of the extra eating and drinking that will inevitably occur at parties and family gatherings during the holiday season. They hope the additional cardio workouts and weight training will fight off the extra pounds that can sneak up on them from over-indulging during the cluster of holiday festivities.

You might view an emphasis on the high-octane workout as taking care of yourself, but is it possible to overdo it? You bet, says Tiffany Crate, a Chicago-based fitness and lifestyle coach who owns TLC Fitness Consulting. “If your exercise habits are robbing you of sleep, you’re doing too much,” she insists. “If you decide to get up super early to squeeze in a morning workout, but you fail to go to sleep super early the night before, you are setting yourself up for trouble - listlessness, fogginess and flagging enthusiasm.”

Besides, if you don’t get enough sleep, you are more prone to colds and flu viruses, she adds. No one needs to be sick during the holidays. What’s more, women who struggle to exercise more before the big parties aren’t usually able to keep up that hectic pace once the season is over. Taking off a few extra pounds in a frenetic, short-term way may not keep them off in the long run, warns Crate.

Women need to appreciate who they are, and respect their body type so they don’t set unrealistic goals that might fall short during the holidays, advises Crate. Killing yourself to look thinner and more toned may not be the smartest way to counterbalance the binging that sometimes occurs this time of year.

“The idea of whipping yourself into shape beforehand to justify overeating during social gatherings is a rather bleak, black-and-white way of thinking that does not honor you at all,” she says. “Women ought to rightly focus on getting their heads in shape, not their bodies, because our bodies merely follow what our brains say is true.”

Here’s some holiday advice on setting realistic workout goals and appreciating your own body image, regardless of your silhouette:

• Create an exercise schedule for the next seven weeks. Write it in your planner, right along with the doctor appointment, the client meetings and the kids’ school play, says Crate. "Then respect those workout appointments," she adds, so you don’t cheat yourself out of an important activity.
• If you can’t fit in hour-long workouts in your schedule, take a 10-minute walk after lunch at work, advises Amy Lundberg, a lifestyle fitness coach who owns Aim For It — Fitness Coaching in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. “People bring goodies to the office during the holidays and a short walk mid-day will help lower your blood sugar levels and can really make a difference,” she says.
• Decide what your core values are during the holidays and don’t spread yourself too thin, says Lundberg. “If you tell yourself you have to exercise and lose 20 pounds but you have a chaotic holiday schedule, you’ll feel guilty and exhausted,” she says. Instead, “make choices about what you do that honor your authentic self and appreciate those moments.”
• When you go to holiday gatherings, set an intention to enjoy yourself so you’re not wasting your energy worrying how you look or what you should eat. Otherwise, you’re missing the point of why you’re there in the first place, says Crate. “Those who view food as enjoyable nourishment move through the holiday season gracefully,” she observes. “Honor your hunger and respect your fullness.”
• Feel proud of your personal strength, not just how you look. Crate says women should feel good about their ability to haul stuff around and do the busy tasks that consume us during the holidays. “It’s awesome to be strong and capable, and to have great endurance,” she says.
• Have grace under pressure. Crate reminds women to find a way to feel calm and collected, even while they’re multitasking or hosting a party in their home during the festive season.
  

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