Getting Back Into Routine

I don't know about you, but my daily routine has been ransacked over the Holidays. It's great to change things up -- I am not complaining at all. We need a break from the same 'ole, same 'ole. But it's also nice to get back into some semblance of normalcy. Our family did a lot of travelling, which required leaving our home and staying in multiple locations. This includes eating different foods, waking and sleeping at alternate hours as well as having less control over when you can find time to exercise.

For me, it's been a time of new discoveries. When I was at my sister's home in Reading, Pennsylvania, she turned me on to her On Demand exercise videos. She has Comcast Cable, but I remembered that I also have a similar set-up with my AT&T Uverse in Texas. Kathy and I worked out with Jillian Michaels one day and Billy Banks, Jr. another day. It was quite fun! Besides, you may have heard about all the snow the northeast got -- my favorite exercise past time, running, was out of the question so I had to find alternate ways to keep the activity going. In addition to Pennyslvania, we visited the exciting city of New York City. Needless to say, we got a lot of walking in as we explored the lights and adventures all around us. My 2 year old son refused to walk, so I carried him most of the time. Great arm and leg workout! [Check out the picture of me with my family in Time Square!] The foods we got to experience were wonderful. My brother-in-law spoiled us with homemade ravioli and Italian wedding soup one night followed by homemade traditional Italian pizza another night. Desserts included homemade canolis and my sister's famous chocolate cake. Decadent and rich all around!

I know most of you have had a similar situation. You may not have travelled this year, but your Holiday has taken you away from your typical routine. The research shows that the average person may only gain a couple pounds around the Holidays, but the key thing to ensure is that you do not carry those behaviors on throughout the year. Otherwise, those couple pounds could end up translating to 10 more pounds throughout the 2010. Get back into the groove with your healthy lifestyle TODAY. In the January edition of Nutrition Tidbits, there will be many dietitians that will discuss the things they will personally do in their own life to make 2010 the healthiest year yet - including me! I will post a link to that newsletter as soon as it is published. Here's to a Healthy and Happy New Year!