7 Secrets for Sticking to Your Diet During the Holidays

In the grand pursuit of optimal health and fitness, there is one quality, one secret element, which can fuel your journey to success -- and that is pure PASSION! Every Monday, That's Fit's very own "charged up" wellness guru Laura Lewis presents The Passion Principle, a weekly guide that will help you achieve your greatest potential through words of inspiration, cutting edge ideas and action tips you can use in your everyday life.

Thanksgiving is just days away. Earlier this morning, I visited a local grocery store and I was overwhelmed with the large number of customers already preparing for the big feast. People with furrowed brows, staring at lists, hovering over cans of pumpkin and cranberry sauces, standing in the aisles, swaying back and forth as if in a "food trance" while filling their carts with all of the essentials for this great day of thanks we have as Americans. Don't get me wrong. I love Thanksgiving dinner, what it stands for and the leftovers as well. To me nothing smacks more of my grandmother's love than her mashed potatoes laden with butter which really puts me in the mood to give thanks. Yet, when it comes to this big day of eating, throwing caution to the wind is what it is all about right? Um, NO!

Here's the deal: For those of us who would like to still fit into our favorite clothes by the time New Year's Day rolls around and maybe even lose a few pounds to boot (what a concept during the holidays!), we have to mindfully implement a diet and fitness strategy that really works. What makes this type of strategy successful? When you give yourself a kick in the derriere with knowledge, action, positive emotions and good-old fashioned passion!

In the spirit of prepping you for your next holiday feast, here are Seven Secrets to Help You Stick to Your Diet During the Holidays!

• Become a Fit Ninja. Since about the 15th century, Ninja's have been known as warriors who carried out secret missions. Trained in various forms of martial arts, much of their power came from being powerful in mind and spirit. Beefing up your mental arsenal in dealing with the food, the relatives, the emotions, the habits, the traditions and then showing up at a holiday gathering walking amidst your family and/or friends with the secret warrior or ninja mindset can help you to stick to your program. How can you prepare to be a "Fit Ninja"? Set aside time for yourself each day, perhaps five or 10 minutes. Throw on your iPod with relaxing music, close your eyes and see yourself fit, happy and in control of your eating. Imagine yourself feeling satisfied even if you don't dive in for seconds of stuffing and pie. "See" yourself feeling great even if you choose not to have a second or third cocktail. Feeling mentally powerful as you move through the holidays can help you stay on track.

• BYOP -- Bring Your Own Plate. Wisdom can come from the most unexpected places. Recently, I had to buy a new car since mine needed to retire. I was chatting with my car salesman, who ended up being a delightful guy (not at all the stereotype I thought I would be encountering). Into health his entire life, Bill Bodie,a fit and vibrant man, began espousing his secrets to maintaining his weight. "I took my own plate on a cruise recently," he said, smiling broadly. "My plate was smaller than the ones they use and I controlled how much I ate by only eating what could fit." What a great idea, although I am not sure how he washed his plate. Still, studies have shown that if you use smaller plates, bowls and even utensils, you will eat less and still feel satisfied without feeling deprived. It's all in the perception of how much you are eating. Read more about here. It really works. So think about the BYOP concept to your next holiday eating event!

• Keep Your Diet to Yourself. Why in the world would you want to show up and tell everyone how unhealthy the food is, how fattening it must be, how much weight everyone will gain? A holiday meal is simply not the place to get on your soapbox and talk about dieting unless everyone is on board with the subject. This is a great time for you to NOT talk about your diet. If you recently lost a bit of weight and others let you know you look thinner, more fit, whatever, just say "Thank You." If they ask how you did it, give just a few details. Prepare yourself before hand. How will you answer? "I've been keeping an eye on my carbs." A simple answer works. And if someone notices that you are not having a huge serving of the German stuffing you normally serve yourself and asks why, here is another simple answer: "I am not that hungry today so this is enough." Do not say, "It is not on my diet!" Trust me. The diet saboteurs will leap out of the woodwork and try to talk you into eating your favorite fattening foods!

• Stay Off the Blood Sugar Roller Coaster. Eat foods that won't spike your blood sugar. Stick to lean protein, veggies and nuts. Drink water. The trick is to stay away from foods that will trigger a binge. People who think having a harmless piece of toast with jelly as a snack won't tank a diet need to be wary. One small snack such as this can cause even the most dedicated dieter to leap off into a vat of pasta if they are even remotely insulin resistant, which means as their blood sugar raises rapidly, so will insulin, which in turn can trigger a voracious appetite! Stick to your program and prevent sugar rushes which can end in diet disaster!

• Walk, Run, Step, Jump, Move. The holidays present all sorts of opportunities for overindulgence. To prevent weight gain, one of the best things you can do is to ramp up your fitness activities. You may want to extend your cardio workout from 30 to 45 minutes. Add an extra cardio workout on days you know you may indulge a bit more than normal. No matter what, get physical and stick to it. You'll burn more calories, which will keep your waistline thinner and will help you to stay motivated to stick to your program. Which is more motivating to you -- A thicker waist? Or how about a flatter tummy? Many find that feeling and seeing results from sticking to a diet and fitness routine is more motivational than wallowing in the depression that may follow weight gain. Keep yourself moving and your motivational "mojo" will keep on keepin' on!

• Feed Your Mind. During the holidays, it's important to feed your mind healthy "food" too. Feed your mind motivational content via podcasts and CDs that focus upon success, health, nutrition, fitness and positive thinking techniques. Read books. Listen to others who may inspire you. Is it Wayne Dyer? Joel Osteen? Cheryl Richardson? Neale Donald Walsch? Who inspires you to stay in a positive, motivated frame of mind? Consume information that feeds your mind ... and your soul! Here's a little inspiration from me as a guest on the "Dr. Fitness and the Fat Guy Show!"

• Forgive, Forget and Focus! So, you overindulge one night. You wake up and have an "Oh @#$%! " moment. You blew it. We all do at one point or another. But then we have the opportunity to get back in the saddle again. Forgive yourself and get back on your program. Eat leaner than usual. Engage in more physical activity than you normally would. Get proactive. Remember that "Fit Ninja?" You can slip back into that powerful warrior mode and still be successful. Don't give in to eating more things that aren't good for you since you already had a weak moment. It is now time to forgive yourself, get strong and get happy focusing upon how you are going to look and feel on New Year's Day!.