by Jo Campbell, Media and Public Relations Coordinator

Please enter an image description.

This Sunday marks 100 days to Christmas - a great span of time in which to form new, healthy habits and perhaps even accomplish something big. Or, at least avoid forming unhealthy ones. So, get your thinking cap on and make a bold decision to make positive changes in your life ahead of the deluge of Santa-sized festive over-indulgence.

Staying strong in the face of temptation

Supermarkets are already heavily over-saturating the consumer environment with energy dense, nutrient poor foods. When consumed daily over a period of time, these seasonal ‘treats’ can lead to significant weight gain. For example, if you ate just one mince pie every day over 100 days (without adjusting your regular kilojoule intake or physical activity regime) you’d put on a whopping 2.8kg. Not a great way to start the Christmas holidays!

Make no mistake, these products are strategically positioned in store to make us purchase them. When you’re tired and stressed, it’s very easy to be lured by the shiny wrappers and promise of giving yourself a well-deserved ‘treat’. One way to avoid succumbing to this sort of unhealthy marketing is to have a plan in place for what you’d like to achieve. That way, you’re less likely to reach for that mince pies six-pack and more likely to reinforce your commitment to your goal when faced with temptation.

Goal setting

Think about where you’d like to be in 14 weeks. Do you want to be more physically fit? Maybe you’d like to lose a couple of kilos or introduce some healthier foods into your regular diet. Whatever you decide to set your sights on, here’s some sure fire tips for ensuring you’ll be successful:

Make your goal achievable – set yourself up for success!
Write it down so it seems more tangible
Think of some healthy ways to reward yourself for good behaviour – for example, if you intend to up your daily physical activity to 30 minutes a day, you could reward yourself at the end of the week by making one of our healthy, delicious meals
Plan your meals in advance and stick to it as much as you can
When offered a festive food snack or when confronted with a six-foot high stack on mince pies at Coles, have a strategy in place for refusal – see the clear picture of the healthy meal you’ve planned for later in the day or on the weekend