Your inbox is full of emails offering deals, stores are packed with discounts, and shopping and parties are filling your calendar. I have one question for you: Do want to be something different, than you were last January, by this January 1st? 

Whether you have made a recent change and want to maintain it, or you just set a new goal, you are going to have to do something different this year than you have done in the past. The month of December is known for its craziness. There are holiday parties, potlucks at work, neighbors bringing you treats, school programs and the like. Each one offers its own reason to derail your health journey. However, if you truly want something different than you've had in the past, you have to change how you approach this month (and every other month of the year). 

Holiday parties - I've written in the past about ways to approach any social gathering in a healthful way. Here are 3 posts in which I discussed how to have fun, avoid the junk and the crazy. 

The bottom line is, you must assess each situation separately, decide where you will be given the opportunity to make a healthy or unhealthy choice, and make a plan for that opportunity because no two situations are alike. Here are the things you need to know ahead of time to ensure your success at maintaining your healthy lifestyle:

1. Is there a meal being served? Is the Gathering specifically surrounding food or is food going to be in the background? How critical is it for you to eat the food? If no one will be offended, is it possible for you to eat ahead of time bring your own? The biggest point I can stress on this is to not make a big deal about whatever you choose. The less you say, the less it will become an issue for the other people attending the event. If you make a big deal about it, they will make a big deal about it. 

2. Treats, potlucks, the endless plates of cookies. Gut check, how much self-control do you actually have? Not how much do you believe that you should have, but what is your actual ability to avoid these things? You know yourself better than anyone, if the cookies are in front of you are you going to be able to walk away? If the answer is no, find a way to get rid of them. If giving them to friends or your kids is not an option, throw them in the garbage! You are not a garbage disposal! It is not your responsibility to eat all the food that may be wasted in this world. When the treats are at your workplace, find a way to not be near them. Walk a different direction to the bathroom, find a new route for lunch, do whatever you need to do to avoid walking by and grabbing just one. That one will turn into two, five, a dozen. 

3. The last hurtle that you may face it's just the good old traditions. The hot chocolate that you always drink while decorating the Christmas tree, the cookies that you always bake with your family member, the treats that you eat together as you look at Christmas lights. Whatever the tradition is, if it involves food that is not in your best interest, it's time to modify the tradition! There some great alternatives to those foods that will not ruin your nutrition plan or take the fun out of activity. One suggestion is to use a chocolate protein drink in place of hot chocolate. Another is to find one of the many recipes online for a healthier version of cookies or treats. Find recipes that involve high protein, little to no sugar, as few grains as possible and don't forget that just because it's healthier doesn't mean you can eat twice as much. Calories are still calories, healthy or not. 

Remember if you want to be something different, you have to do something different. Not just January through November, but December too. Creating a positive change takes a million little choices done consistently overtime. Healthy change is slow change. Think about your next few weeks, start with one event and make a plan for how you will approach it in a more healthful, conscious way. Don't forget to celebrate when you follow your plan and, most importantly, remember how good it felt for the next round!

Happy holidays and congratulations on making your own health a high priority!!