5 Tips to Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain

I have lost 30 lbs so far this year and have kept it off for over 6 weeks! I am not about to let the pounds start piling on again during the holidays. My goal is to keep maintaining and then hit it hard again in the new year to lose the last 10 lbs! Who's with me?

1. Keep Moving -- Try to get in a little exercise everyday if possible. If not, then at least several times a week. If nothing else, get outside and walk around the block a few times. To get the most out of your workouts, workout in the morning and include intervals. Working out first thing in the morning will get your metabolism going and intervals will increase the amount of calories burned, allowing you to keep burning calories long after your workout is over. And by intervals, I simply mean change up your pace during your workout. If you are on the treadmill, instead of walking at the same steady pace the entire time, try walking at a moderate pace for a few minutes and then speeding up for a few minutes. Keep these alternating cycles going for your entire workout. Not only will working out counteract your calorie intake, but also the stress of the holidays and we all know that stress leads to weight gain!

2. Don't Overeat -- Stop eating when you are full. Don't keep eating just because it is sitting there staring at you or because you are bored. Remember that portion sizes should be no larger than the palm of your hand and that it is better to eat several small meals in a day than a few large meals. It's okay to splurge but just a little bit at a time. When the temptation is just too strong, get out of the house. Go for a walk or drink a glass of water to take the edge off.

3. Count Calories -- Keep track of what it going into your mouth. Journal it if you have to. Count calories or Weight Watchers points. Don't just eat everything in sight, all day long. You would be surprised how much you eat when you are not paying attention. They say 80% of weight gain/loss is what you eat. Only 20% is related to your exercise regimen.

4. Drink Water -- And lots of it! You should intake at least 64 ounces a day, or more. Water speeds up the weight loss process and will help cleanse your body of the extra sugar and fat you will be consuming over the holiday season.

5. Eat Early -- Make sure to eat breakfast to get your metabolism going. And try not to eat after 8:00 pm or at least 2 hours before you go to bed. Avoid late night snacking because those calories will not get burned off. But do make sure to get some good, quality sleep which also assists in weight loss.

Hope everyone has a blessed holiday season with loved ones! Enjoy some of the fabulous food but don't blow what you have worked so hard to achieve!

Feel free to leave comments with any other ideas that you have for avoiding holiday weight gain!

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

a little tour of our "thankful" home

Thanksgiving is in full swing around here!

We have had fall decor up for a few months now, but I added a little Thanksgiving touch about a week ago, to remind us to count our blessings!

We leave for Texas in a few days, to spend the holiday with my family at our ranch, so I wanted to make sure we had plenty of time to celebrate as a little family of 4 here in our home before we head out. Because as soon as we return, it will be time to "deck the halls" for Christmas!

I had  to dig a little to find everything, since this is our first holiday season in our new home, but I think it was worth it!

Our little "thankful" banner made for us by 517 Creations. It hangs in our home this time of year to remind us of a loving God who pours out His mercy and grace, love and many blessings upon us. A God who watches over and protects us.

Our table of thanks. The perfect size for our little family.

To create a similar look, purchase DaySpring's Ever Grateful Collection, now 50% off. The tall centerpiece is a Pinterest find from last fall. You simply put a candle in a clear vase and surround it with corn kernels. So easy and inexpensive!

In this shot you can see the window clings that the boys decorated our back door with. I found them in the $1 bins at Target. So fun!

Here is a closer look.

This cute little owl banner hangs over the bar where the boys usually eat, do homework, etc. It is another Target $1 bin find. So cute!

Just a cute little wooden pumpkin, to remind us of God's provision.

I am in love with this little owl candle that I got at Target a few years ago! Adorable!

Little E decided to "help" with the decorating. :)

Our little "thankful" turkey, also made by 517 Creations. Every year we fill it with blessings, together as a family, sometime during the Thanksgiving season.

My little turkeys! :)

And just for fun...my little Indian. We got to eat lunch with him today at school for his class Thanksgiving feast. He is called "Green Grass." :)

Our Thanksgiving scripture. It sits in our kitchen to remind us where our blessings come from! The memo board is a piece of DaySpring's Ever Grateful Collection. I love changing out the message every season!

Go here for 10 more ways to a thankful home and here to see my favorite Thanksgiving pins. Check out some of our favorite Thanksgiving ideas here and our Thanksgiving pin board here.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! May you have a blessed holiday, surrounded by loved ones, remembering all that God has done for you!

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

Favorite Pins Friday...and a Flash Sale!

Don't miss DaySpring's Flash Sale -- ends 3 pm (CST) today! 3 items 50% off, including the fabulous antiqued, gold finished Redeemed Necklace. Click here to shop, all items would make great stocking stuffers and Christmas gifts. You can also still receive 25% off of their beautiful wrapped canvases and 50% off of the Ever Grateful Collection, just in time for Thanksgiving, even after the flash sale ends!

I am in a Thanksgiving mood, as I prepare for the upcoming holiday. In fact, I created a Thanksgiving Pin Board this week and have spent some time filling it with ways to make November a joy-filled month. We will actually be spending the week of Thanksgiving in Texas with my family, so I figured if I was going to make Thanksgiving come alive in our home, I better get going before we are outta here...because as soon as we return, we will be preparing our home for Christmas!

Source: aholyexperience.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

I absolutely love, love, love this thankful tree, complete with free scripture leaf printables, so that you can make your own tree of blessings, together with your family. What a beautiful way to bring warmth and beauty to your home this holiday season. For 10 (more) ways to a thankful home, go here.

Source: tatertotsandjello.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

I was excited to find out that Tatertots and Jello featured our pumpkin pie croissants in her 20 Pumpkin Recipes post! Check it out for some great Thanksgiving dinner ideas. If you are watching your weight this holiday season, be sure to read our Thanksgiving Desserts Without The Regret post.

Source: shanty-2-chic.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest 

 This pine cone and pumpkin decoration is so simply, yet elegant. It would be very easy to recreate and would make a perfect centerpiece for your holiday table!

Source: blogs.babble.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

This post has some fantastic ideas on how to get your children to count their blessings this Thanksgiving season. I just love the thankful (yarn ball) turkey...so cute and easy to make!

Source: flamingotoes.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest  

I am loving this retro "give thanks" print! It would make a cute display in any home!

Source: positivelysplendid.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

Washi tape is all the rage these days and this is such a cute, easy craft for the kiddos -- and another easy way to count blessings!

What about you? Have you seen any fun Thanksgiving ideas floating around the web these days? Or do you have any ideas of your own? Feel free to leave comments with links and I will pin them to my Thanksgiving board as well!

Happy Friday, friends!

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

Thanksgiving Desserts Without The Regret

As we get closer to Thanksgiving and each person starts to make plans for Turkey Day I know that each person is thinking of the food that will ordain each table and will inevitably be leftovers for the next week :) I may be the only person who actually does not like Thanksgiving food. Gasp! I know, its almost like its unAmerican :) To top if off, this year my birthday falls on Thanksgiving day. So I get to celebrate the big 2-9 with a large bird and fixins that I do not particularly like. BUT the thing that saves Thanksgiving food in my book are the desserts. Now almost every other day at the year I have no problem saying no to desserts but there is something about the made-from-scratch pies and cakes and the aroma of each of these filling the room that makes it very hard to pass them up.  So, I thought I might pass on a couple guilt free recipes that can be either for dessert on Thanksgiving or even snacks during the day. They will keep you full, fuel your body and let you enjoy that second helping with a little less guilt and shame ;)

I hope you enjoy


Protein PB Balls

-1 cup of AdvoCare Muscle Gain ( vanilla or chocolate) - you can use other forms of protein. I chose this one because it is one of the highest quality proteins on the market.
-1 cup of Peanut Butter ( natural or organic)- Walmart has "Natural Skippy" that you dont need to stir
-1 cup of Honey (try for locally made or organic)
- 3 cups of nuts (optional) and rolled whole oats

Chop or put the nuts in a food processor; keep the oats whole, mix it all up and roll into small balls. Keep in the fridge. Can be frozen. ENJOY :)


Banana Pudding

- 2 large boxes of sugar free instant vanilla pudding 
-5 cups of low fat milk 
- 5-6 oz of low fat sour cream 
-2 cups of lite Cool Whip 
-2-3 bananas 
- Low Fat Nilla Wafers 

Pour the dry vanilla pudding mix into the cold milk. ( Pouring it into the milk prevents it from being lumpy when stirring). Mix well. Add the sour cream and Cool Whip. Let the pudding set for a few minutes. When it is set, line the bottom of the bowl with Nilla Wafers. ( If preparing this ahead of time, you may want to skip this step and just add the wafers to the top before serving so they do not become soggy). Pour the pudding into the bowl covering the wafers. Garnish the top of the pudding with more wafers. 

I know a couple of you may be freaking out about the sour cream. I PROMISE you will not taste it and it actually helps give the pudding a little bit of thickness. 

I hope you enjoy Thanksgiving and get to try out these recipes! :)

LB

About the Author: Lauren Barksdale is the founder of Soul Fitness. She has a BA and Masters in Kinesiology from Dallas Baptist University . She coached volleyball at Birdville High School in North Richland Hills for the last 5 years. In college she played volleyball for Baylor's club team and at Dallas Baptist University. She has been married to Ben Barksdale for 5 years and has two children; Evie Grace who is 3 and Hudson who is 10 months old. Lauren has a passion for health and fitness and incorporating that into everyday life as a Christ follower

{Gratitude Leads to Joy}: 10 Ways to a Thankful Home

As you know, I have been on a quest for joy this year. Joy is my 2012 word and this quest has led to the idea for our upcoming "find joy in the journey" ebook, which I am excited to report is finished!

I sent it off to my designer, Mary Jo Smith at 517 Creations, over the weekend so that she can format it to look like a book and get it ready for purchase. When she is finished, I will proof it one last time and then it will be available for download. Woohoo! 

Along the way I have come to realize that one major key to a joy-filled life is living a life of gratitude, being thankful for all of God's blessings, not taking the little things for granted, learning to embrace and cherish the special moments along the way.

With that in mind, I want to create an attitude of gratitude within our home this Thanksgiving season and I have come up with a few ways to do that!

1. Decorate your front door with some sort of Thanksgiving wreath, so that everyone enters with Thanksgiving on their mind.

Source: livinglocurto.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

2. Make "give thanks" pumpkins as a reminder of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Rejoice always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 

Source: incourage.me via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

3. Hang this free printable "thankful" banner in a prominent place in your home, a visual reminder to have a thankful heart this season.

Source: shanty-2-chic.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

4. Make "give thanks" dry erase boards to record God's many blessings. You could set it on a little table in a high traffic area and encourage family members to write something down every time they walk by.

Source: brownpaper--packages.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

6. Print this free "harvest" printable as a visual reminder of God's provision.

Source: tipjunkie.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

7. Make an autumn chalkboard display in your home with the statement or scripture verse that you want to focus on during this season of thanks.

Source: inspired-design.tumblr.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

8. Download this print as a reminder of how to survive the busy, sometimes stressful, holiday season.

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

9. Create a "thankful tree" (together as a family) and have each member write their blessings on the leaves. Add new leaves every day.

Source: simplyvintagegirl.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

10. Display DaySpring's Ever Grateful Collection  on your holiday table. It is an absolutely stunning collection and happens to be 50% off right now, just in time for Thanksgiving! It would make a beautiful display and would be a great reminder of God's goodness for all who enter to see.

It comes in two gorgeous colors, taupe and wasabi, and can be purchased either as separate pieces or as a place setting.

Use this free printable as the centerpiece for your table, to remind your guests how to gather for dinner.

Source: craftily-ever-after.blogspot.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

Go here to shop DaySpring's Ever Grateful Collection! Go here for more of our favorite Thanksgiving ideas and here for 50 ways to make Fall fabulous!

Check out our Thanksgiving Pinterest Board for even more ideas. Leave comments with your own Thanksgiving posts and I will pin them to my board as well.

Feel free to follow along with me on Facebook and/or twitter as I count down #30daysofblessings!

May you and yours enjoy a beautiful season of Thanksgiving, remembering all that God has done for you!

Let there be thankfulness to God! {Ephesians 5:4}

Linking up with:

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

{Hope for the Home}: Favorite Ideas for Thanksgiving

The month of October has FLOWN by for us!  I have started gathering some of my favorite ideas for Thanksgiving for the month of November. I thought I would share a few for today's Hope for the Home!

I am BIG on decorating for Christmas so the Thanksgiving "season" was always lost in the shuffle in our home.  But, as Grayson gets older I am realizing the importance of being intentional with teaching him about being thankful.  It's a great lesson for me, too!

Last year (and the year before) we made a Thankful tree for our home.  The first year we used leaves that I cut out and last year we used these awesome printables from Jones Design Company.  It makes a sweet centerpiece that you can add to as a family each night.

Source: jonesdesigncompany.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

Here is another option if you want to make a paper chain instead of a tree...

Source: silverboxcreative.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

You know how much I love to display scripture in our home...and these FREE printables make that a piece of cake!  You could always leave them in the frames when you add the next season's printable to keep them all in one spot.  Then simply rotate the printables as the seasons change. :)

Source: adventuresofabettycrockerwannabe.blogspot.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

Source: dearlillieblog.blogspot.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

Source: cheepideas.com via Mary Jo on Pinterest

One final idea is to pack a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child!  We LOVE to make this a family activity by letting Grayson pick out toys, games, and other necessities for a boy his age.  It leads to awesome discussion about how God calls us to provide for those in need. To learn more about this awesome opportunity through Samaritan's Purse, click on the picture below.

What do you do to intentionally teach your family about thankfulness??  I'd love to hear your ideas!

Linking up with:

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About the Author: MJ Smith has her little corner of the internet to document her family, their home and their adventures - and any crafting that occurs along the way - over at 517 Creations. She has the greatest job in the world: being a stay-at-home momma of a wild and wonderful little boy (and a baby girl due in November!) and is married to Scott, a youth pastor, which often makes for such a fun (and crazy) life!