Life Coaches Central: Where Coaching Insiders Blog About Real Issues

It can't be denied. Thanksgiving is looming ahead. And just like the rest of you, I too am searching for the perfect diet to keep me motivated to eat right through the holidays. But I'm feeling anxious, because I'm not going to be tempted by just one Thanksgiving meal -- but two. I'm going to have to battle with my food temptation demons during Thanksgiving Dinner with my friend's family on Thursday, and Thanksgiving Part 2 with my family on Friday. And eating Thanksgiving with my family always turns into a day-long fest of nibbling during preparations, eating snacks and appetizers before the meal is ready, then the meal itself. And of course, after the top button is unbuttoned, we dig into pies with whipped cream and ice cream.

In the time being, I'm trying to stick to my healthy eating and exercising. Today I had fiber-filled breakfast and a colorful salad with mushrooms, tomatoes, a little healthy fat from some avocado, and wonderfully delicious raspberries for dessert. It was a fully satisfying meal, and I didn't feel like I was over-eating or under-eating. Now if only I can do that for my two Thanksgiving meals. But I'm going to be realistic, and say that eating wholly healthy foods might not be an option. But I will strive to eat less, and to try and exercise -- yes even on vacation. I have no excuses. When I sleep in my family's basement I know the treadmill will be staring at me, willing me to stick to my healthy habits.

Best of luck to all you other health-conscious pie-lovers out there!

It's that time of year again -- right before Thanksgiving, and after Halloween, where I'm worried about maintaining my healthy eating habits, and maybe even shedding a few extra pounds. You know the familiar feeling -- I'll be going back home where people have seen me at my thinnest -- and my not-so thinnest. I'd rather be more toward the thinnest side of things. But lately I've been having troubles getting past a diet plateau. I'm keeping track of my calories, and exercising 5-6 times a week, but I think after reading "Busting Through a Weight-Loss Plateau" advice from Jillian Michaels I know that I have to decide to make more short-term sacrifices and more long-term commitments to my overall wellness before I can see consistent results on the scale. But for now I'm taking pleasure in eating a few Halloween treats, without GAINING weight, which to me is the important thing.

Whenever winter rolls around, a lot of us tend to eat like chipmunks meaning we have habits of storing and collecting loads of food for winter use. The problem with this is an overload of calorie consumption. In the winter, especially in New York the days seem shorter because at 7 p.m. it starts to get dark. I know that when my days end, the last thing I want to do is go workout at a gym. It's cold and dark and I don't want to be running into hot buildings and back into 30 degree weather. In fact all I really want to do is eat and sleep. So if you're like me and your workout regime is non-existent during the winter months consider some ways to cut calories - like tossing the crust of your slice of Thanksgiving pumpkin pie and hollowing out the inside of your morning bagel.