Winter is tough for a lot of us, me included. Sure, the holidays are impending, parties are abundant, and we get to wear cute boots (or maybe that's just me :-)).
However, it's dark at 5 pm, it's cold, dreary, and all around an outdoor exercise killer. Here are some of the things I've been trying to keep morale and mood up:
1. Maintaining (almost) daily exercise. I've mentioned before this is my #1 mood booster- this past few weeks have been no exception. This week I did circuits and pilates/yoga on Sunday, Zumba on Monday, arms and Zumba (albeit a pretty low key instructor- I won't be attending this day anymore) on Tuesday, circuits and treadmill sprints on Weds, off Thurs/Fri, and 5 mile run (outside! despite the dreariness) today. It's not ideal, it's not up to par with my normal running schedule, but it's helping.
2. Eating a Colorful and balanced diet. There's something about the gray winter that makes me crave carbohydrates (and not much else). I want bread, cookies, cake, hot chocolate, apple cider, etc. I've been making a conscious effort to maintain my healthy diet but packing lunches, baking healthy breakfast treats, and including lots of fruits and veggies in meals. I've also been filling up on protein and healthy fats to keep the sugar/carb cravings at bay.
3. Spending time w/ my friends and husband. Pretty self explanatory :)
How can you not laugh looking at this face?
4. Watching my favorite shows. Believe it or not, having something to look forward to on certain days is enough to keep me happy. Anyone else obsessed w/ Glee??
5. Blogging. Getting things off my chest, sharing my thoughts and musings with you- it's something I look forward to and really enjoy. If you haven't yet, drop me a comment and let me know if there's anything you want me to post about. Overall the blog readers have been pretty quiet- but I know you're out there ;-).
What about you? Do you love winter or struggle through it? Any big/fun holiday plans?
Here's to making it through the winter,
Allie