It's that time of year. We're into the holiday season and bad eating choices/over eating topics are all over social media. As one who has been fighting, and winning, the weight gain battle for over 30 years, I have a few comments that may assist in your own personal war with food.

1) The holidays won't make or break your eventual outcome. You may fall into a protracted period where your discipline fades and you binge on the goodies. But if your consider this period over your "norm" it may only account for a 1-2 pound increase. Let's face it; weight gain is based on protracted bad behavior. The holidays are part of the symptoms but not the problem.

2) When I wrote "Mind Over Diet" I over viewed a section on Trigger Points. Look past the holidays and consider your food and exercise patterns across a longer block of time. Where are the bad decisions coming from? For me, exercise is not the problem; I'm at the gym or out running or cycling every day. My breakdown comes in the evening hours, when I succumb to repetitive snacking.

3) This is the point where I let you know there are no magic fixes or herbal capsules that will solve your problems. Instead, consider how to break down the decision tree in your mind. For me, I have decided to bust out my warm running gear and trudge out into the cold, dark nights ahead. No goal pace, no intended distance outcome. Just me, outside, not eating, teaching myself once again that the reason I'm engaged in this activity is because I can't currently sit in my faculty apartment and refrain from snacking. I wish it were different, but it's not. As my book states, much of nutrition and fitness success comes from ongoing self-negotiation.

4) When you do alter your bad behavior, make sure it's not an easy fix. Radical dysfunction requires radical action. Make changes that matter. The negative habits we set are deeply entrenched and require a strong alternative to the psyche. Whether it's eating or fitness issues, change requires strength of mind and character.Next time, I'll write a bit more about how to address barriers and boundaries associated with fitness.