The holiday season is here! For me, this season brings ambivalent feelings. Ho ho ho??

One one hand, I love the lights, excitement, and joy. On the other hand, I dread the rush, hassles, and stress. This time of year is particularly stressful for me because a) it usually involves a plane trip to the mainland to see family, and b) it coincides with the end of the semester, which is always a zoo no matter how well-prepared I am!

For me, stress brings strong cravings for holiday sweets. Honestly, it just feels so good to let go and sink my teeth into a brownie, or a piece of Almond Roca, or a christmas cookie. But I know from experience that eating such treats doesn't help me. The sugar and accompanying crash only makes me feel MORE stressed and makes me want to eat MORE. It's a vicious cycle that can - and usually does! - result in 10-15 extra pounds each year.

This year, I'll be trying a new technique of heading those cravings off at the pass. I know that probably won't be perfect, but every craving I can divert will be a victory. Experience tells me that I can overcome those cravings by distracting myself so that I forget about them.

Here's a list of things I can do to distract myself long enough to conquer those cravings:

1. Take my dog for a walk
2. Brush/floss my teeth of take a big swig of mouthwash
3. Have a cup of tea
4. Eat something healthy like yogurt, fruit, or a cheesestick if I'm really hungry
5. Chew on a piece of sugar free gum
6. Pop in a zumba video and dance!
7. Log onto Spark People and read an article or post to a message board
8. Call or text a friend
9. Yell "SERENITY NOW" (Seinfeld reference....)
10. Close my eyes and "just sit" for a few minutes
11. Try on clothes that I'm working my way down into
12. Look at old pictures of the fat me (what I don't want to look like again)
13. Look at my visual motivators
14. Turn on a good song and dance
15. Do a 10-minute workout
16. Browse for cute clothes in smaller sizes on the internet
17. Do something nice for someone
18. Pay someone a complement
19. Download a motivating song to my ipod
20. Download and learn to use a new app on my ipad
21. Do a mini spa treatment at home (face mask, manicure, pedicure)
22. Teach my dog a new trick
23. Look for and contact an old friend on facebook
24. Clean out a closet or drawer (believe it or not, sometimes this relaxes me!)
25. Play a wii game

Wow!! I can't believe I just listed 25 distractions off the top of my head! I can do this!!