If you’re focused on a fitness/weight loss/health goal this season, you might have figured out that the holidays don’t necessarily provide the IDEAL circumstances for achieving these goals. Endless cookies, pies, and cakes seem to appear at every office, in every display window, and as gifts from your friends and family, and it can be hard not to put your goals aside until the new year and instead dig into a nice, big piece of pecan pie (à la mode, of course).

BUT DON’T.

There’s nothing wrong with getting distracted from the gym to spend time with your family, but there’s always time to get your sweat on later (even if it’s just a little). Here are some tips to help you stay on track with your goals this snowy season.

1. Enjoy the yummy holiday food

Firstly, I want to say that I believe the holidays (and all of the delicious dishes that come with the holidays) are meant to be enjoyed and should be. They should be savored — you don’t need to approach them with caution, wielding your diet plan and list of carbs you can’t eat. That’s no way to live!! Plus, how sad is it when your family goes to all the trouble of cooking a bunch of homemade desserts and you don’t even try one?! It’s very sad, my friends. So enjoy a dessert or two!

... After some broccoli or something.

2. Eat healthy the rest of the time

Holiday parties typically include a wide array of tantalizingly tempting treats. And they only come around once a year… it would be a tragedy not to indulge. And you should! But, odds are you won’t be attending a holiday party every single day. You can maintain a healthier diet most of the time, and let yourself indulge when it’s worth it.

3. Don’t diet before the holidays

I've heard the phrase, “I’m trying to be good, the holidays are coming up” a lot recently. While there’s nothing wrong with a good diet, dieting specifically for the purpose of compensating for what you eat over the holidays is not a super healthy concept!! Plus, dieting can make you feel deprived, which can mean that you end up OVER indulging later.

4. Spend time with your family, but also make time for yourself

Spending time with family is a crucial part of the holidays. Visiting a family member you only see once a year is definitely worth passing up a trip to the gym. However, you don’t have to spend 24/7 with your family. If you're feeling the need to get a good workout in, go do it! An hour or two to yourself is completely justified.

5. Get back to the gym

So, maybe you didn’t have time to go to the gym over the holidays. That’s okay! Your muscles don’t turn to pudding the day you stop working out, it takes a little longer than that. It can take weeks for muscles to atrophy, depending on your level of activity outside the gym. The more active you are, the better, but even if you were a complete couch potato for a solid few weeks, you can still get back in the gym and regain the strength you were working hard for.

It can be hard to ease back into the routine/habit of working out when you’ve been away from it for a little while, but the best way to get started again is to just get up and get your butt to the gym. Sometimes just being around other people working out can inspire you to get back at it.

The holidays should be fun and filled with great memories. If you practice moderation and get to the gym when you can, you can accomplish all of your goals.