So Thanksgiving’s just passed. Your eyes are still heavy from the tryptophan and your belt’s a little tighter because of Grandma’s apple pie. You stand in front of the mirror thinking about having to buy a larger size of Lulu pants and you make a promise to yourself: “This is the last holiday that I let health and fitness go to the wayside.” How do you keep exercise on the to-do list when life gets so crazy? How do you turn down all those yummy holiday temptations gracefully? Let’s take a look at some sustainable ways to be healthy this year in order to start 2014 off with a bang!

Look at the big picture and have a plan

October 31st starts the downward spiral. You dress up as a sexy cat (again), and then drink and eat too much at your friend’s apartment party, putting you out of commission for three days. By the time you feel back to normal, it’s your brother’s birthday, then pilgrim and Indian time, plus you always get at least one Chanukah invite… and Christmas is the worst because by that point you look like Santa anyway, so you might as well house some cookies. Spread this debauchery out another few days. After all, 2013 is almost over anyway and in 2014, you’re gonna be soooo good. By January 12, 2014, you’re back on track, and only a few steps behind where you were last fall!

None of these divots have to mess with the good thing you got going at the gym. When you know the holidays are almost upon you (now), take a minute to look at a calendar. Zoom all the way back to a monthly view and see when you’re crazy busy with holiday distractions and when you’re able to stick to your regular routine. Consider upping the volume a bit during your normal days and treating your wacky days as rest days.

Remember: sleep, relaxation and recuperation are all restful activities. Boozing and staying up late are debits to your life account. You’re at a holiday party having a good time, but you don’t have to be the most gluttonous, ridiculous version of yourself. When you say, “No, thank you, I already had two snickerdoodles,” everyone is thinking, “Damn it you’re right, I should stop, too.”

That being said, life is made for living. Respect the traditions others hold dear, have some fun, and give more than you get.

Go to the gym

Want to stay on track as best you can? The first step is showing up. You probably feel about 68 percent awesome and the in-laws will be in later that night, but prioritizing your health will pay off. Sessions that get off to a rough start often end up being PR extravaganzas. Also, simply lifting your spirits and making your Christmas sweater fit a little more comfortably by crushing a WOD will be well worth the effort.

Stay tuned in to your community

The friends who you see at the gym day after day are dealing with many of the same obstacles that you encounter. Brief each other before the holidays begin on your plans and keep each other posted during the red and green tornado. Having that accountability will go a long way towards getting you to stick to your plan to have a healthy, happy holiday season.

On the road again

Traveling this holiday season is no excuse to get lazy and out of shape. There are a lot of fun ways to stay active while visiting the in-laws or hanging out on a cruise ship instead of in the snow.

What do you have available?

Before you can make goals you have to be realistic about what’s available. What cardio activities are options? Running? Rowing? Skiing? Is there anything to lift? If there’s a small weight set available, get creative! If you’re on a farm create an impromptu strongman competition (safely). Farmer’s walks, wheelbarrow pushes, pressing or carrying odd objects, pull ups…these are all fairly easy to pull off in about any American backyard.

What do you want to get better at?

Once you know what you have on hand, it’s time to set a goal. Breathing hard for the sake of sweating is not going to be nearly as motivating on a cold December morning than hitting the streets in order to improve your 5K time for an adventure race you have planned in the spring.

If you’ll get back to your regular CrossFit or fitness classes once you’re back at the office, then create your own mini challenge to focus on while you’re away for a few weeks. Here are some fun ideas to get you started.

7 minutes of burpees
1 mile run
1 unbroken set of pull-ups
(Wait! What’s fun about any of those?!)

The cool thing about mini challenges like these is that you get to plan the workouts that coincide. Test your challenge on day one. For example, in seven minutes you may do 105 burpees. Over the next few weeks, imagine any variation on that workout then go after it hard three to five times a week (i.e., four rounds: two minutes work, two minutes rest at a pace faster than your seven-minute pace; or 10 burpees every minute on the minute for 14 minutes. The options are endless!) On your final day re-test and see how it went (111 burpees, PR!)

How can I make my holiday vacation more active?

The holidays don’t have to be all about drinking eggnog and watching A Christmas Story (although that is a must-do). Plan some active activities for you and the family. Winter sports, walking to see Christmas lights, going to a reindeer petting zoo…stay on your feet and have some fun!

Just a quick note on eating. Don’t make a huge departure from your norm. From October to January, there are really only three to five days that are the official holidays. You don’t have to eat a tray of brownies every day just because it’s December. Way more days than not, eat your salad and drink your protein shakes. That way, when the treats do flood in, you can call it the exception and not the rule.

The holidays are all about enjoying the company of others and giving thanks for all the good things in life. Set yourself up to have a good time by staying healthy and happy. When it comes time to set New Year’s Resolutions, you’ll be able to say, “What does it matter? I was killing’ it in 2013 as is!”