Me at Super Bowl 33 – Jan 31, 1999. Glorious mullet in full effect!

Here we are, a month into the New Year…

You’ve finally started to shed some of those holiday pounds, and what happens… that damn Super Bowl party! Ugh! You want to hang out with your friends and be social, but all that food and drink… and Lions and Bears oh my! Okay more like Rams and (freakin) Patriots (again).

Here are my favorite tips to make the best of that super tempting spread at your party:

• • Exercise in the morning. The game isn’t until 3PM PT / 6PM ET, plenty of time to work up a sweat before the party to offset some of those extra calories you’ll be faced with. Also, have you ever noticed how you tend to WANT to eat healthier on days that you exercised? Double win!

• • Don’t try to save your calories for the party. Eat early an often in the day – healthy foods of course. Walk into that party already full on good food so that you won’t be so tempted by those frosted football shaped cupcakes.

• • Survey the spread before you dive in. Start with your favorite foods and skip over those you can live without. Also, try balancing those lit’l smokies with healthier sized portions of veggies and fruit.

• • In case you never noticed, alcohol can lower your inhibitions. Not only does it carry the risk of dancing, half naked on your neighbor’s kitchen table, but also eating more and worse foods than you probably would when sober. Also, be sure to drink as much water as possible. It will help offset alcohol and/or sugary drinks, and to help keep you satiated. Try to keep your clothes on too (note to self).

• • Is it a potluck? Bring something healthy that you will feel good about eating. Leave those wings and nachos for everyone else!

• • Make deals with yourself. Just gotta have those wings? Great, eat two celery sticks for every wing. Did you know it takes more calories to digest celery than what’s in the celery itself? Make like a rabbit and grub them sticks!

• • Get up and move around. Try not to get sunk into that couch. Of course, that’s another benefit of drinking lots of water, your bladder will force you to.

• In addition to wagering your next paycheck on the coin toss, the score, and how drunk uncle Fred is going to get; bet push-ups or sit-ups against your buddies when the opposing team scores.

How many of these do you think you can do? Write me after the game and let me know how it went!

Oh, and in case you weren’t paying attention, we’ve still got Valentines Day and Easter around the corner – followed closely by Memorial Day weekend, Independence Day, Ice Cream Day, Lollipop Day…

Temptation is everywhere, all the time…. Have a plan!

You can do it. I can help. Together we’ll crush it.