Winter

I was running outside 3x a week and i take a crossfit class in the afternoons, but since its starting to get really cold and the snow should hit soon (i'm in Northern Japan) than I plan to do jillian michaels videos in the am to supplement the running outside. I'm used to waking up at that time now and I certainly don't want to do nothing instead of running. Sweets- all in moderation- I can have a chocolate santa, but maybe a few bites instead of the whole thing. I don't want to deprive myself of anything or I will feel restricted and I will quit. As long as what i am doing is sustainable for my lifestyle and I'm happy than it works. So i say go get some awesome videos and se the alarm early! Good luck to you!!

that's why the gym is awesome -- doesn't matter what the weather is outside.

and sweets? I'll just eat em.

This. I joined the gym during the summer for this very reason. Here in So. Arizona it's REALLY hot during the summer and doing things outside isn't pleasant. I hike during the fall/winter and did the gym most of the summer.

There are so many exercise programs on DVD or youtube. Pick one that looks good to you and do it in your living room.

I have only exercised outside once. (other than playing with the kids in the yard) I have done Couch to 5k and currently doing the 30 Day shred while inside my home. Other posts have offered great suggestions as well. I have a laptop, so it's easy for me to use YouTube.

As for the Christmas sweets, I still haven't made it through Halloween, so we'll see. So far, I've been able to limit myself so that I don't go overboard, just with sheer willpower.

Why not take up snow-shoeing or cross country skiing? I'll be continuing my normal walks/hikes just dressing warmer. This year we're going to be looking at snow shoes for something different but we plan to do quite a bit with our 5 yr old. Playing in the snow is great fun!

snowshoeing! Sweets...I'll eat them hopefully with some restraint. haha

1. If you walk or run and you live in an area with snow/ice, get ice cleats that attach to your shoes.
http://www.amazon.com/Stabilicers-STABILicers-Lite-Ice-Cleats/dp/B000GUEAWI
I run with ice cleats and have never slipped or fell.

2. Dress appropriately. Don't go out if it's too cold (hello frost bite!).

3. Don't stop just because it's winter. If you must invest in at home videos that you can do in the safety and warmth of the house but don't let winter be your excuse to 'take a break'. Where I live winter is longer then summer, a winter 'break' can end up being 3/4 of the year!

The only thing I dislike about working out outside during winter is wearing my winter gear. I don't have work out clothes to layer, so it's the bulky coat, Thinsulate hat and mittens, and scarf. I'm always drenched with sweat.

I go to a gym at my work Mon-Fri so I'm covered there but weekends were up in the air until I discovered one of our local gyms offered a punch pass. For $25 or $30 bucks, I get 7 visits, classes included. If it's decent enough out, I'll go ahead and walk/run in the cold. If it's storming out, I'll burn calories shoveling snow and/or doing an exercise video at home. If it's somewhere in between, I'll drive to the gym.

Kudos to those of you who are brave enough to run on snowy sidwalks but I'll pass. Fractured my knee and severely sprained my Achilles 6 years ago slipping on ice/snow and am not willing to risk re-injury!

There are a lot of things you can do for cheap/free at home. Check out body weight exercises, free videos online (youtube, etc) or even videos at your local library. If you have Netflix, they have exercise videos you can rent. If you're willing to spend $10, check out the selection at Target or WalMart - plenty of videos around that price.

P.S. As far as the Christmas sweets go, I pick my battles. If Mom makes her famous sugar cookies, I'm definitely having some of them. If there's apple pie, I'll pass because it's not my favorite. I'd rather use my calories on something worthwhile. Don't just eat them because they're there but do feel free to take a taste of those treats you only get once a year. The next day, bring your leftovers to work or to the neighbors or whatever so they're not sitting around tempting you. Oh and don't make so much just because that's what you've always done. My crazy Mom still feels the need to make 3 pies and 2 or more batches of cookies even though there's only 3 of us there. There's just no need for it! Make 1 pie and 1 batch of cookies so we can all have a taste or two and call it good!