TAKING ACTION: ✅ Happy New Year’s Eve, friends! Share any fun plans below, and also let me know if you need guidance on navigating a potentially late night, alcohol, etc. It’s New Year’s Eve, and we’re in the home stretch, friends! As we approach a brand new year, it’s critical that you get your mind in the right spot. Growth isn’t linear. You’re not always going to win, and when you don’t, your mindset must be strong enough to get back up. This will be important as you navigate your journey in 2026. This reminds me of another important lesson I learned long ago – 👉 There’s rock bottom, surviving, and thriving. When people hit rock bottom, they do whatever it takes to survive. They change their eating habits. They commit to working out. They balance their checkbooks. They work on their marriages. Once they feel “safe” or feel like they’re surviving, they do one detrimental thing ⬇️ They stop. They stop doing the things that take them from rock bottom to surviving; therefore, they never thrive. Friends, if you stop because you feel “good” or “safe”, you won’t ever reach your goals. You won’t ever feel like you’re thriving. In fact, you’ll fall right back down to your personal rock bottom. 💯 I encourage you today to keep going. Finish strong so that you can get one step closer to THRIVING in your health & wellness journey. This is the week to lean into this lesson. We’re gearing up for a fabulous start to the New Year—but there’s no reason you should have to start back over from rock bottom. 💯 You’ve GOT THIS! Prove to yourself that you are stronger than you think! 🔥 Need tips for navigating your nutrition tonight? ⬇️ Healthy Eating Habits for the Holidays | Northwestern Medicine

“That awkward time between Christmas and New Year’s, where you don’t know what day it is, who you are, or what you’re supposed to be doing…” TAKING ACTION: ✅ How are you feeling as you go into this week? Strong? Motivated? A little hesitant since it isn’t the New Year yet? Share with us below, and let’s chat about it! I just have one question—who decided to have all of these holidays back-to-back? Halloween ➡️ Thanksgiving ➡️ Christmas ➡️ New Year’s It gives a whole new meaning to, “If it isn’t one thing, it’s another”...😅 The good news is that we’re in the home stretch, friends. This is the week where we’ll wrap up the holiday season and get serious about our goals in 2026. I encouraged you to stay focused this week and stick to a few habits that will carry you into next week—because what you’re going to learn is that, psychologically speaking, next week (the beginning of the new year) is a big deal. In all honesty, after a little research, it’s a much bigger deal than it appears. We’ll discuss this more in depth next week, but contrary to what we’ve all heard, temporal landmarks in time (like the New Year, etc.) are great opportunities to focus on our health & wellness goals. With that said, what you do today directly impacts your tomorrow. Meaning, your success in the new year will greatly depend on the habits you’re creating RIGHT NOW. 💯 Let’s lean in this week, friends, and get excited about what’s to come! Let’s finish this year strong! 💪

TAKING ACTION: ✅ Even with it being a holiday week, everyone has at least one small win to celebrate today! Drop yours below. Remember, wins are wins—no matter the size! 🎉 Happy Friday, friends! We made it through Christmas, and today is the day when we celebrate physical and/or mental wins. It’s the day we get to celebrate YOU! 🎉 We’ve talked about it before, but oftentimes in our health journeys, we get stuck in the “all or nothing” mindset. This is applicable concerning our failures and wins, as well. Allow me to give you a couple of examples: 🥳 We do the work it takes (both nutritionally and physically) to get us to where we want to be—and then we stop. We experience success, and then we stop doing the work it took to get us there. The problem is, success is not final. It’s not a destination; therefore, every time we stop, we’re creating another dip in the roller-coaster. Don’t let the holiday season be the reason you stop! 🚫 We stumble or fail along the way, and instead of making the next decision a positive or healthy one, we throw the entire day away. This often leads to more and more missed opportunities. We view the act of failure as crippling, or often fatal, when in reality, it isn’t. Stumbles aren’t fatal. A few holidays aren’t fatal. Staying down after we stumble is. The problem with these different scenarios isn’t within the actions themselves. The problem is in the brain—in your mindset. It’s the “all or nothing”, “black or white” thinking. Neither success nor failure is permanent, so we shouldn’t treat them that way. The result of almost every action is temporary. You can’t stay there because if you do, you won’t grow. When we fail, we should own it, learn from it, apply what we've learned, and move forward. When we win, we should own it, learn from it, CELEBRATE it, and move forward. ➡️🎉

“Keep calm and (Christmas) feast on.” ~Anonymous TAKING ACTION: ✅ What practical strategies do you have planned for the next few days? Share with the group today, as we can all help each other! ✅ Don’t forget about our FITMAS Challenge, friends! Remember, we are building habits that will carry us into the new year! On Monday, we talked about the importance of both truth and grace when it comes to navigating potential bumps in the road. Practicing truth and grace is an extremely effective mindset strategy, friends. You must have both. While I'd love to stay on the topic of mindset, I also understand that you desire some practical strategies that will help you navigate the next couple (or several) days: 🍽️ Start with protein and fiber anchors: Before diving into holiday treats, build your plate around high-protein options like turkey, ham, eggs, or nuts, and fiber-rich sides such as roasted vegetables, salads, or whole grains. 🚶🏼‍♀️Incorporate movement into festivities: Turn celebrations into active fun by suggesting family walks after meals (this reduces blood sugar spikes), playing outdoor games, or even a quick home workout session before gatherings. 🧠 Practice mindful portions with an “enough” mindset: Use smaller plates to sample everything, but remind yourself it’s okay to go back for seconds if you’re still hungry. Focus on savoring protein and fiber-rich items first. 🥤Hydrate and balance indulgences: Drink plenty of water or herbal teas between meals to stay full and support digestion, which will pair well with your fiber intake. FITMAS CHALLENGE: Standing Side Steps • Step right → together → left → together • 30–60 seconds Glutes, balance, circulation With these strategies in mind, don’t forget your Action Items today—share a practical strategy below that you will use over the next few days! ⬇️ Oh, and Merry Christmas Eve, friends! Hope Santa is good to you all! 🎅

TAKING ACTION: ✅ What’s your favorite treat to enjoy during the holiday season? Let’s have a little fun in the comments below! You know I love giving you healthy, delicious recipe ideas every Tuesday—but let’s be real—all we’re thinking about today is what we’re going to eat over the next several days. Am I right or am I right? 😉 With that in mind, I want to give you some healthy Christmas treat ideas today. While we all have different tastes and preferences when it comes to our cravings, the truth is that sugary sweets have a stronghold on many people. That's because processed sugar is highly addictive. It's why some (okay, most) people can't just have one cookie, one bite, etc. Processed sugar creates a massive dopamine dump, and therefore, your brain wants to find (and consume) more sugar! If you know sugar is a struggle for you, but still want to enjoy a sweet treat, try creating a recipe that uses alternative sweeteners like fruit, maple syrup, honey, or dark chocolate. Check out the recipes below and find one that will satisfy your holiday cravings! 🍪 https://thehealthyfoodie.com/25-healthy-christmas-treats-recipe-roundup/