It's usually about now when I start flipping through my mental roladex of every trainer, nutritionist and dietitian I've ever had.  I sort through the various contradictory holiday menu advice ( "Eat all you want on Sunday!" "Have two tablespoons of everything!") and try to conjure an eating plan to get to the New Year without packing on more than say, 2 pounds. Impossible. Yep, you heard me: Holiday Eating Plan.  

How spontaneous and exciting, you say!  But for someone who not only dreams of dancing pecan pies and marshmallow smothered sweet potatoes, but prays to them, I expect nothing less from myself.  Long gone are the days of the pre-T-day double spin class (read: Two kids. This so aint happening) along with the will-of-steel to deprive myself of food that I really…just…want.  Life really is too short.  And I say that because I'm getting old.  It really is too short.  And I wanna eat shit.

This email arrived into my IN BOX today and I got scared straight.

There really is no free lunch.  If you wanna stay fit, feel healthy, ok, look hot, you really can't eat what you want.  There is something beyond totally depressing about this and yet at the same time…liberating.  I mean, it kind of makes things, I don't know…easy? Yes, easy!  Like being a monk – you've given up the pleasures of the material world but you've gained mental and spiritual freedom!  Ah-so!

Anyway if you want to stay physically fit and strong this season, it all starts in your MIND.  

Read below more about Mental Toughness Is The Key To Avoiding a “DIET DISASTER” This Thanksgiving by Mental Toughness Expert Steve Siebold.

I'm finding it very interesting.  I'm putting this one in the ol' mental file asap and think I'll try his tactic out this year.

READ ON BELOW!!

New York, N.Y., – Thanksgiving could mean trouble for the millions of Americans trying to lose weight this year, but mental toughness expert Steve Siebold, author of the book Die Fat or Get Tough; 101 Differences in Thinking Between Fat People and Fit People, says it doesn’t need to turn into a “diet disaster.”      

“The key to staying on your diet this Thanksgiving is mental toughness,” says Siebold. “Know there will be an abundance of food and be mentally ready to fight the temptation.”
 
This Thanksgiving, Siebold is warning people that all it takes is one bad meal to derail a diet and completely ruin the road to a healthier life and better body.  
 
“People need to operate from objective reality,” Siebold says. “Ask yourself what do I want more, the short-term satisfaction of eating something that tastes good, or the long-term results of better health, a leaner body and more energy?”
 
Here are some tips from Siebold to stay mentally tough this Thanksgiving:
 

• 99% compliance is failure.  If you’re going to get fit, it’s all or nothing – including Thanksgiving!
• Don’t give into cravings; remain compliant.  Sure the pecan pie looks tempting, but you can resist it.
• Use positive self talk to remind yourself of your health and fitness goals.  
• Know when enough is enough and don’t eat more than you should.    
• Don’t look at diet and exercise as drudgery that can only be tolerated for short periods of time.  Instead, see diet and exercise as a strategy for a lifetime to stay healthy, look good and feel great.
• When temptation presents itself in the form of pumpkin pie or whatever, have a plan to push forward.  If you’re not ready to suffer during adversity, you’re not going to be successful.  
• Compartmentalize your emotions and focus completely on the goal of a better and healthier body.  
  

“Each of us is responsible for how we look and feel,” says Siebold.  “If you’re fat it’s your own fault; if you’re thin and fit it’s your own fault, too.”
 
About Steve Siebold
Steve Siebold is author of the book Die Fat or Get Tough; 101 Differences in Thinking Between Fat People and Fit People.  He’s one of the world’s most noted experts in the field of mental toughness training and works with Fortune 500 companies, athletes, and other professionals who want to learn how to control their thoughts, feelings, and attitudes to be the very best they can be.  He’s ranked in the top 1% of income earners in the professional speaking industry worldwide.  He wrote Die Fat or Get Tough; 101 Differences in Thinking Between Fat People and Fit People, after more than five years of interviews with both groups of people, and after his own battle with weight which he won.  Steve has served as a mental toughness consultant to media all around the world. To learn more, visit www.diefatbook.com <http://www.diefatbook.com>