How to Make Losing Weight for the Holidays a Piece of Cake

Nov. 29, 2011 - PRLog -- Stress and eating way too much during the holidays threaten to widen our waistlines again.  Statistics show the average American gains about 10 pounds during this season.  But, if you’re thinking this is a yearly phenomenon you cannot prevent, think again.  Anna Dornier, founder of Transform FX Fitness Bootcamp in Concord, CA says, “So many people work so hard to lose weight during the year only to gain it all back during the holidays.  Yes, this is the time to be merry and enjoy the great food your Grandma makes but our waistlines do not have to suffer.”

And if too many parties and holiday stress are starting to have its effect on your health, it is time to take some proactive steps.  “You do not have to miss out on holiday food to maintain or lose weight but, if you plan ahead, you can definitely stay on track on your fitness goals and still keep your sanity,” says Dornier.

Dornier shares these 5 tips to get started:

Step 1: Daydream

Take some time away from the holiday buzz by finding a quite place to sit and meditate.  Studies show that stress is correlated to our waist and hip circumference.  In other words, stress causes us to gain weight around the midsection.   We can easily reduce stress and our waistlines by simply taking the time to clear our minds and thinking of a more peaceful, beautiful place.  

Step 2: Proactive Planning

Sometimes, we forget that Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day are just 3 days out of the holiday season.  If you plan to stay on track with your weight loss goals, you have to prepare and compromise a little.  You can do this by consciously eating less during the days leading up to and in between these days.  For instance, if you really like Mom’s Red Velvet Cake or your Aunt’s holiday ham which they make on Christmas day, you can prepare by eating less on days between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  This way, you will have enough calorie deficit leading up to Christmas day.  

Step 3: Stay with Your Exercise Routine

Skipping your exercise routine because you would rather go shopping is a bad move.  Physical training has been found to alleviate stress and increase our calorie expenditure at the same time.  In addition, strength training increases our lean muscle mass which helps increase our metabolism.  If you already have a fitness routine, keeping it up during the holidays is the way to go.    If you presently do not have one, start with baby steps and find activities you particularly like doing.   This can be as simple as walking with a co-worker during lunch time or finding a Yoga DVD you can follow at home.  

Step 4: Do Not Get Too Hungry

Starving yourself before a big feast is not going to help you control your calories.  In fact, it will do just the opposite.  If you let yourself become too hungry, chances are you will overeat and trick yourself into thinking you deserve to eat more because you have not eaten all day.  Instead, go for smaller, high protein, high fiber meals to keep your blood sugar stable throughout the day.  This will help keep hunger at bay and prevent unnecessary cravings usually caused by blood sugar fluctuations.

Step 5: Find an Accountability Buddy

Social network studies show that, if our friends are overweight, we have a 45% higher chance of being overweight ourselves.  “It’s true.  The people closest to us tend to influence us even if we are not aware of it, “says Dornier.  “This is the reason we incorporate coaching and accountability into our group fitness programs and essentially create a community of like-minded individuals.”  When it comes to creating a long-term, healthy and fit lifestyle, friends and family can be your allies.  Harness the power of social support by asking your friends and family to support your fitness goals and all the healthy changes you are currently making.   To make this strategy even more powerful, ask them to make the changes with you.

If you are having a tough time finding people willing to make the healthy changes you are making in your life, exercise programs like fitness bootcamps can help connect you with people who are either fit or on their way to getting fit.  For more information on how a fitness bootcamp can help you, please visit www.transformfxfitness.com.

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Transform FX Fitness offers fitness programs proven to help adults lose weight even if they have tried other weight loss programs in the past with little to no results. We are committed to helping people live longer, healthier, and fitter lifestyles they can maintain in the long run.