Drop a Dress Size for the Holidays

When was the last time you went on a diet in November?

There's something about this time of year that makes us want to hibernate, slow the pace down and put off all good intentions to the New Year.

But why put so much pressure on January when you've got 40 glorious days left to change the way you look and feel for the Christmas Holidays. It's time to ditch those resolutions and see this year out with a bang. Want to know how to drop a dress size or trouser size before this year is out? Here's how.This year, take this new approach. Rather than biding your time until the end of the year, get ahead of the game and decide now to see how much of a difference you can make to your fitness and your body shape by the time you get to Christmas.

Here's how you'll do it.

• Break your 40 days into blocks of 4 days.

• For each 4 days, plan three days of focused healthy food, drink, activity and lifestyle that you know will ensure you reach your target

• Plan 1 'free' day of eating and drinking what you want and, if you like, taking the option to not exercise without guilt.

• Use each 'free' day to assess your approach for the other three days, make sure you are definitely on track for the right result and plan any adjustments to your routine for the following 3 days.

There may be some challenges along the way - many of you will have thanksgiving to contend with for example - but say focused on your target every day, follow the cycle of doing what works, reviewing your progress and updating where necessary, and you'll be amazed at what you're capable of achieving.

If you do have to get through Thanksgiving along the way, here's some handy advice:

How to avoid Thanksgiving weight gain

4 Tips for a Healthy Thanksgiving

Photo by Christi Nielsen (Flickr)