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)

4 Tips to Having A Healthy Thanksgiving

Following on from the post yesterday about how to prepare yourself for Thanksgiving and make sure you don't gain tons of weight from pure overindulging, here are some quick tips to try out during the day that won't get in the way of having fun and spending time with the family.

They'll also help you feel good and avoid the holiday bloat.

Rule 1 - I know you don't want to set your alarm on your day off but try to get up early and do a little exercise. Even if it's just running on the spot for 10 minutes and a few press ups and crunches on the floor. try to do something and spend at least 20 mins doing it. Trust me - this will make you feel energized and buzzing for the day ahead.

Rule 2 - Pace yourself. Today is not a competition to see how much you can eat and drink. the moment you feel full, put your fork down and clear your plate away if you need to. Don't just ignore your tummy - listen to it. Turkey is actually a great low fat meat to eat and the vegetables are good for you so eat a decent portion but try to lay off pastries and breads if you can and don't have a carb fest.

Rule 3 - Drink plenty of water to keep you hydrated and make you feel full so you'll eat less. Keep a large bottle on the dining table and drink a large glass before the meal. it really will make you feel less hungry and chances are that you'll eat what you need, now what your eyes devour.

Rule 4 - play some fun games with the family after the meal - don't just fall asleep in front of the TV. Maybe even wrap up warm and get everyone to go one a short walk with you. You'll all feel great afterwards.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Photograph by numstead

How to Avoid Holiday / Thanksgiving Weight Gain

This Part 1 of your 3 Day Guide to enjoying the Thanksgiving without gaining lots of excess weight, ruining your diet and regretting it later. Here is your guide for THE DAY BEFORE. As my dad always tells me, fail to prepare and prepare to fail. What an annoying expression that is??! Ready

Rule 1 - Eat normally. Don't get any ideas into your head about skipping meals so you can leave plenty of room to stuff yourself tomorrow. Today is a normal day and if you're traveling home, plan where and when and most importantly, what you are going to eat on your journey. If you leave it till the last minute, you may have no choice other than junk food to see you through so plan ahead.

Rule 2 - Drink plenty of water today. Chances are that during the Thanksgiving meal, water will get forgotten and be replaced with sodas, juices and alcohol so hydrate yourself now.

Rule 3 - If you can exercise today, do. This will really set you up for an energetic weekend and help you get one step ahead of the game. Some suggestions that you can do at home / in the garden - in the gym that will make the most out of a 30 minute workout:

Do This
Jump rope for 10 mins - try to have as few breaks as you can
Run for 10 mins - either on treadmill or outside and try to do a couple of 1 minute sprints to get your fat burn going.
2 x 15 squats
2 x 15 lunges
2 x 15 press ups
The Plank - do this for 60 seconds
2 x 15 scissor kicks
2 x reverse crunches
Jump rope for 5 mins
Cool down

More exercises you can do indoors here.

Photograph by ~Sage~