Month: November 2023

The holidays have arrived with all the high-calorie food and drinks of the season. It’s really no wonder why most of us gain weight during the next five weeks.

Sweet temptations are everywhere. Holiday cookies, gingerbread houses, pumpkin pies, and more. Even healthy foods like sweet potatoes and green beans are somehow transformed into high-calorie dishes that will make you want to do nothing but fall asleep.

And don’t forget the drinks. Eggnog and alcoholic beverages are loaded with calories.

Want to fight these holiday pounds?

#1) Remember the Reason for the Season

Sure, the holidays bring indulgent foods and drinks, but friends, gatherings, and family traditions aren’t only about food. Before a party remind yourself what the holiday season is all about—friends, family, giving, and religious traditions. Then stay focused on the reason for the season rather than the plate full of hors d’oeuvres in front of you.

Also, stay focused on your fat loss goals. Remind yourself of how far you’ve come and where you’re headed. Keep your goals in the forefront of your mind. A few bites of food aren’t worth hours on the treadmill.

Remember that the holidays can be a time of emotional eating. For many people, the holidays bring stress, family conflict, or depression. If these issue start to wear down your will power then find the courage to address the root of your problems with solutions other than food or drink.

#2) Implement Strategize

If you want to keep your diet on track during this season of parties, you’ll need to pace yourself. Try the following strategies:

• Don’t go to parties hungry, be sure to eat a small low-calorie snack ahead of time. Otherwise, you’ll overeat.
• Wear tight-fitting clothes around your waist so there isn’t room for expansion.
• Before and after a meal chew gum so you won’t be tempted to overindulge in appetizers and desserts.
• During a party, don’t stand right next to the food table, but keep a safe distance.
• Choose your plate wisely. Go with a small plate instead of a large dinner plate and don’t go back for seconds!

Another important strategy is figuring out how to get in a workout between parties. Leaving room in your busy holiday schedule for exercise will help you fight off the extra weight trying to attach itself to your midsection and rear.

#3) Make Wise Choices

Enjoy the goodness of the season, but in moderation. Trim calories where you can by limiting your trimmings-cheeses, gravy, sauces, creams, and nuts. Be smart about what you choose to eat. Don’t deprive yourself of all the foods you love or you’ll likely spurge and ruin all your good intentions.

The holidays offer many food choices not available the rest of the year. Because of this, you may want to overindulge before they’re gone. Instead of doing this, survey what foods are available and make your choices. Indulge in your favorites and leave the everyday dishes for another time. Only eat what you love, and don’t just eat something because it’s on the buffet.

Also, be sure to limit the amount of alcoholic beverages you drink. As you likely know, they’re filled with calories, too. Try alternating an alcoholic drink with a non-alcoholic drink.

Follow these simple tips, and you will avoid holiday weight gain this season and start the New Year off right!

Exercise is a huge part of the equation when it comes to achieving weight loss.

I am passionate about seeing my clients achieve results—without wasting time, energy and effort on mistakes.

Call or email me today and we will get you started on the exercise program that is right for you.

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…about your fitness goals?

Just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean your fitness goals no longer matter. If you lose sight of your fat loss goals entirely this month, you’ll have a seriously rude awakening come January 1.

I have a better idea for you…let’s keep you focused on your fitness goals while making room for some fun this holiday season. This means that you’ll need to learn how to indulge with control. While that may sound like an oxymoron, it IS possible to let loose and enjoy without throwing away the results you’ve worked so hard for. Here’s how to stay fit this holiday season:

Holiday Fitness Tip #1: It’s All About Moderation

Don’t try to deprive yourself of all the foods you love. This is unrealistic. Instead, be smart about what you choose to eat. Enjoy your very favorite flavors of the season but in moderation. Trim calories where you can by only eating those rich foods that you really enjoy.

Also, be sure to limit the number of alcoholic beverages you drink. These drinks are typically filled with tons of sugary calories. Try alternating an alcoholic drink with a non-alcoholic drink like sparkling water.

Holiday Fitness Tip #2: Fiber is Your Friend

Here’s a simple tip that most people overlook when loading up their plates at holiday gatherings…fill up on fiber first. You see if you are eating a plate that’s mostly fibrous vegetables and greens, leaving only a moderate amount of room for dishes full of fats and carbs. Your net calorie intake for the meal will be dramatically lower than if you had eaten more of the carb and fat dishes.

While this tip is super effective during the holidays, it’s also a technique that you can carry with you throughout the rest of the year to stay lean while still indulging in what you love. The key is to eat less of the rich, fattening foods and more of the lower-calorie, high-fiber foods.

Holiday Fitness Tip #3: Exercise is a MUST

Many people let their workouts go to the wayside during the busy holiday weeks. However, I am here to tell you how important it is that you keep your workouts a priority. I know it’s harder to get into the gym when it’s cold outside and when you’re tired from getting ready for the holidays, but lacing up your shoes, sweating, and getting the endorphins flowing greatly impact your overall fitness.

Not only are you burning calories and stoking your metabolism, but by exercising every day you are keeping fitness at the forefront of your mind. It may sound like a small thing, but getting into the gym forces you to remember your fitness goals, and this small act will help you make better decisions throughout the rest of your day.

All of these small efforts add up, my friend, and you can do them all without sacrificing the season’s fun or flavors. You can do this!

I am passionate about seeing my clients achieve and maintain those results throughout the holiday season. Call or email today to get started on my best available program.

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I saw an infomercial the other day for a weight loss solution targeting the frustrated people who, “fail to see results from diet and exercise.” Had to scratch my head on that one.

When does diet and exercise fail?

This, of course, is a trick question. Diet and exercise don’t fail.

The only way for diet and exercise not to work is if you fail to stick with it long enough for the results to show.

Plain and simple. End of story.

I’ve seen more clients than I can count transform their bodies through the power of diet and exercise. Without surgery. Without gadgets. Without pills.

The real question to ask, when you’re not making progress towards your fat loss goal, is not why diet and exercise has failed you, but rather why have you not stuck with it?

How to stick with a diet and exercise plan…

I will not downplay the hard work that goes into sticking with a diet and exercise plan, day-after-day, week-after-week, in order to achieve a stunning body transformation.

It takes dedication, focus, energy, determination and a stubborn refusal to quit.

Make no mistake about it: losing fat is hard work!

Which is precisely why so many give up before experiencing the body that they really want to have.

So, you wonder, why are some people able to stick with the process long enough to transform their bodies while others jump ship after a few weeks?

Here are the four steps to sticking with diet and exercise for the long haul…

 

1. Mentally and emotionally lock on to the idea of the new, sexier, you.

You can’t causally date the idea of transforming your body. This isn’t a noncommittal, no-strings-attached relationship – you’ve got to go all in, both mentally and emotionally.

Attach yourself to the idea of a brand new you; focus on how you will feel, what you will wear and how life will improve once you achieve your fat loss goal. The stronger your feelings and mental image become, the more likely you are to succeed.

2. Keep the game plan as simple as possible.

There is no need for fancy diet plans or complicated exercise movements when it comes to dropping pant sizes. Keep your game plan as simple and boring as possible, even eating the same meals everyday and exercising at the same time for the same length (with varying intensity), until your big fat loss goal has been met.

Until your big fat loss leap has been made just stick with an uncomplicated game plan that works.

3. Plan for the resistance.

It’s naïve to think that your body transformation journey will be all smooth sailing. Realistically you will run into resistance time and time again.

This resistance will come in the form of tempting cheat meals, tired muscles, lazy friends and waning motivation. But, most powerfully, the resistance will come from inside of you. It’s natural to resist change, and transforming the shape of your body is big change. Plan for the waves of resistance. See it coming before it crashes over you, and you’ll be able to stand strong long enough for it to recede without hampering your progress.

4. Build in accountability.

This is the most important step by far. It is essential to build accountability into your fail-proof fat loss plan. A friend, a coach, or a mentor who has a vested interest in seeing you succeed will save you from throwing in the towel when things get tough.

The role that I fill for my clients is the accountability to keep them on their path to health and fitness with my support, instruction and encouragement. I celebrate every inch lost and every ounce of new confidence gained.

If you’re not yet one of my amazing clients then today is the perfect day to begin!

Call or email me now to get started on your true body transformation story – and let’s show the world how diet and exercise DO work!

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