7 Tips to Avoid Weight Gain and the Dreaded 'Holiday Bulge'

Christmas is a time for joy, giving and receiving and along with that it's also a time of over indulgence. What with all the Christmas parties, nights out, 12 pubs shenanigans combined with the never ending nibbling on sweets, treats and all things sugary (I particularly like Ferero Roche myself) - an extra few pounds of 'holiday weight' is inevitable right?

The thing is, if you follow that train of thought you're setting yourself up for failure before Santa even thinks about stopping over with the unwanted present that nearly everyone gets - weight gain. To help you battle the bulge over this holiday season I've put together 7 tips that'll help you stay nice and lean through the holidays and who knows you might even come out the other side of Christmas looking and feeling better than ever.

1. Hydrate first thing in the morning.

We are generally dehydrated when we wake up and we often confuse this with hunger. First thing you should do when you wake up in the morning is drink a large glass of water as well as a cup of hot water and lemon. Don't forget to brush your teeth and look pretty too.

2. Don't go anywhere hungry.

If you're going to a dinner party or get together - fill up on a healthy nutritious fibre rich meal beforehand. You'll be less likely to indulge if you're already full - sounds simple, it works.

3. Stay active.

Make sure to stay active over the Christmas and New Years season. The excuse that the gym or health club is closed is non starter, you can easily workout at home with minimal or no equipment. You can even get outdoors and participate in many of the festive charity walks or runs. There really is no excuse.

4. Split deserts with someone.

We all like our indulgences and trust me I'm no different. If you're at a Christmas party or get together and really want some desert, have some and split it with someone else. This way you get to satisfy your craving while halving the calorie count. Better still bring along your own desert.

5. Avoid watching TV and eating.

This may be the biggest one. Habitually we all associate eating with watching TV and vice versa. Make it a rule that all meals must be eaten together at the table and not while watching the 'Only Fools and Horses' Christmas special.

6. Stick to the 80/20 rule.

If you eat super clean 80% of the time there is absolutely no reason why you cannot enjoy your favourite foods the other 20% of the time. A little bit of planning goes a long way. Would you rather get fat over Christmas or do a small bit of planning and still be able to enjoy whatever you want?

7. Make the decision.

A lot of what we do is decided well before we ever do it. This Christmas, instead of settling that weight gain is a foregone conclusion - make a conscious decision to come out the other side of the holiday season looking and feeling better. Make a promise to yourself and stick to it, then reward yourself when you succeed with some new clothes in the January Sales.

I love Christmas and I'm especially excited about this one, you just can't beat turkey, ham and all the trimmings. My Christmas feasts are going to be guilt free this year, yours can be too. Follow these simple tips and you can enjoy all that this holiday season has to give without having to spend your Christmas vouchers on buying clothes a dress or pants size bigger because you gained weight.

John Mulry is a Weight Loss Expert, Lifestyle Enhancer, Personal Trainer, Writer, Speaker and the owner of Expect Success Fitness Galway Personal Training.

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3 Diet Mistakes to Avoid When Trying to Lose Weight

There must be a reason why some struggle to lose weight while for others it seems like the weight just falls right off. It seems like losing weight comes easy for some and harder for others. What is a dieter to do?

Avoid these three mistakes for starters.

Mistake 1 - Having unrealistic weight loss goals or expectations. If you want to look like one of the guys on the cover of Muscle & Fitness in 90 days but have 100 pounds to lose, you are fooling yourself. An important aspect of writing goals is to make them realistic and achievable. When goals are achievable you won't give up when the going gets tough. Giving up is the last thing you want to do when trying to lose weight.

What to do instead: Make more realistic goals that are achievable. If you have a big weight loss goal like losing 100 pounds, break it down into smaller increments. At first, aim for losing a couple pounds a week. Build on your success. The more weight you lose the more confidence you will have.

Mistake 2 - Giving up too soon. Different people have different results. If you and a girlfriend are both on a quest to get healthier and get thinner, but she is losing weight faster, don't beat up on yourself. Keep reminding yourself that weight fluctuates. You could weight yourself tomorrow morning, and then the next day, and the weight will most likely be different. Give your girlfriend a high five for her success and later celebrate your success.

What to do instead: Stick it out. No matter what you face when dieting, give it you're A game. When things get tough remember all the people that love you and want you around for many years to come. That should be more than enough motivation especially if you have kids.

Mistake 3 - Not eating enough. You would think eating less would actually help you lose weight since you are eating fewer calories. In turn, you have fewer calories to burn off. But that is far from the truth. Your body needs a certain amount of nutrients; you are most likely not getting them when you don't eat enough calories.

What to do instead: Eat the correct amount of calories for your height, weight, and age. Starving yourself is not healthy weight loss. If you are not eating enough calories you are actually causing your metabolism to slow down. This is the exact thing you don't want. This will cause weight gain. Not exactly the results you were looking for?

Bottom Line? When you are trying to lose weight it is not always easy, but hang in there. There is light at the end of the weight loss tunnel. Allow what you eat to help you instead of hinder you.

Matthew Beavers is the author of Lean Sexy Abs. A free report for men and women to help them to with their weight loss efforts. Grab your complimentary copy at http://fitnessandnutritionsolutions.com today.

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Common False Fitness Half Truths That Everybody Ought To Know and Avoid

ByBarry T John

While it is often advised that you must get as much information about how to get fit if you want to trim your body shape, you must however be careful not to fall prey to various false half truths about fitness that are all over the place.

Even though some of these half truths are harmless, there are quite a number of them that are actually dangerous with the potential of causing great body harm and injury.

Therefore, in this article we are going to be exposing some of these common false half truths about fitness that you must avoid:

Fitness false half truth 1- "The use of machines offer you a safer way to exercise"

In an ideal situation an exercise machine should be able to put your body in the perfect position and it should also help you to carry perfect exercise movements, but in reality it is only when you are able to hire an expert coach or trainer to adjust the settings of the machine to suit your own body that you can be sure that your use of these machines will not expose you to too much risks.

If you do not hire an expert to help you set the settings of the machine, you would be exposed to as much risk as you would be if you are working out with free weights or if you are engaged in other non machine workouts.

Fitness false half truth two- "You are bound to experience some degree of discomfort if you are overdoing your exercises".

If you are either starting to exercise, or you are returning to exercise after a long time of absence, you must be careful not to over exercise. It is not advisable to judge whether or not you are over exercising in these instances by the way you feel when you are exercising.

When you return to exercising after a long period of absence you will most likely not feel any discomfort immediately when you are overdoing it; it is some time after you stop over exercising that you will start to feel some discomfort and this discomfort can discourage you totally from continuing with your exercises.

Fitness false half truth three- "Yoga can help you to get rid of all types of back pain"

Even though it is true that yoga could help to relieve some types of back pain; it does not help to relieve all types of back pain. Yoga can be used to relieve back pain that is due to muscular strain but yoga cannot be used to relieve back pain that is due to serious anomalies like slipped and ruptured discs; if you apply yoga to these cases you would only end up causing more irritation and pain.

Therefore, if you have back pain, it is advisable that you consult your physician before you embark on an exercise program.

By the way, are you interested in knowing the right exercises and diet tips that you must apply to lose fat successfully?

If so, click here to sign up for a free 7 days fat loss e-course by the diet solution program to discover very good diet and exercise guidelines for shedding off excess body weight. Also, you can visit weight loss solution to read a honest review of the Primal fat burn burner system to discover how you can get rid of extra body fat naturally.

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How To Lose Weight - Foods You Must Avoid

ByH. Miller

I don't know of anyone was excited about being overweight. Is just not fun. As a matter of fact, It makes it virtually impossible for you to have any fun. So if you are tired of the up and down roller coaster known as dieting, keep reading as I am going to share with you the foods you must avoid in order to start losing weight.

But before I do, let me just say that there is no magic formula for losing weight. It takes work, dedication and commitment. Its a total lifestyle change. OK, let's get down to business. Here are the foods you must avoid.

Processed Foods

Processed foods are very inexpensive and they are easy to prepare. That's why so many people choose them over the more healthy options. But processed foods are bad for you. Of course the manufacturers won't tell you this because, well they want your money. In all honesty they could care less about what it does to your health.

All they see is dollar signs. Processed foods have a ton of chemicals in them to help extend their shelf life. These chemicals are very dangerous. Processed foods also contain trans fat which is responsible for high cholesterol and can put you at risk for cardiovascular disease.

Sugar

We eat way too much sugar. The problem is that sugar is in just about everything we eat. Therefore it can be very difficult to realize just how much of it we are eating on a daily basis. The problem with sugar is that it contains empty calories. In other words, it has absolutely no nutritional value. When you eat it the bulk of it gets stored as fat in your body. This means it won't help you lose weight.

But that's not all. Sugar can also cause your immune system to become depressed, put you at risk for heart disease and osteoporosis among other things.

Artificial Sweeteners

Most people think if they drink diet soda they are helping themselves lose weight. This couldn't be further from the truth. You see, those diet drinks contain artificial sweeteners. And by artificial I mean they are made up in a lab somewhere. Therefore, artificial sweeteners are not a friend to those trying to lose weight.

As a matter of fact, they actually stimulate your appetite and make you want to eat even more. So if you really want to lose weight, avoid artificial sweeteners at all costs.

For more free tips and information on how you can lose weight fast visit http://www.WeightLossQuickTips.info

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