The Holiday season is here. Are you worried about the temptation? Fearing you’ll gain weight? What if you lost weight this Holiday? Crazy right? Maybe not. Read on to discover a simple 5 step plan to lose weight DURING the Holidays.
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STEP 1 : STAY HYDRATED
Staying hydrated means your metabolism will be primed for peak performance. When your metabolism is working properly your appetite will be better regulated. On a daily basis you need to drink the equivalent of half your body weight in ounces of pure water. Adding just a pinch of sea salt to each 12 ounces of water will help you retain the water and avoid frequent trips to the bathroom. And, by meeting your daily water intake goal you’re sure to crowd out some of the Holiday libations you might otherwise be drinking.
STEP 2 : PRE-LOAD BEFORE ALL HOLIDAY MEALS
Eat right before you attend the Holiday parties. Yes, I said eat before you go, and I don’t mean have a snack and I don’t mean hours before the meal. You need to pre-load with a balanced healthy meal. If you’re reading this blog I hope you know what that means. If not, it means a meal with protein, healthy fat, and carbohydrates preferably from vegetables. A perfect option is a smoothie made with 1 cup full fat plain yogurt, single ingredient protein powder, 1 tbsp coconut oil, ¼ cup frozen berries, ½ an avocado, and a handful of fresh greens.
If you’re thinking, “If I eat that right before the party, I’m not going to be hungry at all.”, then you’re getting the point.
It’s not a bad idea to take a couple hard boiled eggs with you for when your pre-load wears off. Does this sound wacky to you? Do you want to be wacky and lose 10 lbs, or be cool and gain 10?
STEP 3 : PORTION CONTROL
This isn’t what you think. The Holidays are actually one of the best and easiest times to eat healthy. Yes, I really just said that. The Holidays are one of the rare times in American food culture when there is actually a wide variety of vegetable options on the menu along with plenty of quality protein (meat) and lots of home cooking (not processed). Yes there are lots of desserts, but making it work for your Holiday weight loss just means making good choices.
Here’s how you do it. Fill ¼ of your plate with protein (meat). Make sure the meat contains fat or is covered with a gravy made from healthy fat. Healthy fat means butter, ghee, lard, tallow, animal fats, coconut oil, palm oil, extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or other nut or seed oil. Nearly all the rest of your plate should be covered with vegetables of the non-starchy variety, meaning skip the potatoes, yams, and rice. The vegetables should be swimming in healthy fat.
Have seconds as long as you follow the portion plan. The more you eat at the meal the less room you’ll have for the deserts.
Please notice there’s no bread on the plate. Processed carbs (that’s what bread is) raise blood sugar and all that excess blood sugar gets stored as fat. You know this right? All that healthy fat reduces your appetite. You know that too, right?
STEP 4 : MOVE
For the Holiday season I want you to move. That means walk. Get a pedometer if you don’t have a way to measure your steps. Try to get in at least 6,000 steps per day. What! Yes, you can do it. I’m not talking a marathon here, or exercise boot camp, I’m just talking walking.
Second thing I want you to do (yes there’s more) is I want you to sit on the floor when you’re watching TV during the Holidays. Sound crazy? Consider how much you weigh. Each time you sit on the floor you’ll be lowering that much weight (with your muscles) and also lifting that much weight. Sound stupid? Try sitting on the floor and standing up 10 times. It’s about the same physical work as jogging 2 miles. Who knew?
I have to say this; You should consult a Doctor before starting an exercise program.
STEP 5 : BE THANKFUL
The Holidays can be wonderful, and they can be super stressful. Stress alters your hormonal balance and packs on the pounds. Being grateful is the quickest and easiest way to reduce the stress in your life.
So, for the final step I want you to write down three things you’re grateful for every day. And, yes you have to actually write it down. You can stop this after the Holidays are over, but I’m guessing you might not want to stop because you will feel better if you do this step. I know from experience.
BONUS TIP : REDUCE YOUR DESIRE FOR SWEETS
AFTER your Holiday meals and BEFORE dessert use some herbal support to cut your sweet cravings. Add 30 to 40 drops of gymnema tincture to a little water and swish in your mouth for 30 seconds before swallowing. Gymnema will reduce your ability to taste sweet, so the dessert will be less satisfying and you’ll eat less. 
That’s it. 5 simple steps to lose 10 lbs DURING the Holidays. Hey, I didn’t say it was easy, I said it was simple, and it is, and you CAN do it.
Let me know how you make out. Thanks for reading.