The holidays are over. They are just a faint memory of family and festivities. Well, not quite. You have a blatant, extremely rude reminder hanging around your hips. How horrible! Well, fear not, this article can help you get back in shape after the holidays.

Holiday Aftermath – How To Get Back In Shape After The Holidays

Now that the holidays are over, when you look in the mirror your waistline may seem a bit larger than it was before the holidays started. Whether it was the silky-smooth egg nog, the deliciously-decadent chocolate cake, or mama’s home-made fruit cake, you may have only gained a few extra pounds from your holiday indulgences but the effect it will have on your health may be far-reaching.

Studies indicate that during the holiday season, most people may only gain about a pound during the season between November and January. This study may come as a surprise to a number of people since most people believe that they gain between five and ten pounds over the holidays. In a study, researchers found that volunteers overestimated their holiday weight gain by about 5 pounds. However, in reality, only a small percentage of people actually gained more than 5 pounds over the holidays.

This is good news for most people. However, the bad news is that any extra weight that is gained over the holidays is not lost during the rest of the year. Researchers say that although the weight that most people gain during the holidays is small, it will usually accumulate from year to year and can lead to serious health problems including obesity later in life.

This study underscores the importance of developing a plan to deal with the extra weight that you may gain during the holiday. Deciding today to lose holiday pounds by eating healthy and exercising is the first step to getting in shape after the holidays.

The first thing you may want to do is to take small but consistent steps to gain control over your weight and take charge of your health. For example, if you were not very active during the holidays, then don’t train like an Olympic athlete now. If you try to do too much too fast you may be setting yourself up for failure. The best approach is to begin every step that you take slowly and increase your efforts from there.

One great strategy that will help you lose weight and improve your health is to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Not only are fruits and vegetables low in calories but they also supply your body with much needed vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants.

Another strategy you can employ is to cut about 800 calories a week from your diet by either eating less or exercising more. The best solution, of course, is to eat less and exercise. When combined with exercise, eating smaller, healthier portions of food is a sure-fire method of losing weight and getting in shape.

Just 20 to 30 minutes of exercise performed 3 to 4 days per week is sufficient to achieve noticeable improvements in your health. Moreover, if you don’t have a lot of time, those 30 minutes of exercise do not have to be performed all at once. If you’re short on time, try breaking up your fitness routine into small segments of 10 to 15 minutes each throughout the day. Then, when you have more time, you can schedule in more physical fitness into your routine.

If you gained a few extra pounds over the holiday, the result of not taking action can have serious implications on your health. Deciding today to take a proactive approach to your health and your weight is the most important first step you can make to optimum health and a healthier new you.

Patricia is a health focused content author and wants to help you lose your holiday pounds. For the latest Diet, Fitness and Weight Loss Tipsthat work please visit Patricia’s site at http://www.squidoo.com/weightloss-dieting-fitness/

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We’re coming into the season of food. There will be food at work, at every receptionist’s desk, you’ll be sent food, you’ll cook food. Here some food, there some food, everywhere is food, food, food. Don’t dispair! We’ve got help for trumping temptations during the holidays. Read this article for tips on handling holiday  temptations.

Five Tips for Handling Holiday Diet Temptations

Well, the holiday season is upon us and that means a whole lot of parties, foods, and diet temptations. It doesn’t take much to go a little crazy and before you know it you’ve kissed your diet goodbye. These things can happen without you even realizing it but just because you’ve set your diet back a few weeks, it doesn’t mean it’s completely over. It only takes a little bit to learn how to control yourself from an out-of-control eating and drinking binge.

Try not to worry too much either if you can’t work out the exact calorie number of everything you ate. The holidays only last a couple of weeks so you only need to choose wisely most of the time. You won’t do too much harm to your diet. A few dietary experts are here to give you a helping hand, follow these five tips for eating healthy during the holiday season:

• Go easy on the trimmings – Take it easy on loading up your plate with all the extras which may add some taste but also those calories. I’m talking about nuts, cheese, cream sauces, gravy, butter, and whipped cream. None of this stuff will fill you up but will fill out your waistline. Try to cut these calories wherever you can. You want to leave get through the holidays feeling satisfied, not stuffed.

• Drink and nonalcoholic beverages – Alcoholic mixed drinks and beer are loaded with calories. No mixed drink you can make can compare to the calorie intake as eggnog can. One way to limit your calorie intake when drinking is to switch to a glass of water now and then between alcoholic beverages.

• Limit your choices of food – Dietary experts recommend putting only two items of food on your plate every time get up to fill up your plate. You don’t need to limit the amount of times you go back to the food table but watch how much you take back from it. A little bit of variety sparks your appetite. By limiting your food choices to few different items and sticking only with these, you will find it easier to control your food consumption and not eat a sample of everything available.

• Be picky – If you don’t think you’ll like a particular food, then simply don’t eat it. Look over your choices of food for what you like the best. Pass on the ones you don’t like enough to risk overeating or the ones you can get anytime of the year. You are not held accountable for eating everything that was put out for the party. It’s ok to use some restraint. Stick to what are your favorites.

• Don’t skip meals – Don’t change your eating habits or schedule during the holidays. If you have a party to attend, treat your eating schedule are you would any other day. Many people make the mistake of skipping meals in order to save up calories only to find themselves overeating later on. Try to eat sensibly throughout the day. This can take some of the hunger edge off your appetite and giving you a little more restraint later on.

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