The weeks in between Thanksgiving and Christmas are probably the most difficult time of the year to resist gaining weight, and if you’re trying to lose weight, the holidays are pretty much your arch nemesis. Like, can’t I just eat this whole pumpkin pie and have a hot bod? Sorry, the answer is probably no. Hibernating and binging on Netflix is a lot easier than running in 40-degree weather, but keeping up good habits throughout the winter will help you avoid taking unhealthy measures to lose weight when Spring rolls around. Achieving good physical fitness is truly a marathon, not a sprint.

“Quick” weight loss fixes are temporary & horrible for your body.

Please, in the name of all that is holy, do not fall for any diet or cleanse that claims to yield rapid results. Most of these diets deprive your body of nutrients that it needs, and the majority of the weight you lose is water weight. You are likely to gain it all back very quickly as soon as you return to normal eating, so I am telling you, you need to lose weight in a more natural way. I’m not really sure what is appealing about drinking lemonade with cayenne pepper in it or only eating one type of food for an absurd number of days. You need a balance of veggies, fruits, and protein for your body to function properly, so please don’t deprive your health to look lean temporarily. You will maintain your results much more efficiently if you don't wait until the month before spring break to try to get in shape.

You are more likely to keep weight off if you lose it gradually.

It’s science, dude! A healthy rate of weight loss is one to two pounds per week. So don’t be discouraged if the number on the scale isn’t dropping it like it’s hot; you have to burn 3,500 calories to eliminate one pound. Let me break it down for you: Just by existing, you burn approximately 1200 calories per day. For example, you might eat 1300 calories and then do a workout that burns 500 calories. Then you would be at a 400 calorie deficit at the end of that day. If you did this for a week straight, you would burn 2800 calories more than you consumed, which is still not quite a pound. So as you can see, it takes deliberate effort to lose weight. I recommend downloading an app called “My Fitness Pal” if you have an iPhone. It helps you keep track of how many calories you eat vs. how many you burn, and it even projects your weight loss and has graphs and other cool stuff like that for all the math people. Counting calories can be a little annoying, but if you are serious about reaching your goals, you just have to just suck it up. Remember that there is no quick fix, and you will be way more successful by changing your lifestyle as opposed to going on a diet.

So where do I start?

There is seriously so much to be said about health and fitness, but here is what I believe are some of the most important practices to consider when you’re trying to shape up:

• Watch your added sugar intake (soda is literally liquid Satan).
• Use an app or journal to make sure you are in a calorie deficit every day.
• Incorporate a combination of strength training, low intensity steady state cardio, and high intensity interval training into your workout regime.
• Sleep! Your body needs to recover from workouts and the general stress of everyday living. Take that nap!
• Become BFF with veggies, fruits, and lean protein.
• Avoid fried foods.
• Be mindful of condiments and dips, because they usually have a lot of calories and added sugar.
• Limit yourself to one dessert per holiday party.

Hopefully you feel ready to tackle your goals to the ground now! It all comes down to being committed and making sacrifices to become the best version of yourself. It is not a crime to have a lazy Netflix day or maybe eat a whole pint of ice cream every once in a while, but always remember why you started working towards your goals. Don’t obsess over the number on the scale either; your body will truly be able to feel a difference when you are good to it. Take advantage of the holiday season and don’t wait for the new year to start working towards greatness.

See you on the beach!

XOXO Tor