Lose Holiday Weight Before You Gain It!

The holidays are here - and that means food, drink and socializing. In other words, here comes the weight gain.

But, what if there was a way to lose holiday weight - before you even gained it? Well, there is. First though, let's separate fact from fiction when it comes to holiday weight gain.

Fact vs. Fiction: How Much Weight Do We Really Gain During the Holiday Season?

A form poster on PeerTrainer.com summed it up best when she wrote, "For years people have been reporting that the average holiday gain is around 7 pounds. This is a myth, there have been studies done over the last few years that prove this to be inaccurate. The actual average gain is 1 - 2 pounds, but they also found that most do not lose that gain so over the course of 3 - 5 years it adds up."

The study the poster refers to is entitled, "A Prospective Study of Holiday Weight Gain," and was reported in the March 2000 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

You may be thinking, "I don't have anything to worry about. A pound or two is nothing." BUT, remember, the study also found that most don't lose the weight. Also you may fall outside the norm - not within the norms that the study found.

So, if you are prone to packing on the pounds during the holiday season, following are some preventive measures to take.

1. Rev Up Your Exercise Regimen: One of the best ways to do this is to add weight training to your workout. Why? Weight training builds muscle, which burns fat quicker and more consistently than cardio.

Unlike cardio, which only burns fat while you're actually engaged in the exercise, muscle burns fat even while you're sleeping. What better time to have your body burning fat around the clock than during the holiday season.

NOTE: Initially, you may gain weight. BUT, don't let that scare you. Muscle weighs more than fat and it will be a leaner mass, which will fall in all the right places. So, even though the scale may say that you weigh more, your clothes will still fit - and should hang better on you.

Optimal regimen: Do weight training 2-3 times a week for 30-45 minutes. The difference come the New Year should be measurable.