I was at a big event last week and was reminded how important it is to have strategies for this season of high-calorie parties and busy schedules. But I get ticked off by the tired old suggestions you find on the Internet or in magazines like Woman’s World.Often the suggestions are lack any substance, because the writers don’t want to imply you actually have to make a sacrifice to succeed. They make fat loss sound easy, as if all you had to do was park at the far end of the parking lot and you’d burn all thecalories from 5 shortbread cookies.
Well it doesn’t work that way…So here are my politically incorrect, unique Turbulence Training strategies to help you keep off the holiday pounds.
By the way, I “borrowed” a few ideas from contestants in my Turbulence Training Transformation Contest. The Transformation is rocking with social support and success stories right now, even while the rest of the world struggles with weight gain, these TT users are losing fat over the holidays.
Strategy #1 – Green Tea & Almonds
One of the most common tips you’ll hear is to “fill up” before you go to a party where there will be lots of goodies.
Unfortunately, most people I talk to have no luck with this tip. Most people still go to a party and eat everything in sight.
But recently TT users have told me that having a cup of Green Tea and one ounce of almonds has helped them avoid holiday cravings better than anything ever before.
The fiber from the almonds reduces appetite while the small amount of caffeine from the Green Tea seems to increase mental alertness and keep you “energized” at the party.
Hopefully that might work for you…
Strategy #2 – Don’t waste your time on any fancy cardio programs
Listen, the bottom line over the holiday season is that your success depends almost entirely on your nutrition.
You can’t expect to hit the cardio confessional and burn off last night’s 2000 calorie smorgasboard. That’s a 4-hour workout. Instead, don’t get into that situation in the first place.
Here are more nutrition tips:
– Focus on portion control (and if you have no discipline, forget even trying to eat just one)
– Nix all drinks mixed with calorie-containing beverages, or better yet, just stop getting drunk. Period.
– Write down everything you eat to identify your problem spots. Then do whatever you need to do to eliminate your weaknesses. If you don’t record your nutrition, chances are you’ll miss big opportunities to change your diet and lose fat.
Strategy #3 – Take care of yourself first.
My friend Holly Rigsby (of http://www.fityummymummy.com) is always reminding busy moms to take care of themselves first, and I think that suggestion applies at this time of year to everyone.
So take a deep breath. Ask yourself as you’re running around to please everyone else, “Have you set aside time for yourself”
Be selfish. Make sure you have had some exercise time, some good nutrition, and some rest before overextending yourself and doing too much for other people when you haven’t taken care of yourself and your goals first.
Strategy #4 – Get on a roll
This one comes from a TT Transformation contestant who is too busy losing fat to get off track over the holidays.
Don’t procrastinate till January 1st. Get started now. Dozens of men and women are doing their Turbulence Training Transformations right now – through the heart of the holiday season.
They aren’t waiting for Jan. 1st to show up. They are taking control now, and getting on a roll, and not letting anything (from work parties to peer pressure) get in their way.
Strategy #5 – Exercise in short bursts whenever you can
Don’t be afraid to dance at your Christmas party. Don’t worry, there is bound to be at least one worse dancer than you out on the floor. Have fun and get down!
On a more serious note, here’s how to avoid falling off the fitness program during the busy holiday season.
Get your butt out of bed 15 minutes early so you can have 3 minutes to wake up and 12 minutes to do the December 2007 Turbulence Training 12-Minute Workouts.
5 More Fat Burning Tips:
At this time of year, we can use every last tip to help avoid holiday weight gain.
So here are 5 more fat loss tips for beginner & advanced readers.
1.) No liquid calories (with the exception of a post-workout drink).
Get rid of all the juices, the sodas, and the sports drinks. Liquid sugar is the last thing you need when you are trying to lose fat.
You must also limit your alcohol intake – especially if you are adding mix to drinks…that is a double calorie bomb! A single “Jackand Coke” is over 200 calories (100 calories from booze and 100 calories from mix).
2.) No fast food.
Do not eat at fast food restaurants. Even if you choose what you think is healthy, remember this:
Fast food restaurants are all about profit.
And in order to profit while giving you cheap, quick, and easy to prepare foods, the quality of the food ingredients will be poor – especially the protein.
Now you might have read that you can still make healthy choices at fast food restaurants. But you know what, that’s just politically-correct opinion. If it’s fast food, it’s poor food.
Walking into a burger joint and grabbing a chicken breast on a white bread bun with a piece of old lettuce and a half-green, half-pink tomato is “barely” healthy eating.
The politically-incorrect truth is that it’s going to take time and effort to eat properly. You will have to plan, shop, and prepare healthy meals. You will have to spend time cleaning, cutting, and cooking your food. That’s the truth.
But believe me, it will taste so much better than fast food, and healthy eating will make you more alert. Eating fast food will make you feel terrible, and will make you want to have an afternoon nap at your desk.
Make one small improvement to your nutrition everyday for the rest of your life.
3.) Eat more fruits and vegetables.
If you are eating 2 servings per day, then go up to 4 servings per day by the end of the week. And even if you think you are doing great by having 5 servings per day, you still need to double that (take 2-3 weeks to work your way up to 10 servings per day).
Stick with fiber-rich fruits and vegetables – organic if possible.
4.) Eat 1oz of almonds or walnuts per day (1/2 oz in the AM, and the other half in the afternoon).
Most nuts are roasted in oils (possible source of trans fats), so stick to natural or dry-roasted nuts.
Don’t panic…this small amount of nuts won’t make you fat, but will fill you up and help you lose weight.
5.) Be consistent with your workouts.
And make sure the workouts are efficient and effective. To make it easy for you to follow, stick with the Turbulence Training fat burning workout system.
It doesn’t matter if you train in the morning before or after breakfast, or at night before or after dinner, or at 1pm on days when the moon is in line with Saturn…don’t worry about the details, just train consistently.
BONUS TIP: Go for a walk after lunch or dinner (or anytime you eat a big meal). Research shows this will help you control your cholesterol and triglycerides, plus any movement is better than sitting around watching the TV and snacking.
Turn your health around with Turbulence Training:==> www.TurbulenceTraining.com
“The constant shakeup is amazing. I look forward to my workouts. I feel so much better than I did 6 weeks ago. I had almost given up on fitness as I was becoming very frustrated with my plateaus. I started out at 233 lbs and am already heading for 225 in only a few short weeks. Thank you for developing this truly amazing program and for sharing with the rest of us. It’s very refreshing to enjoy working out again!”Dave Heffernan
“Turbulence Training is AWESOME! I started working out in 2004 first time in gym at 39 yrs. Then I discovered T.T. in 2006 and started receiving unbelievable info on xercises/nutrition. Immediately I started incorporating T.T. in my busy schedule which is improving my strength, definition, flexibility and nutrition. Craig is quick to reply to questions and supportive. My confidence and strength has definitely improved. If I only knew of Turbulence Training in 2004. The gym crowd is really checking me out now.”Kimmie Clark
“I lost 14 pounds this month and the weight is just falling off me. My wife says I now look like when we first met and I still have more to go. I can fit into my old jeans again which is a big deal for me. I just cut back on starches and bread and do your routine 2-3 times a week. I never thought in a million years that just 10-20 minutes of weight training followed by some cardio would get me such steady results. I even cheat a bit on the weekends.”Billy Williams
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As Creator of the Revolutionary Turbulence Training System, Craig Ballantyne has helped millions of body builders worldwide lose fat while gaining muscle at the same time with a proper diet and just 3 short but intense workouts a week. For a FREE, Immediate Controversial Fat Loss Report and FREE Turbulence Training Newsletter containing tips to help you maximize metabolism, build muscle and gain workout success go to
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