Guest Blog Post: Vanessa Alexander from Fat Attack explains the benefits of fitness boot camps…

Fitness boot camps and weight loss weekends are a fantastic way to kick-start your new healthy lifestyle, perfect for when you want that burst of feel-good exercise.  Interactive, intense and individually-based, boot camps leave you feeling – and looking – so much better thanks to the fat-burning activities and nutritious meals.

Obesity is a serious problem in our society and the latest research has revealed that the number of obesity-related deaths is increasing each year.  Exercise and healthy eating are crucial if you are to stay well and protect yourself from ill-health.

With boot camps you get a weekend of fitness fun, healthy eating and nutritional hints and tips guaranteed to make you shed some of those stubborn pounds and increase your fitness substantially.

Each weekend is full of a wide range of exercise routines to give all your muscles an excellent workout, resulting in healthy weight loss by the end of the boot camp.  You will feel exhausted after all your running, circuit training, climbing, Nordic walking, martial arts, tyre and log runs – and more!  But you will also feel fantastic from pushing yourself physically and being supported by your fellow boot campers – the environment is a lot more engaging and interactive than your average gym.

Fat Attack is synonymous with health and well-being, catering for the corporate fitness teambuilding and fitness boot camps markets.  As busy people, you can rarely afford to spend a week away from work and family commitments – which is why all Fat Attack boot camps are run Friday to Sunday.

At Fat Attack, we want to make exercise as easy as possible for you.  We run boot camps in the London/ South East England regions and also travel to your location in the UK for groups of 15+. Our bespoke service works very well for local sports teams, bridal boot camps and friends, as well as corporate teambuilding events or corporate reward weekends for hard work.

We recently launched boot camps in Kent and the first weekend in this new location will run on 19-21 March.  To celebrate this new boot camp, we have drastically cut the cost of a fat loss weekend to just £375.  This price is all-inclusive and if you book for this opening weekend you’ll also receive a 10% discount on the price.

Find out more about the benefits of boot camps and the new Kent weight loss weekends on our website.  New dates are added often and there is at least one boot camp a month in addition to the bespoke boot camps for groups.

Vanessa Alexander

www.fatattack.co.uk

Russ asked: I need some advice on trying to build up my abs. I’m on holiday in 8 weeks and my aim is to have a six pack. I currently go to the gym 3 evenings a week and do a variety of crunches. I also run 3 times a weeks for about 30 to 40 minutes.

Answer…

Abdominal definition will only really show if you have a body fat percentage of less than 12%. No amount of crunches will ’spot reduce’ on your abdominal area if this is not the case. 

Assuming you have a low body fat percentage then 8 weeks in enough time to sculpt visible abs. My major advice when training your abdominals is not to treat it differently from any other muscle in the body. When most people work their biceps they lift a heavy resistance for a maximum of 15 reps but when it comes to crunches they do 100’s of reps.

They will grow like any other muscle in the body by following the principle of progressive overload.  Add resistance to your ab exercises and if you can do more the 15 reps, it’s too easy so make it harder! 

Try also to get away from crunches, they are easy and boring. Look into using a pull up bar for leg raises & twists and use a kettlebell to challenge your abs with some more demanding exercises. 

Good luck!

Alan Cook is a REPs level 3 personal trainer, triathlete and endurance expert.  Alan became an ‘Ironman’ in August 09 and is now training for the China Ironman in March and French Ironman in June 2010.

Ask Alan about: Cardio Fitness, Endurance Training, Core Training, Sports Conditioning, Agility Training, Muscle Growth, Weight Loss.

Got a fitness, nutrition or weight loss question? Ask it here!

Guest Blog Post: Pat Phillips-Jones from SureSlim Wellness Clinic offers a great introduction to the wonder hormone that is HGH…

HGH (Human Growth Hormone) from the anterior pituitary influences cells in a way that promote the growth of body tissues. HGH is released throughout life however its effects are most dramatic during childhood.  At this stage in life, HGH stimulates the growth of skeletal muscle and bones, therefore as a child’s muscle increases in mass, their bone also increases in length.

During childhood HGH may influence a person’s height.  If too little HGH is produced it results in a relatively short individual described as a ‘pituitary dwarf’.  The individuals will still have normal body proportions. If a lack of HGH is recognized while bone growth is still occurring then the condition can be treated by giving the individual periodic injections of HGH.  This may help to ensure that the individual reaches a relatively normal height.

Alternatively if too much HGH is produced during childhood development an individual may grow abnormally tall.  This condition is known as ‘pituitary gigantism’.

In adults, if too much HGH is released it could lead to an adverse effect resulting in acromegaly.  This is when bones in the hands, face and feet enlarge and the connective tissue of the body thickens.  This can often be caused by a tumour forming in the hypothalamus or the pituitary gland.  However, if too little HGH is produced in adults due to tumours, stress, disease and bed rest then this could lead to problems including obesity, ageing and depression.

THE FEAST-FAST CYCLE

HGH ultimately reduces body fat and increases muscle mass.  But how does it work?  With every meal we go through a three stage cycle of feast and fast.

Stage One: In the first hour after eating blood sugar rises and insulin is released.  This is encourages storage of excess carbohydrates as fat.

Stage Two: After the second hour HGH is released and the levels of insulin and blood sugar start to fall.  It is at this stage HGH acts to build up muscle protein, which is enhanced by the presence of insulin.

Stage Three: ‘The post absorptive phase’, occurs more than four hours after eating (‘the fasting stage’).  The concentration of HGH remains high while the insulin has almost disappeared.  This allows HGH to act solely to mobilize the body’s fat stores for burning as fuel.

In the young the levels of growth hormone are high with respect to insulin.  The HGH acts as a brake on insulin keeping its fat creation at a minimum (i.e. Insulin creates fat while HGH breaks down fat to use as energy).

When you age however, starting from your mid to late thirties and even in the twenties for some people, you start to put on fat even though your diet and physical activity have not changed.  This is because the balance between HGH and insulin has changed.  HGH has declined while the levels of insulin have either remained the same or maybe even gone up.

Insulin an essential hormone required for the metabolism of sugar, we cannot survive without it. Insulin also works to stimulate muscle growth but to a much lesser extent than HGH.  With lower levels of HGH, insulin is free to turn every calorie you don’t expend into fat for later use.

Insulin and HGH work together but a balance between them is of utmost importance. By bringing HGH back to youthful levels – not beyond (which can also have negative effects), you can restore the natural balance between HGH and insulin so they both work together in the feast-fast cycle as above.

When HGH and insulin are in the bloodstream together they help to stimulate protein synthesis and growth of muscle mass.  At the same time the higher levels of HGH work to block insulin’s fat storage effect and therefore during the post absorptive phase, when insulin disappears from the bloodstream; HGH can metabolize the fat without interference.

Pat – SureSlim Wellness Clinic near Hitchin

Allow me to take you on a 5 minute visual journey.  A journey which, by the end of it, will have you understanding your metabolism, your weight and why you struggle to control it.

Imagine a clear bowl…

The bowl holds exactly 2000ml (2 litres) of water.  If you were to pour a 2 litre bottle of water into the bowl it would fill up perfectly to the top.  A single drop more and it would overflow.

You wake up with an empty bowl…

Imagine that every morning you wake up with this empty bowl by your bed.  Visualise picking it up, popping it under your arm and carry it around with you through the day.

Your bowl fills up as you eat…

For every 1 calorie you eat, visualise your bowl magically filling up with exactly 1ml of water.  Eat 500 calories for breakfast and you’ll see your bowl fill up exactly 500ml.

Your bowl empties as your burn…

As your body burns calories through the day the water in your bowl evaporates.  For every 1 calorie your body burns, 1ml of water evaporates from your bowl.

Visualise your bowl filling and emptying..

The more you eat, the fuller your bowl gets. The more you burn, the emptier your bowl gets.  Imagine your bowl filling and emptying as you go through the day.

The bad news…

Every time your bowl overflows YOU GET A LITTLE BIT FATTER!  For every 3500ml your bowl overflows (or 3500 calories you overeat) your body gains 1lb of fat.

The good news…

Every time your bowl empties YOUR BODY STARTS TO BURN FAT!  For every 3500ml your bowl is underfilled (or 3500 calories you undereat) your body burns 1lb of fat.

And so…

Keep the right amount of water in your bowl and you neither burn nor store fat.
If your bowl OVERFLOWS your body starts to STORE the excess energy as fat.
If your bowl EMPTIES your body starts to BURN your excess fat weight.

What does it all mean?…

The bowl is your body.  The water is the energy in the food you eat.  The evaporation of the water is your metabolism burning off the calories (energy) from this food.

By visualising your ‘metabolic bowl’ you now understand how your unique energy balance works through the day.  As you eat your bowl fills up (ENERGY IN), as you burn your bowl empties (ENERGY OUT).  If your bowl overflows you start to store fat (CALORIC SURPLUS), if your bowl is under-filled you start to burn fat (CALORIC DEFICIT).

But not everyone has a 2000ml bowl.  The size of your bowl is determined by your ‘metabolic rate’ – the average amount of energy you burn each day.  The average man has a 2500ml bowl (needing 2500 calories max a day), the average woman has a 2000ml bowl (needing 2000 calories max a day).

A sportsperson or athlete might have a 5000ml or even 10,000ml bowl.  They have more muscle, they are more active… so they burn more and need a BIGGER BOWL!

Now this is the important bit…

Imagine watching your bowl as you rest.  The average person burns 1 calorie a minute at rest.  Visualise the water in your bowl as you sit at your desk.  It is going down just 1ml a minute.

Imagine watching your bowl as you exercise.  The average workout burns 8 calories a minute.  Visualise the water in your bowl while you workout.  It is going down just 8ml a minute.

Imagine watching your bowl as you eat.  A sandwich contains 600 calories and takes 2 minutes to eat.  Visualise the water in your bowl while you eat it.  It is filling up 300 calories a minute!

So why is weight loss so hard?…

The fastest you can empty your bowl is 15ml a minute:  Sprinting.  Circuit training.  High intensity exercise.  You cannot cheat it.  Pills won’t help.  15 calories a minute is the most you can burn.

The fastest you can fill your bowl is 1000ml a minute: Eating 3 chocolate bars.  Scoffing a pizza.  Glugging a couple of energy drinks.  Over a days worth of calories can be eaten in one binge.

Burning calories is like evaporation.  Consuming calories is like a flood!

Tina Asked: I am 43 years old and very overweight. I haven’t exercised for a very long time but feel I need to start something to improve my fitness and lose weight. I am too scared to join a gym so a friend said I should try Pilates.  Is Pilates safe for someone of my size, about 5 stone overweight? Could you recommend some easy exercises for me to get started with at home?

Answer…

I teach men and women of all shapes and sizes so I see Pilates as a very safe form of exercise regardless of weight. 

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends resistance work as a great way for building lean body weight and Pilates includes many resistance exercises.  If you do have any worries though, it is advisable for you to discuss these with your general practitioner.

Why not try doing the knee fold exercise at home?  This is a great exercise for strengthening the postural muscles in your abdomen.  Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.  Lift your pelvic floor by gently tightening the muscles from the back passage round to the front passage and gently pull your naval towards your spine.  Try to lift one knee up towards your chest keeping your pelvis stable (i.e. moving it as little as possible).  Then lower the leg back down to the floor with control.  Repeat on the other side.  Do a total of eight on each leg.

Please remember that you should do some cardio exercise five days a week for 20 minutes.  This can be as simple as a brisk walk at lunchtime with friends or taking the stairs instead of the lift.

Good luck and let me know how you get on.

Julia Crossman is a Body Control Pilates trained Pilates instructor who is qualified to teach Reformer – a specialised piece of equipment. She is also a supervising teacher for the Body Control Pilates teacher training course.

Ask Julia about: Pilates Techniques, Pregnancy Pilates, Posture & Alignment, Core Exercises, Lumbar and Pelvic Stability, Pelvic Floor Exercise.

Got a fitness, nutrition or weight loss question? Ask it here!

Stefan asked: For fat burning, what is a reasonable time to burn a certain amount of fat? For example to burn a few kilograms healthily, over what period could this result be expected?

Answer…

Body fat is stored under the skin (subcutaneous), between the muscles (intramuscular) and around the organs (visceral).  These fat stores are the body’s largest energy reserve, a lot like a savings account. 

If we eat more calories than our body burns this savings account builds up, gathering and saving energy for a time when we might need it.  This overflow of calories and build up of fat is called a ‘caloric surplus’…it is all the rage nowadays, everyone is doing it! 

Just 100 excess calories a day will BUILD UP your fat stores 10lbs (4.5kgs) a year. 

To burn off our fat stores we need to reverse this process and burn more than we eat, creating a ‘caloric deficit’… not quite so popular!  The shortage of calories forces our body to burn off our fat stores, just like we might dip into our savings account when we are running low on cash. 

Just 100 calories burned off a day will SHRINK your fat stores by 10lbs (4.5kgs) a year. 

The key point to remember here is that fat burning only occurs when a caloric deficit exists – eating less than you burn, or burning more than you eat.  This means that no matter how hard you train in the gym, if you eat the same number of calories as you burn, your fat weight will remain constant.

Your body might burn 2500 calories through normal daily metabolic activity (resting metabolism, movement, digestion).  You might then head to the gym and burn off 500 calories on the cross trainer.  However, if you have eaten 3000 calories your body’s fat stores will remain constant: 3000 in total burned, 3000 in total eaten… no caloric deficit… no fat burning!

Don’t make the mistake of thinking “I burned 500 calories of fat in the gym today”.  It is only burning off fat if it is 500 calories MORE than you ate that day, otherwise it is just burning off what you have eaten through the day.  This is one of the most common misconceptions about fat burning… people forget that it is about energy balance (calories eaten vs calories burned) rather than just how much you burn in the gym.

Now that we’ve cleared that up, here is the calorie deficit timescale -

A 100 calorie deficit a day = 0.2lbs fat loss a week
A 500 calorie deficit a day = 1.0lbs fat loss a week
A 1000 calorie deficit a day = 2.0lbs fat loss a week.

Calorie deficits greater than 1000 calories a day are very hard to achieve and sustain, so amongst people in the know - personal trainers, nutritionists, exercise physiologists - it is widely accepted that the most fat you can realistically burn a week is 2.0lbs (just under 1kg a week).  Total weight losses might be greater than 2.0lbs a week, but this is usually water and/or muscle tissue loss rather than pure fat loss.

So to lose your few kilograms healthily you are looking at somewhere between 3 to 6 weeks of a sustained 500 to 1000 calorie deficit.  

Liam Sartorius is a REPS level 3 personal trainer specialising in resistance training and weight loss.  With over 10,000 hours 1:1 personal training, he has a wealth of experience in body shape and body weight change.

Ask Liam about: Fitness Training, Circuit Training, Muscle Building, Muscle Definition, Exercise for Weight Loss, Nutrition for Weight Loss.

Got a fitness, nutrition or weight loss question? Ask it here!

Nicola asked: I was interested to read that Hannah Waterman did only 10 minutes a day of exercise along with a diet plan and lost a considerable amount of weight. Would you say 10 minutes a day is enough to achieve that kind of result?

Answer…

Weight loss comes down to a simple equation of calories consumed against calories burnt.  Therefore a calorie deficit could be created through the right diet and just 10 minutes of exercise! 

In my personal opinion the lifestyle benefits of taking part in regular exercise are equal or greater than any calorie burning benefit, which 10 minutes of exercise wouldn’t give you. 

From what I know of Hannah Waterman’s training she actually did some pretty serious interval training in her workouts.  Now, interval training is definitely something I can believe helped her to achieve her weight loss.

Alan Cook is a REPs level 3 personal trainer, triathlete and endurance expert.  Alan became an ‘Ironman’ in August 09 and is now training for the China Ironman in March and French Ironman in June 2010.

Ask Alan about: Cardio Fitness, Endurance Training, Core Training, Sports Conditioning, Agility Training, Muscle Growth, Weight Loss.

Got a fitness, nutrition or weight loss question? Ask it here!

So that’s it… Christmas is gone.  We are comfortably into January… the month when we are at our fattest, saddest and least motivated. 

Statistically by January 8th, most people have broken their New Year’s resolutions, quit their January diet and neglected their new gym membership…

But fear not! 

There’s no reason to feel down, take to your sofa and put on even more weight. 

Here are five reasons to smile on January11th…

1. January 11th is the real fresh start!  The month January was named after the god Janus – the god of the doorway.  Sometimes doors need a good kicking to get them open, so forget the last two weeks and your broken resolutions.  Make January 11th a time to get excited about setting realistic and sustainable goals.

3. Weight loss is fastest from January 11th!  Weight gain is a lot like snow.  The freshly laid stuff comes off easily!  If you have put on 4 or 5lbs finishing off your Christmas leftovers it will only take a week or two from January 11th to get it off again.  Clear out the remaining junk, get back to the gym and go for it!

2. Spring is just 10 weeks away!  Did Halloween seem all that long ago to you?  October 31st was just 10 weeks ago, so think about that time into the future and it will be Spring.  It’s not far off at all, but gives you just enough time to make a real difference to your fitness level, weight and body shape.

And if that doesn’t put a smile on your face, maybe this will….

‘Twas the month after Christmas and all through the house
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
The biscuits I’d nibbled, the champagne I’d taste
At the holiday parties had gone to my waist.
When I got on the scales there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber)
I’d remember the marvellous meals I’d prepared;
The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared,
The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese
And the way I’d never said, “No thank you, please.”
As I dressed myself in my partners old shirt
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt
I said to myself, as only I can
“You can’t spend all summer disguised as a man!”
So-away with the last of the sour cream dip,
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip
Every last bit of the food that I like must be banished
‘Til all the additional ounces have vanished.
I won’t have a biscuit – not even a lick.
I’ll want only to chew on a long celery stick.
I won’t have hot scones, or cake, or fruit pie,
I’ll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.
I’m hungry. I’m lonesome, and life is a bore
But isn’t that what January is for?
Unable to laugh, no longer a riot
Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!
by Pat Phillips-Jones – SureSlim Wellness Clinic

Liam – everythingZing.com

Guest Blog Post: Carole Batchelor from Healthy Results in Bedford explains why New Year isn’t the best time to detox…

You’ve wandered on to this page because it’s that time of year again, the time when you decide that you really will get fit/thin/both in time for Spring or maybe in search of the latest thinking about detoxing after the party season. On average people in this country put on 5lb over Christmas and it’s the one time when none of us want to be above average!

But here we are feeling tired despite not doing as much, heavier despite saying no to that last bit of chocolate and more than a bit keen just to get rid of it all again!  The temptation is to reject all that sensible stuff about losing weight gradually and do some dramatic detox programme to just get rid of it NOW! 

Here’s the good news.  Much of that rapid weight gain isn’t fat, it’s likely to be water.  When we pump our bodies full of substances that are toxic it can result in the elimination processes not being able to cope and the backlog is bound with water and stored in our fat cells (cellulite).  This can be a result of eating foods that we are intolerant to on an ongoing basis or over indulging in a short space of time.  The reason that it’s good news is that by simply stopping the toxic intake the body can begin to deal with the back log, the toxins and the water are released and the excess weight goes again relatively quickly.  The most effective action to help this process along is to make sure you’re hydrated and that means drinking plenty of fresh water and naturally caffeine free drinks.

There are many schools of thought on whether or not tea and coffee really do dehydrate but in my clinic I’ve seen people achieve astonishing results merely by swapping their morning coffee for hot water.  So how much should you drink? Well clearly everyone is different and the bigger you are the more water you need but here are my basic guidelines:

1.5 – 2 litres water per day assuming no extra sweating through exertion/exercise.  That’s about 8 big glasses or mugs of water a day.  Clearly if you do exercise then you need to drink to replace the lost fluids.

Remember warm water is a natural relaxant and cold water is a stimulant – think about jumping into a warm or chilled bath of water – what will your muscles do?  This will happen to your stomach and intestines when you drink which is why especially at this time of year I tend to stick to warm or hot water.

1 average cup of instant coffee is equal to -4 cups of water due to the dehydrating effect of the caffeine.  So if you want that cup of coffee have it but remember to pay for it with 4 extra cups of water.  Still want it?

1 average cup of tea is equal to -1 cup of water.  Herbal and fruit teas, Roibosh etc are all naturally caffeine free and count towards improving your hydration.  If it helps remember that water is the fuel of your metabolism and you can’t “burn” food without enough of it.

If you’re a long way from 8 glasses at the moment then don’t attempt to get there all in one day, work upwards.  If you only manage to make one small change make it water instead of tea or coffee as the first thing you drink in the morning – you’ll be astonished just how much better you’ll feel.

So why does the headline urge you to STOP!… 

Physically we are at our weakest in midwinter.  In evolutionary terms we’re designed to be in our caves, keeping warm, and not being very active to conserve our energy and our fat stores in order to keep warm.  In naturopathic terms we’re governed by the cycles of nature and at our weakest in the run up and just after the solstice – this year on the 21st December.  Many people have heard of the impact of the full moon on both animals and people but are unaware that the moon affects us in all it’s cycles.  In Chinese medicine terms we are currently in the season of the Water element and we should nourish ourselves with warming foods (Fire) to counteract the cold and damp outside so therefore a juice or grape fast would be the completely wrong thing to do!

In fact it doesn’t matter which natural tradition you look at January is absolutely the worst time to create any major or dramatic physical changes, but you can start gently to bring the body back to balance. And even if you’re going to ignore all the natural therapy advice conventional weight loss advice will always tell you that slowly and gradually is the healthiest way to lose weight and get in shape!

Don’t get me wrong I’m a big believer in the power of detoxing, in fact I specialised in detox methodologies for my diploma but I don’t advocate it until Spring when the body is much stronger – Spring Cleaning isn’t just for the house!  Even then I make sure that the person’s blood sugar levels are stable and that there are no other contra-indications before proceeding.  So for now, enjoy a nice cup of ginger tea to warm and heal your digestive system, and plan your shopping list of whole foods to make sure that you don’t run out of quick tasty healthy meals in the coming week while you decide which form of exercise will the most fun way to get moving again without overdoing it. 

Good Luck!

(please remember this advice is generic for specific advice please consult a qualified professional)

Carole Batchelor has diplomas in Holistic Nutritional Therapy and Allergy Intolerance Therapy and  is qualified to Diagnostix level in Callahan Techniques Thought Field Therapy.  She is also a Grief Recovery Specialist.

Ask Carole about: Food Intolerance, Thought Field Therapy, Bloating, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Fatigue, Gall Bladder Problems, Grief, Anxiety, Stress.

Christmas is traditionally a time for enjoying your food, letting yourself go, putting the diet on hold and enjoying some guilt free calories!  It’s Quality Street time!

But HOLD UP a second!!…

… Before you slip into a deep and cosy chocolate coma, wouldn’t it be great to enjoy your food this Christmas WITHOUT seeing an extra stone on the scales this January? 

Let’s be honest: you aren’t going to lose weight this winter, but follow the 10 Christmas Nutrition Commandments and maybe… just maybe… you’ll only gain a pound or two! 

1. Thou shalt not eat a kilo of Quality Street.  The crack cocaine of Christmas goodies, Quality Street famously triggers the “Abstinence Violation Effect” - aka the “Sod it I’ve had one so I may as well inhale the whole tin” Effect.  If you buy them they will get eaten, so this Christmas why not buy a 480g carton (2256 cals) rather than a 1.1kg tin (5170 cals) and save your family nearly 3000 calories.

2. Thou shalt not eat mince pies two by two. Ever seen Father Christmas’ six-pack?  Yeah me neither. His epic muffin top is no accident… years of mince pie abuse, second helpings and late night snacking have helped him grow the worlds most famous gut!  If you want to avoid rolling into 2010 like a weeble, then treat yourself to one mince pie at a time and just say no to seconds. 

3. Thou shalt not steal thy child’s selection box.  The geniuses at Cadbury have mastered the science of “Calorie Compression” and crammed a whopping 1400 calories into one little box.  But how many years have you bought a selection box for little Johnny and scoffed it yourself?!  This year be honest to yourself and to little Johnny and don’t even risk buying one.

4. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours roast potatoes.  At roughly 2500 calories, your average Christmas dinner is a day’s worth of food in one meal, so picking at Auntie Mabel’s left over potatoes is only going to add to the mountain of calories you’ve got to burn off in January.   Commit to only eat from you own plate this Christmas and you’ll save yourself hours of on the treadmill in 2010.

5. Thou shalt not feed thy neighbour’s wife.  There is a fine line between generousity and being a feeder.  “Oh Jenny you look so slim…  here have some more”.  Translation? ”Jenny you’re a skinny cow and I feel embarrassed having thirds on my own so you’re going down with me!”  This Christmas if you try not to push food on others you’ll soon find that you eat less yourself.

6. Thou shalt not murder the cheese board.  When nutritionists recommend “food combining” they don’t mean cheese + biscuits!  We’ve all tried to push the boundaries of physics by balancing half a block of cheese on one Ritz, but this Christmas remember this… Just one portion of cheese with one biscuit will mean an extra 30 minutes on the rower this January!

7. Thou shalt portion control your nuts.  No other food causes “Caloric Amnesia” like nuts.  One minute you’re ploughing through an overflowing bowl of Brazil nuts, the next thing you know the magic Christmas pixies have swapped them for a load of shells!  Instead of serving them up in a mixing bowl, this Christmas try portioning them out into smaller dishes.

8. Thou shalt drive and not drink.   Alcohol truly is the ultimate calorie delivery system.  At 100 calories per glass of wine and 240 calories per pint of beer, you can easily drink over 5,000 calories during the Christmas holiday.  There is a simple way to save calories and win some brownie points… If you are heading out to parties this Christmas nominate yourself as designated driver.

9. Thou shalt honour thy gym membership.  Apparently the average Brit consumes 6,000 calories on Christmas Day alone.  Thankfully this is all whilst engaging in high intensity physical activity, like watching James Bond or falling asleep during the Queen’s speech.  This Christmas challenge yourself to get to the gym and burn off 6000 calories over the 12 days of Christmas …500 calories a day!

10. Thou shalt remember the scales and fear them.  Indeed, Christmas is a time for eating, drinking and being merry, but do you really want to spend the first 6 months of 2010 struggling to burn off what you put on in the last week of 2009?  You will go on the scales this January.  You will be devastated if you’ve gained a stone!  Remember that when you’re offered a third helping of Christmas pud.

Will you be letting go this Christmas or holding back? Do you think we should just eat what we want and face the music in January? Please post your comments below…

Liam – everythingZing.com