Counter the holiday weight gain before it actually catches up with you 
 
 
Diet trends come and go, but during the holiday season, they are definitely gone. Despite this, we all try to watch our weight when the reunions and parties start to kick off. And why wouldn’t we? With the way Pinoys celebrate—read: food everywhere and all the time—we can’t help but be a little conscious. And if we’re being honest, the one constant Christmas gift we get every year is a few more pounds mocking us on the scale.
 
Many have tried and failed to keep their weight in check during Christmas. The sights and smells of lechon, kare-kare, lechon kawali, lumpiang shanghai, Christmas ham, barbeque, fruit salad and buko pandan are just too much to ignore. So we Pinoys do what we do best and eat to our hearts’ content at every party and reunion.

So how do we counter all this?

There’s no doubt that a few extra hours at the gym can counter all the calories we inhale. But there’s also no going around the lazy air that settles in when December rolls around. It’s a holiday of cheer and second servings, not grunts and protein shakes. So it’s completely understandable if we have a few more rest days…right?

 
Either way, there’s a new trend coming about that seems a little more manageable: Losing weight now to gain it all back come Christmas.
 
Here’s how it works: For now, follow your diet (whatever it may be) and go to the gym religiously—maybe even more so. The idea is to shed a few pounds now while you still have the energy and will power to. Those few pounds will then act as a cushion for you to not-so-guiltily grab the last piece of crispy lechon skin.

Logically, it makes sense. But is it possible?

Losing weight quickly is a definite possibility. Cutting down on the calories, carbs and sugars alone will do wonders for your body. The thing is, you need to be careful and smart about it, because some studies have proven that losing weight too quickly is a bad thing.
 
Too much change and not enough food will cause your body to go haywire. The change in amount of food and physical activity will strain your body and not enough food intake is detrimental to your metabolism.

So how exactly is this going to happen?

HealthLine suggests three easy steps that are perfect for the last few safe days of the Christmas season. The first is to cut back on sugars and starches as these food stimulate the secretion of insulin (the fat storage hormone of the body) the most. The second step is to up make sure that every mean consists of a proportional amount of proteins, healthy fats and vegetables. The third is as easy as lifting some weights about three times a week.

What are we waiting for? The Christmas feasts are coming.