By Stacey Garcia

 

Recent research shows that by the year 2020, it’s estimated that 83 percent of men and 72 percent of women will be either overweight or obese.? How can you prevent yourself from becoming a part of that disgusting statistic?? Set short-term and long-term goals.? Always train for something.? Don’t be your worst enemy.

If you joined me in bringing fitness back to life this December and signed up for the Holiday Shred, Congratulations!!!? You just took the first step on ending this year with a bang!? After all, it’s not always how we begin the race, it’s how we finish.

The following is some outstanding advice from Adam Bornstein from Livestrong.com on how to achieve a successful and happy holiday season! ?Read more here. Enjoy…

 

To keep you on the right path, use these tips and words of motivation to push you towards the finish line:

 

INSTANT INSPIRATION: “It’s never too late to reinvent yourself. Get up, and take the first step towards becoming the person you want to be.”

ENJOY, DON’T ABUSE: One “bad” day of eating will never ruin an entire diet. So if you choose to indulge, don’t feel guilty. Enjoy. But then get back on track with your next meal or with a workout that day or the next. A healthy life is all about balance.

STAY FOCUSED: “When you’re interested in something, you do it when it’s convenient. When you’re committed, you accept no excuses; only results.”

PLAN YOUR SUCCESS: Resolutions shouldn’t just exist during New Year’s. They should be a permanent part of your life. If you’re not trying to get better every week, every day, and every hour, you’re probably doing something wrong. Make weekly or monthly lists to help keep yourself on track, and reward yourself when you reach your goals. Do what it takes to keep yourself accountable.

BE CREATIVE: Cold weather isn’t an excuse to stop exercising. Go outside and play. Head to the gym. Do a workout in your home. If anything, the change in weather should force you to become MORE creative, which can make your typical workout more fun, challenging, and enjoyable.

GO SMALL TO LOSE BIG: Trouble getting started with what you should be eating? Start logging your foods on?MyPlate. It will give you a baseline of how many calories you’re actually consuming compared to how much you should be eating. This will be your guide. But don’t try to make massive changes. The good foods vs. bad foods debate can be frustrating. Instead, do addition by subtraction. Add foods that will keep you full and help you eat less. Begin each meal with vegetables, pack each meal full of protein (which will help you burn more calories compared to fats and carbohydrates), and substitute fruits for some starchy carbohydrates (like breads and pasta). The fruit will satisfy your sweet tooth, but with just a fraction of the calories.

FACE YOUR CHALLENGES: “In our lives, we have two or three opportunities to be a hero, but almost every day, we have the opportunity not to be a coward.”

FIRE-UP FAT LOSS: Don’t think you can do a workout at home? Try this one. It’s a metabolic program designed to burn calories fast—including the few extra pounds you might have put on during holiday eating. Best of all: No equipment is needed. Start on the lower end of the sets, and build up as you improve your stamina. Warning: This workout is harder than it looks.

Perform each of the exercise groups as a circuit. That is, do one exercise after another without any rest between movements. Once you finish all exercises in a group, that’s one set. Then rest 30 to 60 seconds and repeat 3 to 6 times before moving on to the next group. Each exercise should be performed for 30 seconds.

Group 1:?

Lunges

Mountain climbers

Squat jumps

Group 2:

Pushups

Hip extenions

Stationary running

Group 3:?

T-Pushup

Side lunge

Squat thrusts (burpees)