Parties, decadent meals, and missing workouts can push you way over your calorie limit. If you approach the Holiday season strategically you can still have a merry good time without gaining a pound.
 
 Here are my 7 tips to stay on track during the festivities:
 
#1 Eat protein before you go. If you are really trying to limit your intake, never go to a party hungry. Drink a protein shake, eat a serving of cold cuts, or perhaps a hard- boiled egg.  With a little something in your tummy, you won’t fill up on high calorie appetizers when you arrive.
 
#2 Alternate alcoholic drinks with water. Consuming too much alcohol leads to over consumption of food. Stay hydrated and in control. You will be much happier in the morning. 
 
#3 Fill your plate with veggies and protein. Fill at least half of your plate with vegetables. Try to pick leaner pieces of meat and seafood. 
 
#4 Take the smallest serving size from the dessert selection. This way, you can have a sampling of your favorite treats. 
 
#5 If you want it, have it. Just don’t go overboard.
 
#6 Go for a walk afterward. Get the family or friends and go for a stroll. This is a great way to spend time together and burn some calories.
 
#7 Lose the all-or-nothing mentality. Even if you go completely nuts with food and drink for a day or two, get right back on track. Don't use it as an excuse to eat poorly until Jan. 1.

​Thanksgiving marks the start of the Holiday Season. Our usual fitness and eating routines can easily go way off track with all of the commotion. Before you start stressing over the extra calories and a missed workout or two, remember that ONE DAY won’t make or break you. If one day of super high calories made you fat, then one day of perfect, healthy eating should produce your goal body. Sounds ridiculous, right? For some reason, people seem to forget this logic.
 
What should you do? This is the tip I share with all of my clients for enjoying Thanksgiving Day:

​A spin class might cause someone to sweat profusely, but after lifting weights, there might not be much sweat at all. Was the spin class a superior workout due to the amount of sweat? Are you still getting a good workout if you don’t sweat as much while lifting weights?

Protein powder is more popular than ever. There are many brands to choose from and they promise mostly the same things- promote muscle growth and repair tissue. But do you really need to use protein powder to reap these benefits? 

The BOSU Balance Trainer, or BOSU ball, was sold as a way to gain stability, through instability. They are supposed to help train your core, improve your balance, and make practically any exercise more effective. Do they really? Should you use a BOSU ball in your workouts? ​

​You took all of the appropriate steps to determine the calorie deficit needed to lose weight. You hit daily macro and calorie goals. You followed the plan for at least 4 weeks. During this time, you lifted weights and completed cardio sessions. You stepped on the scale this morning and actually gained 2 lbs. WTH?! So why is your calorie deficit not working? 
 
Quite simply, you are not in a calorie deficit. You are still consuming too many calories. If you are tracking all food intake “accurately”, consistently executing workouts, and not seeing weight loss trend downward, then it is time to take a look at your process.

​Walk into any gym and you will see examples of LISS (low intensity steady state) and HIIT (high intensity interval training) cardio. Who has it right though? Is slow and steady over a longer period of time better? Or does fast and furious produce a bigger bang for the buck? No one wants to waste time, and certainly not energy.

​Whether you call it a calorie deficit, diet, lowering/restricting calories, or cutting, your weight lifting sessions will be affected, when you eat fewer calories. Less food = less energy. But should you automatically lighten your weights and aim to do “easier” workouts?

​Whether you should train in the high or low rep range to build muscle commonly comes up with my clients. Working in a high rep range generally means lighter weight, while a low rep range is heavier weight. Which is better though? Which rep range is going to give you the most bang for your buck?

Throughout my personal training career, I have heard “How do I get rid of belly fat?” more times than I can count. Everyone wants a nice-looking stomach, but it can be quite challenging to reach the desired result. After 17 years in the fitness industry, I have come to a conclusion that will help most people lose their belly fat.