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    7 Ways to NOT Gain a Pound This Holiday Season

    By | Healthy Living – Mon, Nov 21, 2011 9:30 AM EST

    By QuickieChick Laurel House

    Pumpkin pie
    I'm not about to suggest that you starve yourself of holiday joy (of eating). Just make smart choices on what and when to gorge, and try these 7 ways to not gain a pound this holiday season:
    1. Stop the "It's a Special Occasion" Excuse.
    It's easy to rationalize any day as being a special occasion. That doesn't mean you have to celebrate it through your stomach. Sure, eat the slice of pie on the big night with the fam, but don't eat another slice or two for breakfast just so it "doesn't go to waste." Because guess what… it will go to your waist.

    2. Workout 6 days a Week for 45-60 minutes.
    Get your heart rate up, get out of breath, break a sweat, and burn calories- whether on the basketball court, in an aerobics class, playing the new Your Shape Fitness Evolved on Kinect for Xbox360, or during a QuickieWorkout in bed. Just do SOMEthing.
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    3. Take the Stairs.
    Forget the escalator, park far away from the grocery store or mall entrance, walk across the room to pick up the phone instead of toting it with you everywhere you go. Yes, the little things do add up.

    4. Drink 8 glasses of Cold Water Daily.
    Water aids weight loss, makes you feel full, and the cold temperature causes your body to burn a few more calories to warm it up. Before you gorge on a big meal, drink an entire glass of water- it helps to fill up your stomach a bit and can help in digesting all of the food and possibly alcohol that you are about to consume.

    5. Eat Bites with Benefits- like fat burning foods & drinks.
    Ex: hot peppers= "hot herbs," helping up the body's metabolism. Citrus fruits help break down and flush out fats. Low-fat dairy, like yogurt discourages absorption of fat. Here are 15 more Fat-Burning Foods.
    sipping a martinisipping a martini
    READ HOW TO MAKE FAT-BURNING SKINNY COCKTAILS

    6. Think Before You Eat.
    Are you putting that forkful of pecan pie in your mouth because you're hungry, or because you're bored/lonely/sad/angry? Avoiding emotional eating can save you from gorging on 100s, even 1000s or calories each day.

    7. Don't be Defeatist.
    So what if you ate too much during one meal. Doesn't mean that you've "already ruined your diet so you may as well go all the way!" If you eat too much during one meal, do your best to be better during the next, and maybe sneak in an additional quickie 15-minute workout or suggest a group walk post dinner.

    In the end, it's not the big holiday dinner that's going to balloon you. Just like eating only celery for 1 day isn't going to suddenly make you skinny. It's the daily, ongoing decisions. Sure, splurge on Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, or Christmas if you want to. DON'T splurge during the holidays- as in every day during the holidays. When you do splurge, enjoy every bite of holiday dinner tastiness. I know I will.

    Laurel House is a Fit Living Expert, 3x published author, and believer in living a life of balance. See more of her "Quickie Tips" on her website QuickieChick.com. Her 4th book- "QuickieChick's Cheat Sheet to Life, Love, Food, Fitness, Fashion and Finance on a Less than Fabulous Budget" (St. Martin's, May 2012) is available NOW for PRE-ORDER.

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