I know this is a popular topic this time of year, but it’s always worth revisiting.

There is some frightening statistic out there that says that the “average” person gains 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years. A lot of stress, a lot of parties, shopping to do, relatives to deal with. It’s a lot to take in. Workouts get missed, the cookie tray in the break room is beckoning…

A year ago I wasn’t happy about my appearance, I’m a trainer and sure didn’t think I looked the part. It was too hard, etc. But, on December 22nd (yes, two days before Christmas) I decided I was going to lose 20 pounds by mid-March. Everyone thought I was crazy – it was the holidays, and my birthday was in January. It was impossible, I was told.

I knew what I had to do – keep a food log and plan my meals. No more lunches out. No more glass of wine with dinner. I picked Tom Venuto’s Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle program as my starting point, and opted for the calorie cycling plan.

I lost 10 pounds in that first month, and it was easy! I had my food plan, and I did 30 minutes of ballistic kettlebells about 5 days a week. That’s it. The next 10 took longer, but I was successful. A year later, the weight is still off.

So, it’s the holiday season, and time for me to start my plan again. I’d like to lose another 10 by my birthday. My travel for the year is largely over, and work will slow down for the holidays. I got my cookbooks out last night, and I’m getting my food ready.

What about you? It’s not impossible. The company holiday party, Christmas dinner, and New Years are 3 meals out of the 100 that you will eat between now and the end of the year. That’s a 97% compliance rate if you do everything else right – more than enough to be successful. And quick, full-body workouts can achieve results in 30 minutes a couple days a week.