Fat Loss Expert Offers Holiday Diet Survival Guide

NEW YORK, Nov. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- For many, the period from Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve is a diet and exercise disaster. Often, progress made throughout the year is erased in the final 35 days. This starts the discouraging cycle all over with yet another New Year's resolution.

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"Let's face it, everyone loves holiday foods, alcohol and treats," says Tom Griesel, coauthor (with his sister Dian Griesel, Ph.D.) of TurboCharged: Accelerate Your Fat Burning Metabolism, Get Lean Fast and Leave Diet and Exercise Rules in the Dust (2011, BSH). "They are ingrained into our subconscious, triggering pleasant memories of holidays past."

Griesel offers these 13 tips to keep dieters on track through the holidays:

1.    Most holiday gatherings are scheduled, so you know when you'll be eating more or exercising less. Find ways to compensate on days when nothing is happening.

2.    Average weekly caloric intake matters most. Stay strict on non-party days, eating lower-calorie, high-nutrient foods like fruits, leafy greens, non-starchy veggies, legumes, fish and lean cuts of meat.

3.    Drink plenty of water, first thing in the morning and throughout the day, especially 15-30 minutes prior to meals or parties. It's a no-calorie way to fill yourself and is an excellent and simple strategy.

4.    Don't eat mindlessly at work or just because everyone else is. Avoid the temptation to eat all the holiday candy and baked goods at the office. Be proactive and pack some healthy snacks.

5.    If you have no events planned, plan to eat at home. This way, you'll have total control of your diet. Cook meals in advance—it's easier to stick to the plan when you only need to reheat and eat.

6.    Keep bad food out of your house. You'll be tempted enough when you walk out the door.  Your home should be the healthiest place to be.

7.    Avoid special holiday coffee or tea drinks; they are usually full of sugar and fat and their calories add up quickly.

8.    Plan extra activity whenever and wherever possible. You burn the highest percentage of calories from fat during low-intensity exercise like walking or even standing.

9.    Wear an inexpensive pedometer to track your total daily steps, and set daily and weekly goals. Anything more than 6K daily steps and you're a winner; 10K steps and you're a star.

10. Focus on how good you're feeling and looking. You might feel bad by avoiding that cookie, cake or donut, but remember—you'll feel much better later if you avoid it.

11. Don't go to parties on an empty stomach. Eat healthy food before you arrive and things will be easier.

12. Others will either support you or drag you down. Remember your goal: to stay or get lean and healthy. If anyone has a problem with that, it's their problem. Surround yourself with like-minded people.

13. Your health goals don't have an expiration date. Focus on creating a lifestyle you are able to maintain.  

Contact:  Laura Radocaj, Dian Griesel Int'l.  212.825.3210

SOURCE Tom and Dian Griesel