The Ultimate Guide to Losing Weight for the Holidays

The first place I ever moved to after high school was Dallas, Texas. I went there for college. At first, it was weird being so far away from my large family. I’ll never forget the first time I came home. I walked out of the airport elevator and saw my dad waiting with a huge smile. Even though I was still at the airport, it felt like I was already home.

As the years went on, I moved and lived in many places. For the past year, I’ve been traveling full time.

The holidays have always been the most exciting time for me to come home. I get to see all my aunts, uncles, and cousins. We drink wine, eat good food, and make memories. There’s something about it unlike anything else.

There was just one problem.

Before every single trip home for the holidays, I would feel anxious. It all came down to one thing: my weight.

“They’re all going to think I let myself go!” I would think.

This was never a fun emotion to feel. Even worse, when celebrating with my family, I would be more worried about what they thought about me, instead of focusing on spending time with them and being present in the moment.

Flash forward to today. I’ve maintained a healthy weight for several years. But, inevitably, right around this time of year, I always hear this looming question.

How do I get in shape for the holidays in the quickest time possible?

And the answer is what I want to share with you today.

Let me start by saying that normally I am an “anti-diet” girl. I firmly believe that to make changes in your life, you’ve got to make some real changes in your patterns—not just go on a diet.

However, I can’t simply look away and ignore my client’s requests. And I do believe in doing a diet now and then IF it’s for the right reasons. But please understand that a diet is not a long-term fix. All this being said, let’s dive into it.

Eat a diet focused on calorie density

If you want to lose weight,, calorie density is something you must become familiar with. Eating less calorie dense foods is how we are meant to eat. This will be your greatest tool when it comes to losing a lot of weight quickly.

Here’s the basic science: Studies show that humans eat the same weight in food every day. It doesn’t matter what the food is, or where it comes from. Humans eat anywhere from 3-5 pounds of food. Period. End of story.

So, let’s say you eat 3 pounds of food per day.

Oil is about 2400 calories per pound. So, if you were to eat ONLY oil, you would eat 7,200 calories per day!

Let’s look at the flip side. If you were to only eat foods that are lower in calorie density (I recommend 600 calories per pound or lower) you are going to eat substantially less calories, while still eating the exact same amount of food.

This “tricks” your brain by putting you in a caloric deficit without triggering your body to think it’s in a state of famine. Because of this, your body will release fat quickly, and you will not compromise your metabolism.

Exercise

If you want to lose weight quickly, the best way to put yourself into a caloric deficit, without lowering your metabolism, is to add in exercise. The more you can do, the merrier. In my 4 week program, the 4-week Slim Down, my clients exercise twice per day. I recommend slow and steady cardio, as this is the most effective way to burn fat.

Find Accountability

Accountability may just be the single most important thing when it comes to reaching your weight-loss goal. Think of the person you respect most in the world. Got them in your head? Ok good. Now, write a message (text or email) or even call them. In this message, tell them how much weight you are going to lose and why it’s important to you. Tell them your exact plan. Do you think that if you do this, you have a better chance of following through? Of course.

You can also keep a journal and log what you are eating and doing every single day.

And don’t forget to hold yourself accountable with weekly weigh-ins.

In the end, the only thing that can stop you from reaching your goal is YOU. You don’t have to go to that holiday party and feel self-conscious. You still have plenty of time to make a transformation in your body and show up feeling like the hot sexy lady that you are.

Love, Julia