So many people with sluggish or broken metabolisms that already have weight to lose make their journey more difficult by gaining additional weight over the holiday season. Then they have to try even harder to overcome all the negative momentum and extra weight.

The better you do between now and January 1st makes everything easier in the new year. Not gaining weight (or much weight) in the next 5 weeks means 1) you have less to lose later and 2) your metabolism will be in a better place, making your weight loss efforts more effective.

If you already have 10 or more pounds that you’re waiting until January to lose, gaining another 5-7 the next five weeks is only giving you more to overcome. My suggestion: start tackling it now.

How can you tackle it now?

By having a plan.

Here’s my guide to Holiday Planning.

The easiest way to lose 5 pounds in January is to not gain it in December.

To sum it up, enjoy yourself but don’t let the holidays be an excuse to be gluttonous. Most people don’t spend 5 weeks in an equal deficit as the holiday surplus they enjoy from Thanksgiving to New Years so if you go big between now and December 31st you’re going to gain weight that will add to what you have to lose and make it harder to lose not only the new weight but the old weight you already wanted to lose. If you plan accordingly, you won’t gain new weight the next five weeks and you will make it easier to lose the old weight. Be smart about your next five weeks and you just might be in a much better place to tackle your new years goals.

Thanks for reading, have a great day!