Faced with the huge selection of food at Christmas time, you probably did what most people do, eat too much. You just couldn't help yourself! All your favorites were displayed in front of you and it was just too good to pass up. And it was great, until today. Now your clothes don't fit you the same and you are panicked because New Year's is just a few days away. What can you do?

Most weight gain that occurs during the Holidays is due to water retention. At Christmas, you eat more desserts, breads, fruit, and candy, which are all simple sugars. Simple sugars have a nasty habit of increasing your water retention. And while you may have gained some body fat, the extra water retention (as much as 3-5 pounds) can be lost fairly rapidly.

1. Increase your water retention significantly. The extra water intake will begin flushing the extra water out of your body. I would suggest between 64-128 ounces of water.

2. Drop the simple sugars from your diet. Stop eating the candy, cookies, cakes, and pies from Christmas. It's time to clean up the diet and get back to the basics. Increase your vegetables and whole grains, and if you have to have something sweet, eat fruit.

3. Decrease your sodium intake. The sodium that was used to cook all of the food you just finished eating, has a big impact on the amount of water retention in your body. Don't add extra salt to your food, and stay away from some of the leftovers.

4. Start exercising. Don't go crazy, but just start getting into some basic cardiovascular exercise. Your energy level will increase, your calorie expenditure will increase, and the sweating will be good for you. If you are not used to exercising, just 30 minutes a day will be a great start for you.

On New Year's Eve, if you have been drinking all of the water I recommended, you can start tapering off a little bit the afternoon/evening of the event. Now that you look great in that dress, have a wonderful time at the party.

Jason Hodge
Health and Fitness Expert
http://www.medicalfitnesspros.com