The next few weeks will be a social whirl for many people as they catch up with returning friends and family. Many will have changed since last year – how they look, their hair, skin, body shape.

You might not say it directly to someone but your mind is thinking that their bodies have changed… and not for the better. But what about your own? You might be dreaming of a slight Christmas but what’s the reality?

Your appearance can have a massive influence on how much you enjoy your holidays, as your energy, confidence and self-esteem can impact on everything from your health to your choice of clothes.

We all know about the problems of obesity yet it always amazes me how many people put off doing something about it.

Urgency
You may delay but time will not. Success coach Bob Proctor was renowned for saying that a sense of urgency creates action and if you really are dreaming of a slight Christmas and your goal is to look your best over the festive season then you’d better act now!

It’s not too late to start making a dent in your body’s fat deposits but like most people you will probably just keep putting it off.

‘Tomorrow’ is often the busiest day of the week and as the clock ticks closer to the big day, marketers use their ammunition to attack your insecurities with offers to heal your pain.

Weight-loss shakes will reel you in with rapid weight-loss claims that will result in a loss of muscle. This loss of muscle will slow down your metabolism so you will subsequently be hit with rebound weight.

Craze
Most people know there is no quick fix yet they buy the latest craze anyway because hope springs eternal. We have been brainwashed into thinking that we can achieve success without working for it.

If time is a problem you need to put yourself first and schedule your training to get it done before work starts. This way it won’t be sacrificed if you have to stay late in the office.

There is the option of hiring a trainer to set you a specific training programme which will help you achieve your goals quicker and increase your accountability.

If your goal is fat loss you need to step away from the reduced-calorie diet and aerobic exercise methods. Time after time, studies have shown that all these do is result in the loss of fat-burning muscle.

It takes approximately 50 calories to maintain 1lb of active muscle per day so 10lbs of muscle kept active for seven days is equal to 3,500, which will burn off 1lb of fat per week.

In other words, you don’t want to lose this muscle.

Muscle increases your resting metabolic rate – like a car stopped at traffic lights, it’s still consuming energy.

Dramatically
Research shows that more calories are burned after resistance training than aerobic training. By combining interval training with resistance training you will increase the EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) dramatically.

EPOC means that you will burn most of the calories after training, therefore increasing the amount of calories you burn during the week.

So if you’re dreaming of a slight Christmas and you want to change your body shape, the take action and make it happen.