How to Lose That Holiday Weight, Fast

WHAT WORKS…

• Eating! "unfortunately a lot of women aim to eat as little and infrequently as possible," says Pasternak, author of the best – selling 5 Factor Diet. "But five small meals are better than three large ones in terms of keeping your metabolism up and increasing satisfaction. Do it right and the pounds wil literally just fall off."
• Daily cardio workouts. Pasternak recommends 25 to 45 minutes per day of calorie – burning, heart pumping exercise like jogging, stair climbing, fast walking, swimming or biking.
• Strength training. Doing it at least twice a week for 25 minutes will give you a 24/7 metabolism bump by building lean muscle. Even better for your body? Combining your strength workouts with calorie burning cardio, says Pasternak. You might try alternating sets of lunges, crunches, squats, push ups or other strength moves with five minute blasts of jogging, stair climbing or fast walking. (Boxing and other cardio sculpt classes or DVD's are another way to do it.)
• Mixing lean protein. Fiber-rich carbs and healthy fats at every meal. This particular food combination (for example, turkey on whole – wheat bread with avocado, or stir-fry with chicken, beans and brown rice) will keep you satisfied and feeling full, so you'll end up eating less overall, says Pasternak.
• Moving more all day long. "Every single movement you make helps your body use up the calories you've taken in." says Pasternak. "There are a lot of ways you can weave fitness into your life without even putting your running shoes on. Walk as much as you can. Get off the bus one stop earlier. It all adds up and can really help you drop pounds.
• Ditching calorie – packed drinks. Pasternak recommends zero-calorie sparkling, flat or flavored waters and tea or coffe to his clients. "Beverages can be a huge source of extra calories in your diet, and they're not satisfying like food," he says.
• Writing down everything you eat. A food diary can be a real eye-opener, and experts say it may increase weight loss. In fact, one recent six-month study from Kaiser Permanente Northwest in Portland, Oregon, found that people who kept daily food journals lost twice as much weight as those who didn't.
• Having a realistic goal. Dropping two or even three pounds the first week of a new slim-down plan is doable. Dropping 10? That only happens in infomercials.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK…

• Crash dieting. "Crazy plans always backfire because you end up so hungry or deprived that you overdo it when the diet's over," says Pasternak.
• Marathon gym sessions. "One killer workout isn't going to change a thing about your body," says Pasternak. "But shorter, consistent sessions will."
• Most over – the – counter diet pills. As soon as you stop taking them, the weight pilles right back on. "Most of these pills don't work at all, and some that do can be deadly," says Pasternak. (The popular weight loss supplement ephedra, for example, was banned in 2004 because of the risk of serious heart problems.)
• Chewing and spitting, laxatives, colonics, leeches, detoxes, patches, sprays…and anything else that seems too good.