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In this month's news letter you'll find...

1. 3 Tips to Keep Holiday Weight Gain at Bay
2. Time saving tips to cut your workouts in half and still burn off ugly belly fat!
3. Recipe of the Month

You or someone you know will gain anywhere from 5 to 10 pounds over the next 30 days. Of course some would say this weight gain comes from the extra socializing and sweets around, which is probably partly true. After all every unbalanced meal you eat will results in 80% of those calories getting stored as fat around your waistline!

But this is also the time of year when cold & flu season peaks. Coincidence? I think not!

Lets face it, life is stressful enough, then you add in the holidays, with shopping, trying to see more friends and family in a time frame that's almost impossible, extra cooking, then for some you factor in the end of year work quotas and this year you've got the economy on top of it all, and I think you'll agree that stress (or shall I say Cortisol) levels are at record highs. You factor that with less sleep per night (Low Growth Hormone) and more sugar per day (insulin resistance) and yes, you have a recipe for record weight gain.

But it doesn't have to be that way! Here are three tips to help you maintain and even lose some of that dreadful fat this holiday season.

1. First off: make your workouts a priority - Don't skip your workout in order to try and get more done. If you're short on time use the time saving tips featured in this newsletter to cut your workout time in half.

All you need is an intense 20-30 minute workout to keep the belly fat from expanding and you might even find you'll lose some. Many of my clients get superior results from these types of workouts year round.

2. Secondly: Don't skip meals. If you know you have a dinner or other event to go to, don't skip meals through the day in an effort to eat less total calories, despite what you might think it's not all about calories.

All skipping meals will do is ensure you put your body in fat storage mode so when you do eat you'll be sure to store it all as fat. Besides wouldn't you agree that if you eat consistently through the day you'll be less likely to over eat when you do go to that dinner or event?

3. And last but not least... go easy on the alcohol. Remember alcohol gets digested just like food and nothing will bring fat loss to a stop faster than booze, whether it's wine, a mixed drink or beer.

And ladies, just in case you didn't know, all the studies showing the benefits of alcohol were done on men. However, there have been some studies with women that showed some nasty correlations between alcohol and breast cancer - but I'll save that till after the holidays.

Just remember even though alcohol may be low in carbs - the body treats alcohol like it's some sort of SUPER CARB and according to Dr. Gil Wilshire, head of the non-profit organization the Carb Aware Council in Washington, D.C., "It has almost twice the calories of carbs and it can depress growth hormone production". Not to mention alcohol's proven to inhibit testosterone production -- Not a good mix for someone trying to lose body fat, add lean mass or even maintain weight over the holidays.

My best advice on the alcohol scene is moderation, if you're the type that tends to go over board, for every drink you do have be sure to have one glass of water before the next alcoholic beverage. As for your healthiest alcohol options, wine and unmixed drinks are your best bet. Round of shots anyone?

Here are 3 time saving tips to cut your workouts in half and still burn off ugly belly fat.

1) Supersets

Incorporate Supersets! Supersets are when you perform two exercises one right after another. The most efficient way to incorporate supersets is to do exercises for antagonist muscle groups, like chest and back or quadriceps and hamstrings.

Training this way allows for shorter rest intervals (with no loss in strength), a greater total volume of work can be performed per training session, and you'll benefit from a greater recruitment of motor units. It's a win-win deal!

2) Keep your rest intervals to 60 seconds or less

When you shorten your rest intervals you will not only save time, but you will also increase your growth hormone output and if you are over 40 and/or are interested in losing fat this is one of my secrets to helping all my clients shed fat quickly.

3) Use bodyweight circuits

Bodyweight circuits require NO equipment and may be done in your bedroom in just 15 -20 minutes. Sorry, but not having time is no longer an acceptable excuse when it comes these little circuits.

Need help putting a body weight circuit together - I'll be happy to help you, complimentary of course, all you have to do is send me an email here.

Here's a quick and delicious meal that can be done in the slow cooker.

Serve this dish with a 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice and you got an easy, balanced meal. Enjoy!

Servings: 6

Here's what you need...

• 1 tablespoon less-fat margarine
• 1/3 cup reduced-sugar orange marmalade
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (if using broth powder, make it double strength by adding 1 cup of hot water to 2 teaspoons of broth powder)
• 6 skinless, boneless half breasts of chicken, cut into about 3 pieces each

1. Add all ingredients except chicken to the slow cooker; stir well with spoon.
2. Add the chicken breast pieces to the slow cooker, cover, and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or on LOW about 6 hours, or until chicken is cooked throughout.
3. Serve chicken pieces with the orange cranberry sauce from the slow cooker.

Health Thru Fitness LLC, www.healththrufitness.com and www.Menopause-Weight-Gain.com do Not assume any liability for the information contained herein. The information is not intended as an alternative to medical advice, or for medical treatment.

Consult your physician before you begin any new exercise, nutrition or dietary supplementation program.