The top 4 ways to lose weight before Christmas

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It's that time of the year once again. With parties and reunions here and there, not only is it pig out season, but it's also shopping season for your party outfits! If it terrifies you to be squeezing into your favorite little black dress when the party hour arrives, then you've got to take action. You don't want to look like you're already bloated even before the feast begins. You need to lose weight. With barely enough time left, you might be tempted to do a crash diet. But don't even think about it, you need more helpful tips than that. Here are the top 4 ways to lose weight before Christmas that will help you get ready to party:

1. Cut out carbs

Reducing carbohydrate intake is a challenging lifestyle change that requires a lot of motivation. For starters, you don't have to quit eating all forms of carbs immediately. Start slow.

• Eliminate sugary drinks. You may begin by slowly eliminating sugary drinks from your meals. Soda, fruit juices, coffee, and iced tea – all of them have added sugar that are very unhealthy.
• Limit your bread intake. White bread made from refined grains have a negative impact on our health. They're high in carbs and low in fiber. If it's hard to give up, try making homemade bread or switch to whole grain breads instead.
• Swap your sweeteners. Another thing that may help you ease out of your high carb diet is to swap your sweeteners. A tablespoon of white or brown sugar has 12 grams of carbs in them in the form of sucrose. Even honey has a high carbohydrate content, with 17 grams in a tablespoon. You may want to use the following alternatives instead: stevia, erythritol, or xylitol.

2. Subscribe to nutrisystem

Nutrisystem is a weight loss program that's guaranteed to be safe and effective. It has helped millions of people lose weight in a healthy way and improve their lifestyle. It's a meal program that specifically caters to your needs by bringing you food that's healthy and balanced. You can choose from their different plans: from basic, vegetarian, diabetic, and even a custom plan that's uniquely yours.

The beauty in meal subscriptions like nutrisystem is that you don't have to worry about anything at all. Expect calorie counted and balanced meals at your doorstep everyday for as low as $9.82 daily.

If you can afford it, diet plans like these are a great way to jumpstart your weight loss journey without diving into anything risky.

3. Exercise regularly

There are many forms of exercise that you can do regularly to attain your dream body in time for Christmas. The real key is consistency. Doing something physical for at least 30 minutes, 3 times a week will already show you some progress. Alternate though cardio, weight training, and cross training to achieve better results.

For your cardio, morning jogs are perfect. Running around your neighborhood is a good exercise. If it's quite gloomy, an indoor treadmill will do to. For your weight training, don't stress yourself with the big plates all at once. Start with 5 lbs dumbell first, and alternate with sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, and more. Eventually work your way to heavier weights and more repetitions. You’ll have a toned body in no time! Cross training is to really just break your routine by doing something different. Go out hiking on a mountain. Or swimming in your local sports complex. Try doing boxing or wall climbing too. Inserting a physical activity you've never tried before brings in variety and gets you out of your workout slump.

4. Get a weight loss buddy

A weight loss buddy is more than just your sister who agreed to take your measurements for you. It could be a friend who has a similar goal. Someone who’s going to the same Christmas party in a month and is burdened by their current weight. Find one and enjoy the journey together. The great thing about having a fitness buddy is that you get to keep a sense of accountability not just for yourself but also for your friend. You'll have someone to push you when you're feeling lazy, and to pick you up when you fall. Someone to celebrate the small victories in your journey like losing a pound or surviving a day without sweets. Company means a lot in anyone's weight loss journey!