It's just over five weeks to Christmas and we will finally be able to see our friends and loved ones again - so we want to be looking our best.
With Ireland still in lockdown, gyms closed, and miserable weather, many of us will have piled on the pounds from sitting indoors all the time, comfort eating and having a few too many glasses of wine during the week.
If you're not happy with your current weight and would like to slim down before the festive season, personal trainer Brian Keane says it's very possible to get into "tremendous shape" in just three to five weeks by making some lifestyle changes.
He told RSVP Live: "When it comes to how much weight you can lose, that’s going to vary greatly person to person.
"Somebody with a lot of weight to lose is going to see more dramatic results than somebody with less weight to lose, but if you make the changes I'm recommending even for three, four, five weeks, your body can respond really fast ahead of the Christmas period so you feel more confident, you look slimmer and feel better in your clothes over the Christmas."
Brian recommends making smaller, more sustainable changes rather than trying to completely overhaul your diet and lifestyle in one go.
"Try to add in some small, seemingly insignificant changes that can add up to big results," he explained.
"So one is moving more - focusing on your step count. On the evenings that are nice and the days that are nice in the lead up to Christmas, try to hit your step count, about 10,000 steps a day or even more - that’s a great way to burn extra calories. And it’s a really good, low-hanging fruit when it comes to weight loss."
Workouts-wise, he suggested adding in something "sustainable" like HIIT workouts you can do at home.
"I’m a really big fan of body weight, HIIT workouts that you can do in your own time, at your own pace, at your own speed, that are great calorie burners," he said.
"Picking some bodyweight movements like squats, burpees, mountain climbers, and adding them into a circuit so you’re doing a minute on each move. You pick ten exercises and you do it for a total of 20 minutes altogether with your rest periods in between.
"I have loads of these linked on my YouTube as well, for free. They are super quick, high intensity, and burn a lot of calories - a really good weight loss exercise programme in the lead up to Christmas."
When it comes to your diet, he again recommended some small changes.
"Instead of overhauling your entire diet, try to make some healthier food choices. So upping your greens at your main meal, eating more vegetables.
"Switching out your protein sources for lower-fat options. Adding in more chicken or turkey instead of beef or oily fish, to save on the calories. Using healthy snacks to keep you satiated through the day. So using almonds, using fruit. Try to limit the amount of sugars and chocolate that you’re eating ahead of the Christmas period."
Check out Brian Keane on Instagram (@brian_keane_fitness), listen to his podcast here or try his YouTube workouts here.
