Author: Ashley Marble

According to a recent Weight Watchers’ report, the average American gains seven to 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. I think it starts even sooner than that with Halloween. We start off the season with a few binges on Halloween that only increase our cravings for more sweets as we head into the holidays. This does not have to be you— not this year!

Reconnect with your core, whether you’re six weeks or 25 years postpartum. My Flat Belly Program has been successful for closing the diastasis recti gap, strengthening the pelvic floor, eliminating lower back and shoulder pain, and helping moms and hundreds of women just like you lose one to four inches from their waist in just four weeks.

Too much cardio can cause your body to become catabolic, meaning that instead of building lean muscle and burning fat, your body starts to burn muscle and store fat, which ultimately will lower your metabolism.

Birth control, pregnancy, age and being a woman are just some of the reasons I have heard for a slow metabolism. I have put together 6 simple ways to boost your metabolism and help you shrink your waistline. Long gone are the days of obsessive cardio (I rarely do cardio now), restricting and counting calories (I haven't counted calories in years), and stepping on a scale (who needs to when you feel fabulous)!

Little did I know at that time, that not only was it more than OK for me to work out while pregnant, but it would actually increase my energy, decrease my sickness and help to keep the weight off. The great news with pregnancy is that you can maintain your fitness levels— or if you have been a couch potato, it is a great time to start being active.

You may have a crazy head fog, the chills, shakes and feel cranky. You may even wonder how you have functioned before. Without the stimulants and quick energy (caffeine and sugar), you may find yourself having problems thinking properly. Keep hydrating and eating clean, and you will soon be through it. As you detox, you may even feel nausea as you begin to eliminate unwanted materials. You may also develop diarrhea and other flu-like symptoms. It is at this point that a lot of enthusiastic people really lose their steam and give up.

When we commit to losing weight, we want immediate results. We start to put pressure on ourselves to be perfect and to have an all or nothing mindset. Instead of thinking about what we can have we spend a lot of time complaining about what we can’t have.