Who says the holidays have to be about food, anyway? Yes, the two have gone hand in hand ever since the Three Wise Men traveled the desert bearing fruitcake and s'mores (or something like that. . .), but that doesn't mean it has to be that way. If you have some control over how your family celebrates the holidays, you can use that influence to lead your family and friends[...]

Till now we have discussed about how to resist the temptation to eat while you are happy and surrounded by family. Perhaps the only temptation that is harder to resist is that of eating when lonely and missing someone who should have been with you this holiday season. Studies have shown that depression rears its ugly head more often and with more intensity during the holidays than at any other[...]

Just the very look of yummy cookies, cakes, fudges and all that food can send even the strictest sense of willpower flying out the window. There's not only the temptation of its savory deliciousness, but there are matters of politeness and camaraderie to be taken into account as well. No one wants to turn down Aunt Flo's legendary Christmas cookies because "I'm on a diet." You don't want to sit[...]

Ah, the holidays! A time for giving and receiving, getting closer with the ones we love, and marking the end of another year, for better or for worse. While the stores may be packed to the doors and back, and traffic is enough to send even the jolliest of elves into a steaming fit of frustration, we tolerate it and even celebrate it because of the joys inherent in our festivities and traditions. Of course, one of those traditions, part and parcel with almost every celebration regardless of culture, is eating. We eat because the food is yummy and plentiful and because we believe that since it's the holidays, calories don't count this time of year. If only that was true!

So, many of us eat our way through the holiday season, even as we plan to make "losing weight" one of our primary New Year's resolutions. But of course this overindulgence only makes it harder on us when the New Year rolls around. Instead of having fifteen pounds to lose, we might have twenty or twenty five. And since studies show that most resolutions are smashed into pieces by mid-January, the chances are greater than ever that our holiday weight will simply remain a part of us long after the trees have come down and the presents have been discarded. So, is there really a foolproof way to stop this terrible cycle?

QUESTION: Dear Tom: If you are going to go out and have a drink or two with friends, which drink is the best when you're on a fat loss program like BFFM? Would it be wine or a vodka mixed with soda? Is champagne better or worse than the other two?

Whether you love or dread the Thanksgiving holiday, one thing for sure is: it's hard to stick to your diet. A plate (or two) heaped with turkey, gravy, buttery mashed potatoes and all the trimmings can blow any progress you've made.

There are many things you can do to stick to your diet and still enjoy a Thanksgiving meal -- and believe me, sticking to plan or not overdoing it feels A LOT better than stuffing yourself silly. Here are some "turkey day" tips to get you through Thanksgiving:

We all could use a boost to the old self-image every now and then. When you look good, you feel good. A confident person is noticed by others. One way to achieve this "new attitude" is through training with weights. Weight training is essential for every man and woman to maintain good health well into later life. And, weight training is not necessarily about bulk but tone/strength. Not everybody wants to be Mr. or Ms. Olympia -- most people just want a well-proportioned figure that they can be proud of.

But not only can weight training make you look good: the challenges of weight training help to improve the mind's ability to focus! To perform the exercises properly takes concentration. You have to visualize each part of the movement. See what the muscle is doing when the weight is raised and when the weight is lowered.

Here are three ways that weight training is good for your mind:

With all the T.V. shows, computer programs, and video games available now, it’s hard to get kids up and moving anymore. That’s one big reason why childhood obesity is becoming more and more prevalent. Getting your child in shape doesn’t have to be a fight; you just have to find activities they enjoy that are good for them as well. Here are some great workouts that will entertain your kids at the same time.

One of the main reasons people cheat on their diets or just give up altogether is because, quite frankly, they're H-U-N-G-R-Y. And being hungry all the time is difficult to live with for a day, much less for weeks on end.

Here are 9 tips to make sure that hunger pains don't derail all of your hard work.

Anytime the topic of discussion in my blogs, articles or newsletters has turned to my own personal grocery shopping list, there has always been a spike in interest. It seems that many people are not only curious about what foods a natural bodybuilder eats to maintain single digit body fat, but they also want to be taken by the hand and told exactly what foods to eat themselves while on fat-burning or muscle building programs. That's why I decided to put together four separate "top 10" lists of healthy foods that burn fat and build muscle.