How to Fit into Your Christmas Party Dress – Without all the Lumps and Bumps!

Let’s face it, the festive party season is just round the corner, so if you’re looking to trim down to fit into your party dress this Christmas, then you haven’t got a moment to waste according to one of the UK’s leading weight loss experts.

Rich Leigh, founder of the UK’s only specialist weight loss personal training agency www.fatfreefitness.co.uk is urging women who are looking to slim down for Christmas and New Year to start their efforts sooner rather than later in a bid to prevent dangerous ‘crash dieting’. Rich has written a guide for trimming down in a short space of time, which he hopes will help all us women (and perhaps our slightly podgy boyfriends...) to approach weight loss healthily this Christmas.

With Christmas and New Year festivities just around the corner, personal trainer Rich Leigh is asking the public to start thinking about their weight loss now.

“You can expect to lose 2-4lbs a week with healthy eating and exercise, something people should bear in mind if they’re thinking about losing weight in time for Christmas."

“Crash dieting, no matter which celebrity is doing it, is dangerous, eventually unsuccessful, and all too often relied on as a last resort. Why wait to start something in January that can only ever be a quick fix, when you can start something now that will help you see real lasting results?”

Rich has been kind enough to put together his top 5 tips for losing weight:

• Keep a food diary – Keeping track of what you eat and when keeps you honest and you’ll be able to reflect on what worked and what didn’t


• Don’t diet! – You’ll lose weight short term, but you’ll also lower your metabolism, meaning you’ll burn fewer calories during the day


• Get active! – Whether it’s taking the stairs instead of the lift, walking for longer around town (excuse for more shopping!), or going on romantic bike rides at the weekend, any exercise will help you lose weight. Using personal trainers and/or joining a gym and following a good programme can help you reach your ideal weight and shape even quicker


• Tell a friend – Telling family and friends will reinforce your effort and they’ll keep you on track
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• Set realistic goals – Expect to lose 2-4 lbs a week with healthy eating and exercise – start your weight loss journey with this in mind

If you’re looking to fit into that LBD dress you have outgrown but still keep hidden in the back of the wardrobe, or would love to slim down to fit into that dress you’ve had your eye on, Rich knows how to help.

“I often get asked how many lbs you’d need to lose in order to drop a dress size, and whilst this isn’t an exact science and it totally depends on the dress sizes you’re dropping from and to, anything between 7-10lbs is a good estimate, although never guaranteed."

“So, if you’re looking to drop one size, give yourself 4 or 5 weeks of healthy eating and activity and as long as you’re being honest with yourself, you’ll get there. The people who struggle to lose weight are quite often the ones who either aren’t being 100% truthful with themselves and others, or who aren’t aware of the small things that make a big difference, like the useless calories from alcohol.”

Although Rich doesn’t personally believe in one-size fits all eating plans as marketed by some dieting companies, there are a number of pitfalls he believes people should avoid.

“Don’t let yourself get caught out; many people looking to lose weight have been caught out by one of the following:

Thinking of your healthy eating as a ‘diet’. Diets are synonymous with deprivation, and depriving yourself of things you want will lead to you resenting losing weight, one of the main reasons people get so depressed and simply revert to old eating habits. Beat this by learning to see treats as a vital part of any weight loss effort, and don’t feel ashamed to tuck into a mince pie or two this Christmas!

Obsessing over your calories. Calories are just a measurement, don’t be scared of them. Try not to be one of those people who tells your co-workers about every single meal you eat and know that whilst overeating won’t help your weight loss, there’s always a chance to make up for it.

Skipping meals. Whilst avoiding breakfast might seem like a good idea, it’ll sting you in the long run. Eating small and often, so you know that your next meal is just a few hours away will prevent you from snacking in-between. Prepare food the night before to ensure you can eat regularly, whilst at work or out and about.

“Good luck with getting into shape and allow looking and feeling great throughout the party season to be your prize.”

Fat Free Fitness Weightloss Agency is a Gloucestershire-based company that partners people who wish to lose weight with qualified and experienced trainers and diet experts whilst enabling them to track their weightloss journey online through personalised updates.

The agency’s unique ‘Lbs for £s’ programme means that the more weight a client loses, the more money they save along the way. For instance, if a client loses 4lbs from training session A to training session B, they pay £4 less for session B.

Free weightloss progress tracking is available on the site for all visitors looking to shed pounds this Christmas at www.fatfreefitness.co.uk/journey-tool.html.