I spent my holiday with my family in Philadelphia. It was the best Christmas I’ve had in a decade.

I usually spend my Christmas alone or traveling with friends on the road.

But this time, I wanted to be with my family. It was a memorable celebration. One I won’t forget in a hurry. I ate foods I normally don’t eat regularly.

Snacking up, drinking alcohol, and sugary drinks like soda and lemonade as if I was on a death wish.

I was too lazy to exercise throughout the six weeks I stayed in Philadelphia. As soon as the temperatures start dropping and there’s less daylight in the day, I will lock myself in.

I hardly left the house unless to pick up groceries. Netflix and snacks were my only entertainment as I sat glued to the couch.

My poor eating and daily habits helped slow down my body’s metabolism. My normal weight used to be around 157 pounds, so 12 pounds is too much to make me worried.

Christmas was about enjoying my time with my family, and I did not want to restrict myself to anything.

Now I’m back at my house. I have set my goals to shed the excess body weight. For the next four weeks, I’m working on regaining my mental and physical health.

My target goal is to build up my metabolism, boost my immune system and lose 12 pounds. I do not plan on doing any heavy lifting or extreme exercise.

My activities are more of relaxation exercises and eating right.

If you are yet to lose those few pounds you gained over Christmas, the last thing you want is to add a few extra pounds while exposing yourself to the many holiday treats that are likely to tempt you.

It’s time to get serious about shedding those unwanted pounds and start a healthy eating program now to make sure you’re staying fit.

Below are the three things I did to lose 12 pounds in the next four weeks.

1. Eating more anti oxide food

Christmas is a time when you are more likely to eat less nutritious foods and your meal planning can be more random.

Along with less sleep and a busy work or family schedule, your immune system is under pressure to protect you from illness.

Your immune system depends on a number of vitamins and minerals, ideally obtained through food. If you want to improve your ability to protect against disease, you must increase your intake of nutrients.

Eating foods rich in antioxidants helps fight free radicals produced by stress and, in turn, makes your body able to fight germs.

2. Replaced coffee with genmaicha green tea

My friend introduced me to genmaicha green tea after he lost over 30 pounds. Since then, I have been using it to supplement my coffee consumption.

You will be shocked to know that your daily coffee drink contains up to around 350 calories per cup.

Those unnecessary calories will sabotage your efforts to maintain a healthy routine, and since they are loaded with refined sugar, they will also encourage cravings for more sugar.

3. Do Kegel exercise every morning and evening

I’m more concerned about my tummy and bum fat. Doing high-intensity exercises can make me lose more than I intend to.

But with Kegel, I can direct the strength to my core and pelvic floor muscles without feeling burned out.

The pelvic floor benefits greatly from diaphragmatic breathing, also known as belly breathing.

I am a huge fan of breathing exercises as a form of healing. It works wonders for your mood, relieves tension in your body, reduces stress and anxiety.

So I have incorporated some of my favorite breathing exercises into my Kegel routine.

It’s going to be an awesome year, and I plan to make the most of it. I’ve set my weight loss plan for four weeks, expect my progress report at the end of my challenge.