Although the holidays bring joyous gatherings and special celebrations, they can also have a downside: extra poundage. Here are a few tips from Gold’s Gym Manager of Trainers Jake Crotty to help prevent adding on spare pounds this Christmas season.

What are some ways people can avoid putting on weight during Christmas?

Using resistance training to speed up the metabolism for a 36-hour metabolism increase from lifting weight as opposed to traditional cardio, which is quad dominant. Traditional cardio only results in a three- to five-hour metabolism increase. Circuit training, or resistance training with progressive decrease in resting time, gets the heart rate up so you’re essentially getting a cardiovascular workout.

Any particular exercise or exercise routines people should do for the best results?

Definitely the resistance training with an emphasis on cardiovascular training I think is the best way to get results during the holiday season. EPOC (excessive post-exercise oxygen consumption) is a day and a half—approximately 36-hour—metabolism increase. You’re consuming more calories during the holiday season, so to counterbalance that, the day and a half metabolism increase from lifting weights is most effective because you’re activating more muscle. It’s more beneficial than walking or using the elliptical or other pieces of cardio equipment.

What kind of eating habits would you suggest during Christmas?

Generally, I advise people to eat small-portioned, frequent meals because that speeds up the metabolism by eating every two to three hours. This tells your body there is always food available to it so why hold onto fat? As far as diet goes, it’s best to consume high-glycemic foods pre-workout or post-workout.