From Health magazine
You’d love to drop some pounds, but it’s tough to find time to breathe during the holidays, never mind prepare calorie-conscious meals. That’s why we’ve created a 1,500-calorie-a-day plan that lets you shed 10 pounds in five weeks, eating packaged meals, salad bar offerings—and even fast food.
Our grab-and-go diet is based on research showing that eating convenience foods can actually help you lose weight. The benefit: Built-in calorie and portion control. “Most people are not that good at judging what constitutes a portion,” says LeaAnn Carson, RD, MS. “With frozen entrées, the choice of how much to eat is already made for you.” That’s probably why in an eight-week study that Carson coauthored at the University of Illinois, women who ate two frozen entrees daily lost four pounds more—a total of 12.3 pounds—than women who cooked their own meals.
Want to reverse age-related weight gain? There’s no magic pill. But there is a magic plan. Follow this 6-week diet-and-exercise program, created by Christine Lydon, MD, and you’ll wipe out 15 pounds—and look a decade younger. 
For weeks four through six, do this ramped-up, 25-minute version of the workout.
I’d always been lucky enough to have a relatively flat stomach. Then, when I turned 33, it happened—the dreaded pooch appeared. And I’m not alone: In a Health.com poll, 83 percent of you said your tummy is your number-one body complaint. 
Noticed how many celebs with great bodies say they do yoga and Pilates? They may be on to something. An Auburn University at Montgomery study found that key Pilates moves challenge abdominal muscles to a substantially greater degree than crunches do. 
When your mood is up and your dress size is down, it’s easy to believe in your bathroom scale. Then comes a rough week, and instantly your scale morphs from ally to accuser. With friends like that, you think, who needs fashion mags to feel fat? The truth: No matter what it says, a scale can help you shed pounds you don’t want. 
