Q&A with Lalo Fuentes

For my column over at YoungHollywood.com I get to pitch ideas for lifestyle features, which allows me to talk to some great people in the fitness biz! My new buddy is Lalo Fuentes, who not only gave me his DVD (available at LaloFitness.com) and trained me for a day, but also answered a series of questions about staying fit and keeping on track during the holidays. In order to keep a column moving and retain audience attention, it means cutting everything down to the sharpest points and reformatting the conversation so it reads easier. Here, I don't have to dumb it down for you.

Q: We talked about moderation, tell me how that works during the holidays when you know you're going to have several parties with lots of temptations...Your body just needs the flavor of whatever food you're craving, so don't make a meal out of that pumpkin pie. All you need is the flavor. A couple of spoonfulls will do the job. We all know that there are so many choices on the table. Eat a very small portion of each so that you can try everything on the table without stuffing yourself, enjoy!

Q: So as long as we stay on track most of the time, we can enjoy getting our fill and let our bodies take care of the rest? Holiday weight gain comes from consecutive bulging, so the night of that dinner party enjoy yourself with moderation, your body can only absorb so much and get rid of the rest later that night. Next morning, go back to your regular healthy routine instead of eating the leftovers from the night before.

Q: What are some good ways to get that digestion going? Drink plenty of water before, during and after dinner to help your body get rid of all the unhealthy stuff you just put in your mouth -- plus it will fill you up quicker. During the holidays our diet changes and so does our bodies behavior. Make sure to eat plenty of food loaded with fiber during your meals to keep yourself regular and get rid of all the fat, carbs and toxins as soon as you can.

Q: If I'm stranded somewhere snowy and far from the gym, what's a quick workout I could do in the morning to get my body energized? Workout using multi-joint exercises, they will utilize several muscles in one move and therefore burn a lot more calories. Also, include some cardio in between resistance exercises. For example: Squats, lounges, pushups, jumping jacks, running in place. after doing 15-20 repetitions of each of these exercises, start over again for a total of 3 sets. That should take you only 15 to 20 minutes and will keep you active.

Q: And what are you bringing to your big holiday meal? Every time I'm at a gathering, people feel uncomfortable eating or drinking unhealthy food around me, what they don't know is that sometimes I like to eat and drink the same things... hey, I'm human! So this holiday I'm bringing a cake as an "ice breaker." I believe that balance is the key.