Must-Read: Take Out that Body Fat

Here’s the problem with the holiday season: You get a whole lot fatter. It’s easier to fall into that pattern, as the weather begins to chill down and the holiday food-gatherings begin piling up, to gain a few extra pounds. The thing is, though, this is the time of year when you should actually be focused on keeping your poundage down, so that you can get a jump-start on next year.

So here’s Men’s Fitness, , who have a plan for how to cut your guy and get yourself a six-pack this holiday season. Here’s the intro to their plan:

THE PLAN

If you?re already working out and in decent shape, you?re probably halfway to 7% body fat?hovering at around 15%. We?re going to take you through the other half of the journey. (If your body fat is currently higher, that?s Ok. We can?t promise you?ll get to 7% in eight weeks, but you may cut your number in half.) The strategy is to gradually increase your weight training and cardio while cutting calories and carbs. The last few weeks will be challenging, but remind yourself that it?s only for a short time. Follow the meal plan we?ve outlined for all eight weeks. We?ve given you parameters for your workouts, but the specific exercises, sets, and reps are up to you. Since nutrition is the most important aspect of getting lean, you need to hit the macronutrient numbers we?ve listed. You can adjust the meals you eat a bit to suit your palate, but try to replicate the numbers as best you can. To help make your diet more enjoyable, we?ve provided recipes for three delicious meals that won?t derail your progress.

That’s just the beginning. So head on over to the link in order to check out the rest of the plan.