Don’t be held hostage to the obligatory holiday weight gain. Instead, melt the fat by sculpting your own fitness and nutrition program. If you feel that you need earmuffs and blinders to withstand the blizzard of health and fitness information, use these 5 simple tools from personal trainer and sports nutritionist Lynn VanDyke to chisel your perfect body.

Tool 1 – Strength Training: Every pound of muscle burns 35-50 calories per day. Adding lean muscle mass is the best way to kick-start your metabolism, fight osteoporosis and melt the fat. Try doing 3 sets of 12 repetitions for each major muscle group. Sprinkle in different exercises such as bicep curls, lunges or tricep kickbacks. Work each muscle 1-3 times per week and always use perfect form.

Tool 2 – Cardio: Cardio strengthens our heart and lungs. Anything that gets your heart pumping qualifies. Try walking, jogging, running, dancing, swimming, biking, or house cleaning. Cardio should be done at varying intensity levels and session lengths. Mix up your week with a short, high intensity session, a few long, low intensity sessions and 1 or 2 medium intensity and length sessions. Variation is key.

Tool 3 – Nutrition: Healthy eating is usually the casualty of a failed exercise program. Counteract the desire to eat cookies and ice cream by fueling your body with lean proteins and complex carbs. Snack in moderation by eating small healthy meals throughout your day. More importantly, if you indulge a bit more than you had planned forget the guilt and get back on track. Guilt is not productive.

Tool 4 – Rest: Take 1-2 days rest from working out each week and grab between 7-9 hours of deep and peaceful shut eye each and every night. Rest is not a luxury. It is a necessity. Without proper rest our body never fully repairs from the daily wear and tear we place on it. We can grow tired and lose energy from irregular rest patterns. Stay on top of your game by resting often.

Tool 5 – Grab a copy of A Step-by-Step Guide: How to Melt the Fat & Gain a Life. This interactive program includes over 200 exercises and workout routines, over 160 daily menus and generates loads of motivation. Knowing how to succeed with your weight loss goals is equally as important as putting your plan in motion. This guide shows you exactly how to eat, how to work out and how to succeed with health.

"We can all melt the fat this winter if we follow these 5 simple tools," says Lynn VanDyke, personal trainer and creator of the Melt the Fat Interactive Guide. "The trick is truly staying motivated and ignoring all the fitness hype and diet fads. These 5 tools help you do just that."