Do you tend to overeat and drink over the Christmas period and put on unwanted weight? According to the British Dietetic Association the average Brit puts on half a stone over the festive period. There are many ways that you can enjoy a healthy and nutritious Christmas so here’s how to merrily munch your way through the festive season:

  • Exercise the morning of the Christmas party and on Christmas day (……I didn’t think that would go down too well! How about adding an extra workout for every big meal that you consume).
  • Ensure you eat a healthy breakfast to prevent you snacking whilst you are waiting for your Christmas dinner.
  • Serve Christmas dinner with lots of vegetables to help towards a target of at least 5 fruit and vegetables a day.
  • Do you want to try everything? Then do! Just think about portion control. Just take enough to have one or two bites of each dish.
  • Drink like a fish-I don’t mean alcohol! Take a 1.5 litre bottle of water with you and aim to drink it throughout the day. It will also help you to feel full up.
  • Store chocolates and desserts out of sight so that you are not tempted.
  • Avoid feeling uncomfortably full by eating more slowly. Stop eating when you are full.
  • Ask family and friends to encourage and also to be firm with you when you are tempted [don’t turn on them later!].
  • Keep a food intake diary [those that do generally keep their weight static or even lose weight over the festive period].
  • Buffets have a tendency to bring out the glutton in us. Avoid hanging out by the food table. Stick to salad and no more meat than would fit in the palm of your hand.
  • Eat a low-calorie meal before parties or eat a late lunch and know in advance what your dinner plans are.
  • Turning up at 6pm to a party having not eaten since 1pm is a recipe for disaster. Eat half your lunch at 1pm and half at 5pm.
  • Canapés tend to be calorific: when at a cocktail party, it tends to be easier to say no to everything rather than study the offerings and taking pot luck in your pickings.
  • If you’re having treats like sweets, cake and crisps, try having them in smaller amounts instead.
  • For healthy snacks, go for unsalted nuts, dried fruit or satsumas.
  • Don’t eat unless a) you are sitting down, and b) the food is on a plate. Nibbling is one of the great curses for weight loss.  Enjoy the leftovers as a meal, put them on a plate. Sit down and savour them. Stop yourself as you reach to eat straight from the fridge.
  • Practice polite ways of saying no to tempting snacks/food. When you wake in the morning, lie there for a couple of minutes and visualize yourself choosing healthy foods and declining unhealthy food and drink.
  • Don’t get discouraged by an occasional setback.
  • Plan rewards for keeping to your weight goals.
  • Remember all the hard work that goes into losing weight and when temptation comes ask your self ‘do I still want to eat or drink this’??

    Have a happy and healthy Christmas!