Avoiding the Christmas Weight Gain

Sticking to your Healthy Eating and Exercise Regime can be tough at the best of times, as it’s so hard to avoid the constant temptations around the holidays!  

You don’t have to miss out this Christmas! See our best tips below to stay healthy and still be able to indulge.

• Have a healthy snack or breakfast before you head to the party instead of starving yourself prior to save your appetite for the treats, this way you won’t overeat.
• Count your canapés, set yourself a limit and stick to it.
• Be picky! Choose only the treats that you feel are worth the calories and omit the cheap and nasty junk. E.g. Skip the candy canes and chips so you can feel better about having that slice of sticky date pudding.
• Avoid sauce, chutney, gravy, jelly, cream and relish, as these often contain high amounts of sugar and/or fat.
• If you have a craving then go with it. You’re more likely to be able to control yourself if you have that piece of chocolate cake now rather than ignoring it because a few drinks later you might just devour six!
• Only drink alcohol at the parties on the weekends and decline the weekday lunch tipples.
• Choose better quality alcoholic beverages and ones that contain less calories such as vodka, dark ale and organic red wine.
• Serve your drinks in tall thin glasses, as short wide ones encourage more frequent top ups and quicker drinking.
• For every alcoholic drink have two glasses of water.
• Mocktails made with fresh fruit are a great alternative to alcohol and sugar laden cocktails. You won’t have to put up with the constant questions as to why you’re not drinking.
• Offer to be the designated driver so you can avoid the temptation to drink alcohol.
• Don’t indulge the whole holiday period, pick your events carefully and have a break between Christmas and New Year.
• When your not spoiling yourself at the parties and dinners, be extra health conscious and stick to salads, seafood, water and extra exercise so that you can keep it balanced.
• When you know you have a big event coming up be extra diligent and committed to exercising so you can combat the extra calories.
• A good distraction from overeating is getting absorbed in conversation!
• Always pick the smallest plate so you don’t feel compelled to fill up a large one.
• If a friend or family member is throwing a party ask if you can bring a plate so that you can take the opportunity to make a delicious, nutritious salad or dessert. That way know that there is a nice healthy option you can eat if there is only heavier options at the party.
• If you do a lot of cooking over the holidays then try to avoid taste testing to often, because by the time your done you’ll be full but you may feel obliged to finish your plate anyway.
• When hosting your own event, serve the meals from the kitchen and not at the table, when the ham and baked potatoes are right in front of you it’s far more likely you’ll go for seconds or thirds.
• Grab some disposable Tupperware for guests so that you can fill them up at the end of the day so you don’t have left over pudding sitting in the fridge tempting you.
• If you don’t have seconds on any other day of the year then don’t make an exception today, you’re not missing out.
• Why not start a new family tradition and go for a big walk Christmas morning before you start getting ready for the day!