How to stay in shape this Christmas

The way I see it, in order to keep weight off while successfully navigating your way through the delicious savoury treats, bubbly cocktails and Aunty Pam's chocolate cheesecake this festive season, you've got two choices.  1 - Make a plan. 2 - Hide under your bed and wait until the whole thing blows over (take snacks, you could be there a while).

As anyone who’s ever been on a healthy eating regime will tell you, the key to success is planning.  So, how do you plan for the inevitable boozy christmas party invite?  Check out the tips below, but before you do, let’s talk about alcohol.

It’s bubbly, it’s delicious, it’s fun... but it’s also a train-wreck on the weight-watching side of things.  Alcohol is loaded with empty calories that spike your blood-sugar levels then dramatically drop them again, making you feel all of a sudden as if you haven’t eaten for days.  Cue kebab stop.  Not ideal.

If you have to drink, sit on one or two glasses and break them up with glasses of water.  You’ll feel fresher, make smarter snack choices and avoid the nasty morning-after hangover!

Top 5 tips to make it through the party season:

1.  Brush your teeth just before going out. The last thing you’ll want to do after your teeth are gleaming white and breath minty fresh is knock back a wine and a sausage roll, so get the floss out and give them a good clean.

2.   Hydrate.  Half the time we think we’re hungry, our body is really just thirsty!  Have a glass of water before going out and a few more at the party - you’ll feel fuller and less likely to crumble under the canape pressure. 

3.  Don’t skip meals!  It may seem like a clever idea at the time, but going without food from breakfast until 4pm in an attempt to ‘save up your calories’ for the night almost always backfires.  The thing is, you’re so ravenously starving by the time you hit the party, you’re ready to kick off your heels and chase down the risotto balls!  Solution: eat a light healthy meal before the party so you’re not hungry. 

4.  If you do eat at a party, make smart choices.  Go for the most natural food you can - think sushi, fruit, veggies and plain meats – side step the deep fried cheeses and savoury bombs.

5.  Make a deal with yourself. If you really want a glass of champagne and spinach filo pastry and feel like you’re being robbed without it – have one!  Just do it with a promise that you’ll be up for a run tomorrow morning burning it off.  Remind yourself how many lunges you’ll need to do to burn off that cocktail and you might just opt for a soda and lime instead.

Enjoy the silly season this year – throw in some exercise, drink plenty of water, get some sleep and give in to the odd indulgence – as long as you’ve earnt it ☺

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