Like everyone at Christmas I bet you are worrying about putting on a few pounds over the festive period. Well fear not…I have come up with some tips to help you minimise how much weight you may gain and of course you can all go ahead and ignore me, but some of you may take some notice at least!

So, now for the tips…..

  • Eat more protein. This will fill you up for longer and helps balance your blood sugar, so it may stop you from wanting to indulge as much in all the sweet stuff!
  • Opt for alcoholic drinks that are not as high in calories, such as spirits with tonic water/soda/fruit juice, or prosecco/champagne, as this comes in smaller measures and of course still aim to not drink a whole bottle of the stuff! Minimise drinks like Baileys as this contains a lot of calories per serving.
  • If foods like bread, pasta, cakes, biscuits, or anything else containing wheat bloats you out and tends to add on the pounds go for the gluten free options as this can really help to prevent extra weight gain. Same for foods containing dairy like chocolates, ice cream and cream, get the dairy free versions.
  • Avoid any low fat or low sugar foods as these really mess up your hormones and metabolism, which could add to the weight gain!
  • Simply aim to eat less of the sweet or carb based foods if you can manage to resist them. Maybe set a day you are going to indulge and then say to yourself you are going to be healthy the rest of the week, or just have mini portions of the foods you love if you do need to indulge every day over the holidays.
  • If you are a typical grazer who keeps going back for more, think of some things you can do to pass the time, or when you feel bored, instead of eating.
  • Try and implement some regular exercise during the Christmas period. This doesn’t have to be a hard slog down the gym, it can be going for a walk, dancing, yoga or anything else you enjoy. Aim to do either 45 minutes 3 times  that week, or 30 minutes 5 times that week. Failing that get frisky with your partner as this burns off some calories! Failing that, make sure you laugh a lot as this even burns off some calories!

Hope this has provided you with some helpful hints and tips for the festive period. Merry Christmas! To find out more facts about some of the topics mentioned in my blog follow me on twitter through the link on my website.