Festive Season Survival Tips

Christmas is a time for celebration and, for many of us, overindulgence in food and alcohol is common at this time of year. All the fun however, can turn into grief as we cope with that awful hangover or those few extra kilos that are so much harder to get off than they are to put on.

• Don’t try to lose weight over Christmas. With parties, families and all the special foods that go with Christmas, it’s going to be just about impossible! Your main aim should be to maintain your weight (using some of the tips below!). But make sure you get back on to healthy eating on January 2.
   
• Have your regular meals, don’t starve yourself. If you skip meals you are sure to fill up on high fat snacks. It only takes a few of these to add up to more calories than your usual meal.
   
• Avoid going to a function starving, a small snack like a bowl of cereal, yoghurt or a sandwich are quick and will help fill you up. It will help if you are well hydrated before you arrive.
   
• If you have a tendency to over eat, work out how many savouries you’re going to limit yourself to and stick to it. Pick up just one savoury at a time, then walk away.
   
• Deep fried foods, crumbed and battered foods, cheese platter and nuts are all high in fat. Choose fruit, vegetable or bread based snacks.
   
•  If you are hosting the party, offer your guests a range of low fat snacks as well. Pretzels, rice crackers, vegetable sticks, fruit platters, breads and foccacias are all low in fat.
   
• If you are taking a plate, make sure yours is healthy. A platter of the wonderful summer fruit that is now available is much more inviting than a packet of chips.
   
• Follow the party food guide below.
   
• Listen to your body and stop eating when you feel full.
   
• Just say ‘No” to food – mentally practice strategies to decline food offers. For example: “It looks amazing but I am full” or “I tried it and it was great”.
   
• Chat and mingle. If you are bored at a party you’re more likely to hover around the food table or seek out the serving platter. A good conversation should distract you from the food. Avoid standing right beside the food table or bar while you’re talking.
   
• Think about your drinks, alcohol can add to the calorie count very quickly. Dilute your drinks. Try a spritzer (½ wine, ½ soda). If you prefer spirits, try a diet mixer. Remember soft drinks, 100% juices, punches, tonic water and flavoured mineral water all have similar calories. Lite beers are lower in calories.
   
• To lower how much alcohol you are having, alternate alcoholic drinks with glasses of soft drinks or water.
   
• Make sure you know how much you are actually drinking, and don’t allow someone else to replenish your glass before it is empty. (Also good for drink-driving rules!)
   
•  Join in the Christmas backyard cricket game or go for a stroll with some long lost relatives. Keep active.  Remember you're aiming for 30 minutes of physical activity each day.
   
•  If your regular exercise class stops over the Christmas break, plan other types of exercise - organise your friends and put a date in your diary.