Aside from avoiding food altogether this Christmas, try these handy tips to keep the weight off, and avoid giving into temptation.
• Plan ahead: Tucking into a Christmass feast later on? Plan a day of smaller meals beforehand and avoid between-meal treats.
• Chocolate box gifts: Never have more than one box of chocolates open at a time, and keep unopened boxes out of sight. They won’t go off – stagger them over the next few months if necessary.
• At the Christmas buffet: Do not hover by the buffet table. Make your selection then step away from the table. Think about what you’re putting on your plate – make it one portion and do not make repeat visits. Choose a smaller, dessert-sized plate, and avoid the high saturated fat offerings like sausage rolls and quiche. Instead load up on fruit, skinless chicken and vegetables.
• At work: If everyone brings in Christmas goodies to share, make your contribution festive, but healthy, and eat that rather than the high-calorie communal chocolate and mince pies.
• At the supermarket: make a shopping list and stick to it. Avoid the aisles of temptation and make your Christmas snacks plain popcorn, pretzels and vegetable crudités with a low-fat dip.
• The bird: turkey is a great source of protein and a low-fat meat. Most of the fat that is present in a cooked turkey will be found in the skin. So don’t eat the skin.
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• Perfect portions. Even on Christmas Day, when turkey, stuffing, potatoes and rolls are begging to be eaten, make sure vegetables take up one-third of the space on your dinner plate. If you’re in charge of cooking, steam veg where possible or use only a small amount of water. Brussel sprouts, peas and carrots can all be served unbuttered. Use the veg water for gravy and any leftover vegetables in a delicious soup to help fill you up and keep down the calorie count in the days after Christmas.
• Healthy options: want to keep the calories down even further? Try dry roasting potatoes on a non-stick baking sheet, or use an oil spray instead of smothering them in fat. You can also make gravy using vegetable stock instead of meat juices, accompanied by a fruit-based stuffing.
• Bottoms down: who doesn’t drink more at Christmas? At the very least, steer clear of sweet cocktails and creamy liqueurs. Have a glass of water after every alcoholic drink, to keep down the calorie count. It also has the benefit of leaving you with a clearer head the next morning.
• Pie wise: the average mince pie contains around 250 calories and that’s before you’ve added cream or brandy butter. Can’t resist this Christmas treat? Always remove the lid to cut its calorie-count.
Remember moderation, most specialists encourage you to eat what you want as long as you don’t overdo it.
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