Tips for preventing Christmas weight gain

• Never go to a Christmas party starving, always have a light, protein rich snack such as a nut bar or peanut butter corn thins before you go to avoiding overindulging on the pastries
• Limit high fat treats including mince pies to the Christmas week itself
• Swap beer, wine and champagne to spirits with low cal mixers
• Swap dinner for a light soup or salad when you have eaten out
• Look for protein rich options such as prawn and chicken skewers and sushi on food platters
• Bulk your plate up with salad to make sure you get the bulk factor of your meal
• Talk to your boss now about featuring nutritious options as opposed to the cheap and nasty pies, sausage rolls and vol au vent’s
• Differentiate special occasions from cheap drinks and nibblers with random work acquaintances
• Avoid cheap wine and champagne altogether - they give a nasty hangover
• Try not to keep chip, nuts and lollies in easy to nibble places
• Choose only good quality pastries, chocolates and sweets
• Avoid doing your big Christmas shop until Christmas is much closer
• Remember your low calories drink options
• Swap crackers and rice snacks to wafer thins and vegetable sticks
• Make dips using low fat sour cream and yoghurt
• Remember that Christmas is really just one day, not 4 + weeks
• Go for an extra run when you have over indulgedMaintain your routine exercise and add in some extra walking to compensate for the extra calories