Christmas can be a challenging time of year – your routines have changed, presents need to be bought, your in laws are visiting… it can be stressful! Add in the changes to diet and it’s no surprise people tend to write off December and start afresh in January. But there’s no need to – here are some tips to enjoy Christmas whilst still thinking about your health.
• Stay hydrated – and we don’t mean mulled wine! Drink plenty of water throughout the day to help manage your appetite and keep your energy levels up.
• Stay balanced – make sure each meal has a portion of protein, fruit/veg and carbs (especially wholewheat or wholemeal carbs for extra fibre). Remember to eat your protein first and then your fruit/veg.
• Stay active – it’s difficult during the colder months but try to do something active everyday – this could be walking the dog, yoga, dancing with friends or tidying the house for Christmas (housework also burns calories!).
• Stay cool – add ice to alcoholic drinks to dilute them, reduce the fizz and make them take longer to drink.
• Stay snacky – it’s important to manage your appetite and prevent over eating by eating regularly throughout the day. Try a festive snack such as satsumas, mixed nuts or roasted chestnuts.
• Stay generous – have piles of food leftover from Christmas Day? Put together care packages for your loved ones so they can have well stocked freezers.
• Stay focused – remember why you started this journey. Is there an outfit you want to wear or an activity you want to do once you’ve lost some weight? Keep this in mind when you make choices, to help motivate you
• Stay mindful – eat slowly at meals and take the time to really enjoy your festive food. Remember the 20/20/20 rule (20 pence piece sized mouthful of food, chew 20 times, wait 20 seconds between each mouthful) so you can keep track of how much you’re eating and listen to your body when it tells you to stop.
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