Christmas is approaching.....
We all love Christmas. It's a time to celebrate, enjoy time with family and friends as well as taking a break from our busy lifestyles (if we are lucky)! But when we are conscious about food and trying to focus on our diet and exercise goals it can get a bit tricky BUT ONLY if we let it.
TIPS ON STAYING ON TRACK
1. Count your Calories
How can we still enjoy our Christmas feast with a few extra treats without it effecting our diets too much? We simply keep track of the amount of calories we are consuming. Most of us have an idea of how much we should be eating throughout the day or use a calorie counter app. If you know you might be having a few more calories than usual it might be a good idea to burn it off the following day with some exercise.
2. Substituting Food & Beverages
There isn't much of a choice if you are at somebody else's place over Christmas but if you are holding the celebrations at your house try to give yourself substitutes such as diet fizzy drinks, low fat desserts, fruit platters and salads using low fat cheese and dressings. This will keep you feeling guilt free throughout the day.
3. Portion Sizes
Ensure you keep your portion sizes at lunch and dinner reasonable. If you are losing weight make sure you are balancing out your protein, carbs and fats. Choose either the potato salad OR the pasta salad rather than placing both on your plate and doubling up on your carbs. You could also choose to have a tablespoon of each carb dish so you don't miss out on anything. Eat your protein without the fatty skins especially with chicken and pork.
4. Alcoholic Beverages
Most of us enjoy a drink or 2 when we are out mingling but try your best not to fill up on TOO much alcohol as most beverages include a high amount of calories. Light beers and spirits seem to have the lowest amount of calories and you can always mix your spirits with a diet drink. If you are a wine drinker or prefer your full strength beer try to consume some water or other non-alcoholic drinks in between each glass/bottle.
5. Have an Exercise Plan ready
Your local gym will probably be closed for a couple of days, enough time to have a nice break but get back into it as soon as possible! Have a plan to return to your exercise regime after Boxing Day. Gym classes are a great way to get you motivated again and assist in burning off those extra calories over Christmas ;) Get your ipod ready with a fresh new playlist as well!
6. Donate or Share your Chocolates!
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The most common gift is receiving chocolates or other similar treats. Why not open them on Christmas day and share them around so you aren't tempted to binge out on them later when no one is around. You could even donate them under a wishing tree for someone who can't afford a treat as often as we can. Take them to work....ANYTHING is better than having them at hand! Yes you can put them away for when you are in need of something sweet but if you are someone who battles with binging and weight, it's often best not to have such temptation available to you. 
7. Wear a pedometer
You might be surprised at how much you are actually moving around especially when preparing for Christmas Day. Wear a pedometer and calculate how many calories you burn throughout the day. It might be enough to cover you for those extra treats you might decide on having. Knowing how many steps you should be taking daily will get you in the habit of perhaps saying "I only need "X" amount of steps to reach my target so I might just go for a quick walk around the block to achieve it" A very handy device to have on hand.
8. Keep Summer on your Mind
Our Christmas falls in Summer and where do a majority of us want to spend our Summer.....at the beach or in the pool!!! You want to feel comfortable, confident and enjoy wearing your swimmers rather than wanting to cover up. Keep this on your mind when you are faced with all the food and beverages during Christmas.
9. Have a special outfit ready for New Years
If you have been losing weight and are fitting into smaller clothes than usual then how about going and finding a new outfit to match your new physique. This will keep you on track over Christmas especially if you want to be looking your best in it on New Years! Little things like this keep you focused.
10. Your Health is a Gift to Yourself
This Christmas, give yourself a healthy new YOU! You have made such great progress and making it through Christmas without putting your hard work and effort to waste. This will be the best gift of all to give to yourself.
