Surviving the silly season

The silly season is here! That time of year when you let your hair down and your normal routine gives way to festive fun and feasting. Follow our simple tips so you can take part in all the celebrations and prevent a ‘weighty’ New Year hangover.

Aim to maintain

Celebrations can make it really tough to lose weight during Christmas time. So, perhaps it’s more realistic to focus on maintaining your weight instead; that way you won’t feel deprived nor feel you’re missing out on the fun. Remember to choose the healthier option most of the time, enjoy the occasional treat and plan ahead.

Festive foods

“Around Christmas time, it is culturally normal to eat and be food-focused,” says Sydney-based psychologist Louise Bailey, “and trying to be too strict sets up a kind of deprivation mentality, which won’t help. So, try to relax and allow yourself some treats – whether it is turkey stuffing or sweets.”

Other ways to make healthier and practical choices this Christmas:

• Plan what you’re going to eat. Look up some healthy recipes and snacks. If you’ll be cooking, get the ingredients you need ahead of time to keep stress levels low. Prepare meals in advance when you can, and stock up on home pre-prepared curries and pasta sauces like bolognese that you can take out of the freezer when you need to. Have on hand the ingredients you need to make salad dressings and marinades for fish, grilled meats and stir-fries. You can then throw together a simple meal faster than a takeaway can be delivered to your door!
• Have a snack. If you’re dining out, eat a small meal beforehand. If you turn up starving, you’re more likely to become a permanent fixture at the buffet table and much more likely to overindulge when you’re faced with loads of yummy food.
• Know what you’re going to avoid. Most of the time, skip the foods you know you should avoid – things like salted peanuts, pies, spring rolls, quiches and anything loaded with mayonnaise or sour cream. Opt for lean meat kebabs, fish and seafood, smoked salmon, sushi, fresh prawns, mayo-free salads, salsa and tzatziki with breadsticks and crudités.
• Give and get. Make a pact to give and receive non-food gifts this Christmas.

Festive fitness

If your regular fitness routine goes out the window come Christmas time, there are lots of ways to build some exercise into the festivities.

• Do it early. Planning exercise when you first get out of bed helps you focus on your fitness and set it as a priority. Leave it until later and you probably won’t get round to it.
• Have a dance off. Get the whole family involved in a dancing competition or a challenging, sporty game. Whatever you choose, the more often you get moving, the better.
• Get outside. Take family and friends out for a short beach or bush walk. You’ll boost your mood and give the host or hostess a well-deserved break from relatives and kids in the kitchen. Or, take the whole family ice-skating or ten-pin bowling; fun for kids of all ages.

Festive drinks

Try these easy ways to cut the calories in your celebratory tipples.

• Save some calories in advance. Or increase your activity to compensate for the extra calories in your drinks.
• Pile up the ice. It makes your drink seem bigger without adding calories.
• Choose diet drinks. Try sparkling mineral waters flavoured with fresh lime or add a splash of juice. Alternate alcoholic drinks with low-calorie non-alcoholic drinks – you’ll cut your drinking down by half if you dilute wine 50:50 with diet lemonade or soda water.
• Slow down. Aim to drink at the same rate as the slowest member of your group rather than the fastest friend, so you'll drink less over the course of the evening.
• Do the driving. You wouldn’t drink and drive, would you?

Festive friends and family

There’s no doubt that getting the whole tribe together can be fun, but it can also be very trying. Psychologist Louise Bailey has some timely advice. She says, “Lots of people spend time with family that they maybe don’t get on especially well with. Things with sibling rivalry and politics can add to the potentially explosive mix so it is essential to think about ways beforehand that can help you cope. Perhaps give yourself some down time and go out for a walk or away from the house at some point.”

Go to this week's challenge to start planning your Christmas diet and exericise.