5 ways to get through Christmas without putting on a stone
The average Brit eats a whopping, button-popping 7,000 calories on Christmas Day alone. And it's not just the day itself - thanks to office parties, drinks with neighbours, and get-togethers with friends and family, the traditional 12 days of calorie-cramming Christmas now extend from early December right through to January.
View in larger screen No wonder then that for those of us trying to watch our weight, the Christmas festivities can be ruined by a real fear of gaining weight. If you've struggled for months to be able to fit into your little black party dress, the last thing you want is to have your self-control tested to the limit every single day.
Shops may only be closed for a couple of days over Christmas, but as a society we still succumb to the idea of stocking up and over-shopping for food. Supermarket shelves are laden with seasonal snack foods and endless two-for-one offers encourage you to fill your trolley, while at home - especially when you're playing the generous host to relatives and friends - every time you open your kitchen cupboards, you're taunted with 'treat' food.
Christmas parties are weighed down with high-fat nibbles. It's perfectly possible to blow a whole day's recommended calorie consumption in just half an hour's grazing. A portion of crisps comes in at 60 calories, a handful of mixed nuts at 243 calories, Christmas cake is 249 calories and one mince pie and double cream is 370 calories. Even at work, it's difficult to escape the group gluttony with people constantly passing around mince pies and Quality Street with the constant refrain: 'Go on - it's Christmas.'
And just when you couldn't be feeling more tense, chances are your home will be invaded by hordes of relatives all expecting a succession of meals, snacks and drinks. Comfort eating has never seemed so well named, as you give in the struggle and seek solace in a sizeable chunk of Christmas cake. Weight watchers up and down the country admit 'if you can't beat em, join em' and rush headlong into an orgy of over-indulgence - only to get back on the scales in January filled with self-loathing.
But it doesn't have to be like that. Even the most tempted of slimmers can still be in shape by January. Kate Cook, a clinical nutritionist and life coach at , has some suggestions for how to get through the season of over-stuffing without gaining a stone.
Christmas comes but once a year - so relax and enjoy it
'What's the point of refusing yourself a mince pie, then feeling miserable,' says Kate Cook. 'It's absolutely OK to have occasional treats. I call it the 80/20 per cent rule - 20 per cent isn't worth beating yourself about, as long as you're eating healthily 80 per cent of the time. It's far better to indulge in a mince pie, savour every mouthful, and then stop, than think, "I've messed up - I might as well really overeat now" and keep gorging for the next two weeks.'
Have a little of what you love
Kate Cook suggests that rather than just mindlessly hoovering up the party buffet or dipping into the box of chocolates every five minutes while watching the Christmas film, choose a treat you really enjoy. 'If you love chocolate, get the best quality you can and eat it slowly, so your tastebuds have a proper treat.'
Party tricks
'Make sure you've drunk two or three glasses of water and you're hydrated before you go to a party,' advises Kate. 'If you arrive thirsty, and you're offered a cool glass of wine, you're going to down it far more quickly. By the second glass, your resolve will be slipping and before you know it you'll be grazing on the party food. Try and intersperse alcoholic drinks with soft drinks.'
She also recommends eating before you arrive so your blood sugar levels haven't dipped. 'Have a 'snack attack pack' containing oat cakes and fruit in your handbag if you're going out straight after work and make sure you have a proper lunch. At the party, stand away from the food so your hands won't stray.'
Stress and stuffing
'Accept that Christmas is a stressful time, try to delegate and not make everybody else's happiness your responsibility,' says Kate. 'Carve time out for yourself, away from the kitchen and its temptations, and take a long soak in the bath or go for an invigorating walk.'
Don't be a party pooper
'Try not to look on different foods as good or bad - view food as neutral,' says Kate. 'Keep focused on why you're trying to lose weight. If it's for health reasons, visualise yourself fit and achieving some physical feat. If it's to look better, imagine yourself confident and wearing the dress of your dreams.'