Tuesday 17 December 2013

How Not to Over-Indulge This Festive Season ❆

We're all familiar with the mouth-watering ads for M&S Christmas food range. And we all too familiar with the post-Christmas guilt after a indulging on mince pies, hot-chocolate, tins upon tins of roses, mulled wine, and of course the main event, Christmas dinner itself. However there are ways of enjoying the festive period, without sacrificing your turkey and ham.

Research has shown that the average person puts on 2lbs over the Christmas hols, of which, most people never loose it.



This year, I'm going to a wedding on New Year's Eve, so I really can't afford to be putting on weight at the final hurdle. Here are some of my top tips to beat the bulge.

1. Know what you're eating.
It's very easy to settle down to watch Home Alone, with a tin of Roses on your lap. But do we really know how many we've had? This year, instead of putting the wrappers back in the box where they can be mistaken for full sweets, put them beside you. It won't take long for the wrappers to build up, then it's time to put the lid back on.

2. Chew Chewing Gum.
How often do we go to a party where the host has laid out a massive spread of mince pies, sausage rolls, and cocktail sausages? Without even realising you were hungry, you've scoffed the lot. Try chewing chewing gum. It'll stop you from picking, while occupying your mouth.

3. Crafty Calories.
Did you know, a bottle of wine has on average 600 cals? Yep! Drink is something I rarely take into consideration when doing a calorie count as I often forget about it, but one bottle of wine is the equivalent of a McDonald's cheese and bacon quarter pounder! Try stick to one or two glasses, yeah?

4. Exercise.
I know you're sick of hearing it, I am too, but just 30mins of exercise a day can keep that weight off. Surly you can miss one episode of Come Dine With Me for a 30 minute brisk walk?

5. More Fruit!
I'm not denying you any Christmas plum pudding, sure that's what Christmas is all about! But why not make your own and add even more fruit? There are plenty of recipes online for a fruit-filled pud. Also, a little tip, try switching clotted cream to single cream when serving your desserts.

6. The Main Event.
The Christmas dinner itself. Try pack up your plate with veggies. Vegetables are often boring, however at Christmas we tend to do plenty of fancy things with them, for example, brussel sprouts fried off with some bacon, red onion and walnuts. Fill up while you can, it's not everyday you get fancy veg!


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