Before you head to a family lunch or your work Christmas drinks, have a little something to eat! Avoiding food earlier in the day because you’re worried about all the food you’re going to eat later is setting yourself up for a binge – because you’ll be starved when you arrive and eat everything in sight! If you eat something with a balance of protein, carbs and fat (and some veggies and/or fruit of course) then you won’t be super hungry and you’ll be much more likely to pick and choose only the foods you really like out of the party’s offerings.

Any movement is better than no movement! Research has shown that those who completely stop exercising over the Christmas break are much more likely to gain weight and lose muscle than those who maintained some level of physical activity (even if both groups ate whatever they wanted!). Squeeze in what you can around all the holiday activities – if you can, 1 or 2 “ANT” sessions a week, or if you’re really stretched for time, a 20 min walk, a 10 min run or cycle or even 5 min stretch in your living room all still count!

There’s a big difference between 10 drinks and 5 drinks in terms of the affect on your body… but not a lot of difference when it comes to enjoying yourself. Would you really feel left out if you didn’t drink the same amount as everyone else? Consider your individual needs and wants and stand firm when that pesky cousin comes around with a wine bottle refilling everyone’s glass. And try not to mix your drinks (didn’t we all learn this the hard way in our teenage years?).

Have you ever come back from a social event thinking… why did I eat all that food? I wasn’t even enjoying it… I don’t even remember how much I ate, or what some of it was? We often drink and eat at social events on autopilot, grabbing everything and anything without thinking,”do I actually want this?”. You don’t have to take everything that is offered – eat only what you would like to eat!

December and January can be a really stressful and busy time of year. Don’t be afraid to decline an invitation or two if you need a moment to yourself to de-stress! If that’s not an option, even just stopping for a minute to take a few deep breaths can make a difference!