10 simple tips on how to enjoy Xmas without gaining extra kilos

  1. Apply the 80/20 rule. Choose to eat 80 percent nutritious healthy food and indulge in your favorite food with the other 20 percent.
  2. If you are having a pot luck meal with family and friends, take some yummy salads or vegetable dishes as part of your contribution. Make them festive by adding seasonal produce such as cherries, or special by adding macadamias or pine nuts.
  3. Don’t start the Xmas day meal starving because you will be more inclined to binge on all the wrong food.
  4. Reduce your alcohol content by using the 80/20 rule. Replace some of the alcohol with virgin mojitos (carbonate mineral water, lemon juice, mint leaves and sweeten with a little Stevia) or soda water and a squeeze of lime.
  5. Avoid sitting next to bowls of nuts, chips, and nibbles and aimlessly pick away at them. Put a few items on a small plate and only eat off the plate.
  6. Fill up on the vegetables and lean protein rather than the carbs and fat-laden sauces.
  7. Watch your portion sizes; this isn’t your last meal!
  8. Avoid having second helpings.
  9. If your family or friends push your buttons, don’t use food to suppress your emotions or regulate your mood. Instead, move away from the person, change the topic of conversation, or take a brisk walk.
  10. Enjoy the dessert but half the serve and give the other portion to someone else at the table. After all, it is the season of giving!

Best wishes for the festive season!