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5 tips to avoid a 10lb Christmas weight gain

The average person puts on between five and ten pounds betweenNovember and January and it's pretty easy to put on more if youlet yourself feast on all the delights of the season. But whowants to be miserable and diet through Christmas? Follow thesetips to have fun without piling on the pounds.

1. Have the right attitude

If you go into Christmas with the idea that you'll just eateverything you possibly can and worry about it in January thenyou will bitterly regret it when Christmas is over. Decide toenjoy the festive season without going plain silly over all thegoodies on offer. Choose the things you particularly like andsay no to anything which you're really not bothered about.

2. Eat how much you need

At every meal aim for a comfortable feeling of satisfactionrather than getting to the stage where you need to loosen yourwaistband. Decide to enjoy your meal AND feel great afterwards.This tip alone will save you hundreds of calories every meal. Ifyou want to try all the courses, have small portions ofeverything you really want.

3. Keep up your exercise

Don't give up your usual exercise routine over the holidaysbecause it will be hard to get back into it later. If you reallycan't get to the gym, do a few exercises at home or go outwalking. It will not just use up some calories, it will keep youin touch with your desire to stay slim and healthy. Also keep asactive as possible as you go about your day - don't sit aboutwatching the TV specials, nibbling nuts and chocolate.

4. Put it

away

If you have lots of extra treats at home "for guests", get themout when people come and put them away when they go home. Out ofsight, out of mind will help a little but if those treats dostart calling out to you from the cupboard, put a few on a plateand put the rest away so that you are not constantly nibblingfrom the packet.

5. Peace and goodwill

Try and keep calm over Christmas. As stress levels rise, so doesour tendency to eat for comfort. Just remember that you don'thave to make Christmas perfect for everyone else while runningyourself into the ground. Do the best you can with the timeavailable and then just decide to enjoy it however much you'vedone. If others have expectations of how Christmas should bethen get them involved in making it so! Have some (non-food)treats up your sleeve to enjoy when it all gets a bit too much.It doesn't cost a lot to tuck away a sachet of perfumed bubblebath, a glossy magazine or a novel you've been dying to read. Ifall else fails call an old friend for a chat rather than eatingthe fridge empty.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

About the author:

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach and author of "The DietExit Plan", the system that promotes permanent healthy andAUTOMATIC weight loss through making small changes to youreveryday habits. Visit http://www.SimplySlimming.com/Christmastoday to get the Simply Slimming FREE ezine full of tips andrecipes and a 24 page special report "How to have a GreatChristmas without piling on the pounds".