Ways to get through Xmas in your current shape

MEDIA RELEASE

December 16, 2009

5 painless ways to get through Christmas in your current shape

While Christmas is a time for celebration with family and friends, for many of us overindulgence in food and alcohol is common at this time of year. All the fun can quickly turn into grief as we cope with that awful hangover or those few extra kilos that are so much harder to get off than they were to put on.

Here are 5 simple tips from the New Zealand Nutrition Foundation to help you survive the festive season:

• Don’t try to lose weight over Christmas. With parties, families and all the special foods that go with Christmas, it’s going to be just about impossible! Enjoy the fun and aim to not gain any weight.

• Have your regular meals, don’t go hungry. If you skip meals you are sure to fill up on high fat snacks. It only takes a few of these to add up to more calories than your usual meal.

• Don’t go to a party hungry and thirsty. A small snack like a bowl of cereal, yoghurt or a sandwich and a glass of water are quick and will help fill you up.

• Chat and mingle. If you are bored at a party you’re more likely to hover around the food table or seek out the serving platter. A good conversation should distract you from the food.

• Think about your drinks. Alcohol contains a lot of calories. Dilute your drinks - have you tried a spritzer (½ wine, ½ soda)? Low-alcohol beers have fewer calories. If you prefer spirits, try a diet mixer. Remember soft drinks, juices, tonic water and flavoured mineral water will all add to the calorie count as well. Go for the diet drinks when there is a choice.

If you do really overdo it, take a deep breath and start the next day afresh with a healthy eating and exercise day. No fasting - just sensible eating, after all it's not the "feastive" season. Remember, a few parties won’t make you overweight; it’s what you do the other 360 days of the year that counts.

ENDS

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