Stop yourself from gaining weight this party season

We don’t need to tell you it’s easy to put on weight over Christmas and New Year. The average person gains five pounds – more than enough to make your clothes feel tight ...  

It’s shocking how little extra you have to eat or drink to put on weight. “People gain five pounds on average over the festive season because we tend to increase our calorie intake by about 500 calories per day over and above the 2,500 recommended daily calories for men and 2,000 for women,” says Dr Áine O’Connor, a nutrition scientist from the British Nutrition Foundation.

“500 calories sounds a lot but it’s equivalent to just a few handfuls of crisps, a mini sausage roll and a couple of glasses of wine each day. So it’s easy to gain this weight, but it can be much harder to lose.”

Fancy a challenge this Christmas?

Wouldn’t it be great to start 2011 weighing the same as you did in November 2010?

That way you can avoid bulging out of your New Year’s outfit – and you won’t have to go through the depressing rigmarole of counting calories in January.

Here are a few simple changes you can make to your usual Christmas routine that’ll help you avoid piling on the pounds. You’ll also feel better from the other health benefits that come with watching how much you’re drinking and eating.

Smarter drinking

Whether at home, your office do or a neighbour’s festive soiree, the amount of calories in alcohol is shocking, so overdoing it on the Christmas drinks can easily make you pack on the pounds.

One large (250ml) glass of wine has 185 calories, the same as a bar of chocolate. A single measure of spirits has around 55 calories, plus even more in a mixer (there’s 140 calories in a can of Coke). That’s the same are eating a packet of crisps.

Lager has even more calories, with a 4% ABV pint containing around 200 calories – the same as in a mince pie. Also, look out for the high calories in your favourite Christmas tipples like Sherry and Eggnog.

And here’s the kicker – drinking can make you eat more too. “You have to remember that alcohol lowers your blood sugar, making you hungry,” says Sian Porter, consultant dietician and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association. “The more you drink the more your desire to eat may increase, and the less likely you are to eat sensibly.”

Tips

Keep an eye on what you’re drinking. If you’re drinking alcohol, try to stick within the government's daily unit guidelines which advise that men shouldn’t regularly drink more than 3-4 units a day (equivalent to a pint and a half of 4% beer) and women shouldn’t regularly drink more than 2-3 units a day (equivalent to a 175ml glass of 13% wine).

Watch out for hosts topping up your glass, so you don't lose track of what you’re drinking. And try alternating between soft drinks and alcoholic ones. Cutting down on alcohol and drinking water or soft drinks will keep you hydrated and help you avoid a horrible hangover so you can enjoy every day of the festive season to the full.

Smarter eating

Christmas food can be loaded with calories. The average person consumes a whopping 6,000 calories on Christmas day – three times as many as a woman needs.

There are however things you can do to lower the amount of calories you consume on Christmas day. “Small things like putting lots of vegetables on your plate when you’re eating Christmas dinner and simply keeping track of what you’re drinking can help,” says Porter.

Watch your snacking too. “On Christmas day – and throughout the festive season, eating extra snacks can easily lead to weight gain,” says Porter. “You might have just one chocolate every hour or two. But they can have up to 50 calories in them, which really adds up over the day.”

You don’t have to miss out on extra treats – why not swap some of those chocolates for satsumas or dates instead?

And if you’re out and about at any parties Sian says to be wary of buffet food “There tends to be a lot of calories in party food, and it’s often fried.” A typical buffet plate could add up to hundreds of calories, with food like mini sausages (37 calories each), mini pastry tartlets (45 calories each) cheese straws (50 calories each) and sour cream and chive dip (110 calories in two tablespoons).

There are a few simple tricks you can use to avoid high-calorie foods at parties. “If you’re going to drink, eat a substantial meal before you go out, so you don’t arrive hungry,” says Dr O’Connor. “Studies show that the greater the choice of food on offer, the more calories we tend to consume. So rather than trying a little of everything, stick to a couple of smart choices from the buffet.”

Exercise

With the temptation of a warm fire and TV, or the lure of a festive party, it’s all too easy to let your exercise routine fall by the wayside over Christmas and New Year.

But you don’t have to turn into a couch potato. You’ll probably have some time off, so what better opportunity to get the family all together and go out for a walk or cycle, or a quick kick about?

Getting moving is a great way to burn off those extra calories you might be consuming. “If you don’t have time to follow your usual exercise pattern during the festive period, compensate by building physical activity into your daily routine. A breath of fresh air will help you feel refreshed, can help prevent indigestion and with 30 minutes walking you can use up 200 calories,” recommends Dr O’Connor.

All information on calories in food is courtesy of the British Nutrition Foundation -  www.nutrition.org.uk

Page last updated by

Unknown, 10 May 2012.

Page checked on

06 Dec 2010