SURVIVING THE SILLY SEASON

The silly season is here! That time of year when you let your hair down and your normal routine gives way to festive fun and feasting. Here are some simple tips to apply during this busy period to help you maintain your great work throughout the past 3 months, as well as enjoying this great time of year.

Aim to maintain

Celebrations can make it really tough to lose weight during Christmas time. So, perhaps it’s more realistic to focus on maintaining your weight instead; that way you won’t feel deprived nor feel you’re missing out on the fun.

Remember to choose the healthier option most of the time, enjoy the occasional treat and plan ahead.

Festive foods

Sydney-based psychologist Louise Bailey, says “Around Christmas time, it is culturally normal to eat and be food-focused…trying to be too strict sets up a kind of deprivation mentality, which won’t help. So, try to relax and allow yourself some treats – whether it is turkey stuffing or sweets.”

Here are some other practical ways to enjoy Christmas without undoing all your hard work.

  • Plan what you’re going to eat. Look up some healthy recipes and snacks. If you’ll be cooking, get the ingredients you need ahead of time to keep stress levels low. Prepare meals in advance when you can, and stock up on home pre-prepared curries and pasta sauces like Bolognese that you can take out of the freezer when you need to. Have on hand the ingredients you need to make salad dressings and marinades for fish, grilled meats and stir-fries. You can then throw together a simple meal faster than a takeaway can be delivered to your door!
  • Have a snack. If you’re dining out, eat a small meal beforehand. If you turn up starving, you’re more likely to become a permanent fixture at the buffet table and much more likely to overindulge when you’re faced with loads of yummy food.
  • Know what you’re going to avoid.Most of the time, skip the foods you know you should avoid – things like salted peanuts, pies, spring rolls, quiches and anything loaded with mayonnaise or sour cream. Opt for lean meat kebabs, fish and seafood, smoked salmon, sushi, fresh prawns, mayo-free salads, salsa and tzatziki with breadsticks and crudités.
  • Give and get. Make a pact to give and receive non-food gifts this Christmas.

Festive fitness

If your regular fitness routine goes out the window come Christmas time, there are lots of ways to build some exercise into the festivities.

  • Do it early.Planning exercise when you first get out of bed helps you focus on your fitness and set it as a priority. Leave it until later and you probably won’t get round to it.
  • Use the Kids.Kids have an abundance of energy, which can sometimes be hard to contain around the table or house. Grab the kids and take them down to the nearest park to kick a footy, it may be the perfect excuse to get away from the in-laws or the awkward conversation.
  • Family Challenge. Everyone loves a challenge and some friendly competition. Why not take the family out to an open space and get involved in a game of cricket or bocce. This could evolve into a tradition each year. You may even plan your meal around this and have a BBQ lunch at a park or public open space.

Festive drinks

Try these easy ways to cut the calories in your celebratory tipples.

  • Save some calories in advance. Or increase your activity to
    compensate for the extra calories in your drinks.
  • Pile up the ice.It makes your drink seem bigger without adding calories.
  • Choose diet drinks. Try sparkling mineral waters flavored with fresh lime or add a splash of juice. Alternate alcoholic drinks with low-calorie non-alcoholic drinks – you’ll cut your drinking down by half if you dilute wine 50:50 with diet lemonade or soda water.
  • Slow down. Aim to drink at the same rate as the slowest member of your group rather than the fastest friend, so you'll drink less over the course of the evening.
  • Do the driving. You wouldn’t drink and drive, would you?