| Dr Andrew Binns, With a little planning it is possible to enjoy the Christmas festivities without putting on weight. Some of us are overweight because of our genes, fat intake, portion size, physical inactivity and behaviour. Forget the genes as there is nothing we can do about them. But for everything else mentioned we do have some control.
Fat intake
It's fat that makes fat. Fat has twice the number of calories compared with carbohydrate per gram. To avoid depositing fat particularly around the waist we need to avoid the fat in food. Become particularly wary of the hidden fats in pastries, biscuits, speads, creamy sauces and dairy products. The good news is that most of these products now come in low fat varieties. Choose leaner cuts of meat, skinless chicken and fish that is grilled not battered and deep fried. Big chunky chips oven-baked with a spray of olive oil are much lower in fat than skinny french fries.
Portion size
At Christmas time there is the tendency to eat until absolutely stuffed full. Then there is all the excessive picking at the leftovers for the next few days. By reducing portion size (consider reducing the size of the plates used) the daily intake of energy can be subtly reduced without missing out on all the fun. For bulk go for the carbohydrates and fibre, ie. fruits and veggies, which are filling without being high in calories. Start the day with a high fibre breakfast.
Activity
Being in holiday mode is a great opportunity to move around a bit more. Plain old walking is the best activity to burn fat. The more the better. The pace only needs to be moderate and every extra bit of activity is additive in terms of energy/fat consumption. Look for every opportunity to walk more. Trade off activity for extra eating. For example, after the Christmas pudding, rather than the lie down and snooze try a walk. Increase daily activity with planned activities as well as incidental activity such as using the stairs instead of escalators and lifts, more gardening and walking to the shops.
Behaviour
Watch those automatic behaviours - when the ad comes on while watching the cricket resist the thoughtless high fat snack. Try fruit or a low fat snack, better still do something else. Eat when a bit hungry not starving and don't allow yourself to get too full. Don't feel guilty about a bit of a splurge - the odd occasion does not matter and you can always trade off by increasing activity.
Alcohol and sweet drinks
These are all high in calories - water has none. Drink water to quench the thirst and alcohol and sweet drinks (including fruit juice) for pleasure. The combination of alcohol and fatty food is very fattening. For every extra standard drink consumed try walking an extra kilometre.
Have a happy healthy Christmas and start the new year feeling positive about your body.
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