Every year the blog posts and the articles come out – how to avoid putting on weight over Christmas, and how to avoid blowing your diet over the festive season. Rather than just repeat what we’ve all read before – I thought I’d put a slightly different slant on things. Are you ready for some amazing news….? Right, here goes. What you eat and drink for one week of the year makes no appreciable difference to your long term body size, shape or weight!
Although we all know this in theory, many of us still worry, alternating between just eating everything on the basis that it’s already too late and we’ve blown the Christmas diet, and not eating properly because because we feel so guilty about it.
Relax! There’s a big difference between enjoying some larger meals, and a few treats with family and friends, and demolishing an entire box of Quality Street on your own in front of the telly. Enjoy the family meals, enjoy the drinks, but know that when it’s over, you’re going to have to get back to normal! And when you do go back to your usual diet, then a few extra meals, over the space of a few months really will be meaningless.
Some easy things that you can do to mitigate the worst of it are: drink lots of water, get as much sleep as possible, don’t eat rubbish when you are alone, try and include some vegetables with your meals (and actually eat them!). If you do belong to a gym then try to carry on with your usual routine for as long as possible. Try to stay active, for us locals in Highgate, Hampstead and Muswell Hill we are so lucky to have Hampstead Heath practically on our doorsteps. It’s beautiful at this time of year! Why not take a family walk through the heath, or Highgate Woods, or a bike ride up Highgate Hill?
In short, enjoy your Christmas diet – don’t let feelings of guilt spoil your holidays, but remember all good things come to an end – and my next blog post will be about the dreaded New Year Resolutions!