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Christmas Food Survival Guide

By Anita Bean

Christmas is the traditional time for overeating and drinking too much. Parties, social and family gatherings make Christmas one of the hardest times of the year to stick rigidly to a healthy eating plan. But it need not be a case of the rapidly disappearing waistline. With a little nutrition know-how and crafty swaps you don't have to blow out over Christmas nor do you have to avoid all the parties. There is certainly nothing wrong with indulging yourself provided you remember to balance this out with healthier habits at other times of the day.

Follow our food survival plan to prevent your toned physique sinking beneath layers of unwanted fat this Christmas.

How much weight will you gain?

The average person gains 5lb (2kg) over Christmas. Some of this extra weight - 1 lb to 4 lb - will be water and glycogen (stored carbohydrate); the remainder will be fat.

The average person stores around 400 - 500g (approximately 1 lb) of glycogen, although the more muscle mass you have and the fitter you are, the more you can store. For each gramme of glycogen stored you also store 3g of water with it. If you have dieted before hand or been very active, glycogen stores will be depleted. Replenishing your glycogen stores can create a total weight gain of around 4 lb. If you have not been dieting/ exercising, glycogen stores are probably half 'full' - expect to gain around 2lb in glycogen and water.

Salty food can increase water retention - up to 2 or 3 lbs can be stored - but this is temporary and will be lost once you reduce your salt intake.

How much fat can you gain?

The extra fat you eat - from mince pies, chocolates and so on - is readily turned in to fat on your body. An extra 3500 Calories (equivalent to 14 mince pies) puts on 1lb of fat. If you overeat just 500 kcal a day (equivalent to a couple of small slices of Christmas cake) for one week you will gain 1 lb of fat. If you overeat 1000 kcal a day for one week you will gain 2 lb of fat.

How to avoid gaining 5 lb

The secret to keeping your weight stable while still indulging over Christmas is to incorporate more activity in your daily life. We 're not necessarily talking about a vigorous workout in the gym every day but relatively small amounts of moderate activity mean that you can allow yourself the pleasures of eating and drinking without gaining an ounce.

For example, to burn off the calories provided by one mince pie (250 kcal) you could spend 50 minutes weight training in the gym or 42 minutes on an exercise bike. Alternatively, you could take a brisk 20 minute walk to work and a 20 minute swim at lunch- time. Stuck at home? Don't sit still; 34 minutes of general cleaning and 46 minutes of vacuuming would also burn the same number of calories.

To burn off one mince pie (250 kcal)
Cycling	42 minutes
Swimming (fast breast stroke)	26 minutes
Jogging	31 minutes
Stepper/Stair master	25 minutes
Weight training	50 minutes

Amount of exercise needed to work off Christmas treats
4oz (112g) Christmas pudding (300 kcal)	45 minutes aerobics
1 chocolate croissant (315 kcal)	39 minutes jogging (moderate pace)

How to make Christmas Day easier on your waistline:

Have a light but filling breakfast - fresh fruit; cereal and low fat milk - to ward off hunger pangs until lunch-time.
Replace high fat nibbles with crunchy crudités, bread sticks or popcorn.
Remove the skin from your turkey.
Cut potatoes and parsnips into large chunks so they will absorb less fat during roasting - coat lightly in olive or vegetable oil.
Pass on the bacon rolls and sausages - fill up with extra veggies (non-buttered).
Instead of cream on your pudding, mix half cream and half fromage frais or yoghurt, and add a splash of brandy.
Make mince pies with pastry on the bottom only OR use filo pastry.
Omit the suet/ fat and half the sugar from home-made Christmas pudding - use pureed prunes or mashed banana to replace the fat and extra dried fruit to replace the sugar.
Go for a family walk after Christmas dinner. Sitting around watching TV lends itself to further nibbling.

How To Survive Christmas Parties

Party nibbles and snacks are often laden with fat and salt. Use the guide below to avoid the worst ones and choose instead the healthier alternatives.

Pass On	Healthier Choice
Crisps/ potato/ corn snacks	Baked potato/ corn chips (very low fat); rice cakes
Salted peanuts	Popcorn (plain); raisins
Sausage rolls	Crisprolls; mini crackers
Vol au vents	Filo pastry parcels filled with grilled vegetables
Cheese straws	Twiglets
Cocktail sausages	Oatcakes topped with low fat cheese/ tuna or chestnut pate/ tomatoes
WeightLossGold.com also recommends:
Soda drinks	Low-Carb Fruity Drinks
Desserts	Low-Carb Desserts>
Chocolates	Low-Carb Chocolate Bars

Party Survival Tips

Have a small healthy snack (e.g. a cheese sandwich) before you go so you aren't starving when you arrive. It will stop you overeating at the party.
Don't skip breakfast or lunch or else you will feel hungrier later on and more tempted to overeat.
Stand away from tempting bowls of crisps, chocolates and nuts.
Stand as far away from the buffet table or kitchen as you can.
Avoid anything made with pastry (e.g. quiche; sausage rolls; vol au vents).
Put all your food on a plate in one go - don't keep on returning to the buffet table and picking at individual foods.

How to Avoid Overeating

Listen to your natural appetite cues.
Balance your indulgences with healthy eating during the rest of the day, not starvation.
Don't attempt to compensate for overeating by starving yourself before or afterwards - this upsets your normal appetite cues and can lead to a vicious circle of crash dieting and overeating or bingeing which may be difficult to break. If you over-indulge, do not feel guilty afterwards.

How to Avoid Temptation

Plan your menus carefully in advance so you don't over-buy food. You are not shopping for a seige!
Buy several smaller packs of crisps, chocolates, nuts, etc. rather than giant size packs - any leftovers will therefore keep intact.
Prepare only as much food as you and your guests need.
Freeze leftovers such as meat, mince pies and cake - you are less likely to eat them in a moment of weakness.
Offer any leftovers to your guests to take away!

Why do I feel sleepy after Christmas dinner?

After eating a big meal your poor body has to work extra hard to digest all that food. Blood is diverted from your limbs and muscles to your gut and liver to cope with the big task of digestion and absorption. This leaves less available to your brain, making you feel sleepy and sluggish.

Also, the big surge in carbohydrate and protein intake causes a rapid increase in insulin (a hormone) which lowers blood sugar levels. So, you feel more lethargic.

Why do I overeat at Christmas?

Most people eat more than they need at Christmas without being hungry. Identify your triggers below and work to diffuse them by using one of the suggestions given.

Eating when bored or depressed
Find a non-food activity - go for a walk; play a game; get on with a hobby.
Eating because food is there
Either remove yourself or remove the food. Listen to your natural appetite cues.
Eating at social functions
Don't be afraid to request exactly what you want or say "no thank you" to your host; eat beforehand so you are not starving; don't feel pressurised into second helpings; explain to your host/guests that you feel more comfortable with less food.
Eating in front of the TV
Turn off the TV or remove the food.

Working It Off

If you have overeaten, you can help prevent it becoming permanent by taking gentle exercise (e.g. a brisk walk) as soon as possible. Research has found that aerobic exercise either just before or after a meal helps reduce blood fats and therefore the chances of excess fat deposition on your hips. So, instead of collapsing on the sofa take a brisk walk or a leisurely bike ride. But don't exercise too vigorously - you may end up with stomach cramps or indigestion. You should still be able to hold a conversation without feeling too breathless.

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Christmas Food Survival Guide