Calorie chaos challenges

The festive season is almost upon us and a feast of fine food and calorie chaos challenges await.

Don’t fear, here are three quick tips to avoid festive fat gain and remain resolved to ensure your New Year fitness resolutions remain achievable.

* Food order: Eat the meat and vegetables first. When eating a traditional Christmas meal there are a number of good, filling choices to make, if you make these early on then you will feel fuller when it comes to eating all the other stuff on offer.

For example, in my family we are always asking for more potatoes before anyone has finished the vegetables or turkey on offer. I will still ask for some more because I always get given the same portion as everyone else, even though I am 20kg heavier!

* Ask your friends not to buy you chocolates: Seems simple this one; we all are saying that we want to get into better shape, yet we tell no one, which ties back into what I said a while back about getting support and accountability from your friends.

A friend then unassumingly buys us some divine Belgian chocolates as a gift and we thank them whilst swearing under our breath.

Next thing you know and five different friends have done the same thing and we have so much chocolate that we have to eat otherwise we feel bad, which, I also must add, is somewhat silly.

Just because you have been given chocolates you don’t have to eat them all, you could easily give them to someone who would appreciate the thought and then you both feel good.

* Go out: It is much easier to binge at yours or a friend’s house when there is an absurd amount of food sat on a newly-arranged buffet table than it is if you were to go out to a restaurant to eat.

At a house party it’s not out of the realm of possibility for someone to eat five pieces of cake. Imagine the looks you’d get if you ordered that at a restaurant!

I have shared a complete guide to avoiding a festive bulge over at my website tjhealthandperformance.com where it can be picked up for free!