Festive tips

I don't know about you but since arriving in Perth I feel I have eaten my way through most of December. I hear my own words of advice "Remember - Christmas is only one day" going in one ear and out of the other. The fridge is full, the bar (aka the fridge) is open by just after 4pm everyday, treats and once a year goodies flow freely throughout the day. Now I haven't completely let myself go, after all that hard work there is no way I could put it all to waste so I follow a few little guidelines that I thought I'd share with you;

Always eat a good breakfast: this means a decent sized meal containing proteins and complex carbohydrates. That bowl of fruit may feel like a good healthy start to the day but it won't keep you going for long and you will soon be reaching for those morning mince tarts! Wholemeal toast and a couple of poached eggs is a great start to the day.

Start with the large and end with the small: meaning begin your day with that good sized breakfast and taper your meals accordingly. Eat a medium sized lunch, a smaller dinner and aim to finish eating at least two hours before you head to bed.

Snack: eat every 2-3 hours, if you leave it longer than this you will almost definitely fill up on sweet calorie filled foods.

Keep moving: Holidays for the majority of people mean MORE food and LESS movement - a recipe for trouble if ever I heard one. Try this; leave your car on your driveway with a full tank of petrol all week, don't move it, add 2 liters of petrol every 1-2 hours for the entire week it will soon be overflowing! Do the same to yourself and those jeans might begin to acquire their own overflow. Keep training and keep exercise as part of your daily habit.

Keep healthy snacks on hand: the fridge may be full of tasty treats but make sure your usual healthy snacks are on hand too. Keep them at the front of the fridge and you might just find yourself reaching for one of those instead. If all the healthy food gets shifted out for the summer you will have no choice but to snack on calorie laden foods. Give yourself half a chance.

Use breastfeeding as an excuse: And that's NOT and excuse to eat extra chocolates, cheese and Christmas pudding, but an excuse not to drink so much. Its the perfect excuse to save on extra calories.

Everything in moderation (or maybe a little extra): Try not to go CRAZY, its a fun time of year and we all enjoy extra treats but do it so you feel good, don't make yourself sick - if you are going to indulge savor the moment and make sure you can still move afterwords.

So enjoy Christmas day and I will look forward to sharing lots of healthy happy moments with you in 2009.