We’re at that time of year coming up to peak party season, with endless buffets, drinks and limited time for exercise.

Whilst you don’t want to go completely bonkers, you also want to be able to enjoy yourself and not have the stress and worry of counting every single calorie that may pass your lips between now and the end of 2017.
If you have a weight loss goal in mind, you do need to be sensible over the festive period but it doesn’t have to spoil all your fun.

If you’ve got a few parties coming up, think about tactics you can adopt in the days leading up to it, and then the days afterwards.  I’m not saying you need to ‘earn’ treats, but managing your calorie intake over the week can allow you to enjoy yourself without being a complete party pooper – no-one likes being that person at a party who “can’t possibly have that”….. it’s all about finding a healthy, balanced lifestyle that still allows you to have occasional treats.

Think about what workouts you can fit in amongst the parties as well.  Exercising with a hangover isn’t fun (and not always safe!), but burning calories before a big night out can help keep you in (or near) a calorie deficit.  This should never be about punishing yourself for having a treat, but overall activity will help burn more calories, which will help control the weight gain over the whole festive period.

You can also make more sensible choices while you‘re out too.  Some alcohols will have higher calorie content than others, so think about what you’re drinking; alternate your drinks with a glass of water – stops you getting too drunk, but also helps with the hangover the next day.

* Doesn’t include mixers etc.

It’s not just necessarily the evening out you need to be conscious of too, after a heavy night I know that I don’t always make the best food choices….. but if I don’t have junk food in the house, then I have to make a special trip to get it.

It isn’t about not having fun and not enjoying a night out, it’s about making sensible choices while you’re out, which won’t undo all the hard work you’ve put in throughout 2017.  The way I think of it, is that you should be more bothered about what you consume between New Year and Christmas, rather than worry about the few days between Christmas and New Year.