The festive season and over indulgence seem to go hand in hand. If you are looking to step back slightly and be more aware of what you are eating and drinking, here are some stats to make you think...
Even a small Christmas pudding requires nearly two hours of running to burn off the eye-watering 1,280 calories, while it would take 21 minutes of jogging to shift just one mince pie or five Roses chocolates.
A brisk 35 minute walk would be needed to shed one slice of Christmas cake, or a 12 minute stroll for a single Ferrero Rocher.
The ultimate shocker is a full turkey dinner with all the trimmings contains around 5,200 calories which means it would take a run of over 45 miles to burn it off.
Of course you can be sensible without taking away any of the enjoyment of Xmas, here are a few tips to curb your calorie count:
Pick and choose: Choose the days you are potentially going to eat more and pull back on the days between.
A sensible breakfast: Skip the croissants and sugar rich cereals at breakfast, instead look to have a protein based breakfast such as eggs with smoked salmon.
Water: Keep your water levels up as this will keep you feeling fuller and help to avoid overeating.
Nibbles: Stay away from nibbles. It’s too easy to sit and eat your way through a large amount of snacks without even registering how much you have eaten.
Cut down on carbs: Avoid overloading on starchy carbs by replacing roast spuds with parsnips or sweet potatoes
Avoid grazing: Once you’ve selected your food from the buffet, step away. When food is within easy reach you will be prone to grazing and take in calories you didn’t need.
Avoid skipping meals: If you’re going to a party straight after work, don’t ditch lunch for fear of overdoing your daily calorie intake, you will end up extremely hungry and eat way more than you would normally later on.
Clear the table: Dinner with family and friends often means spending longer sitting around the table. The longer you linger the more likely you are to keep eating even though you have had enough. Clear the table therefore avoiding any further temptations.
Factor in the drinks: Alcohol is packed with empty calories. Research shows alcohol not only increases your appetite but can weaken your willpower, meaning you are even more likely to overindulge on festive nibbles. Adding ice to alcoholic drinks will dilute them. Choosing loweralcohol drinks such as spritzers and slimline mixers will also cut the calorie count.
Be mindful: Don’t lose touch with your appetite regulators, listen to your body and give it a chance to feel hungry before you eat. Try to eat slowly and savour your food.
Treat sweets as treats: If you have a box of chocolates, avoid eating the whole lot at once. Put a small handful in a bowl and the rest out of sight, making it an occasional treat means you’ll enjoy it more.