Don't become a Christmas pudding!!

It probably hasn't escaped your attention... but it's almost Christmas!!!! 

I'm annoyingly excited about Christmas this year. Even though 2013 has been pretty rocky, I've achieved a lot in the past year and I'm really excited about what 2014 has in store for me. For me, Christmas is about taking time out to spend with friends and family, and getting ready to face the new year refreshed and prepared to achieve some more goals... 

Will you be feeling refreshed and rested on 1 January?? It's probably a fair assumption to say you won't be... 

Why not?? Cos you've spent the whole of December eating and drinking yourself to death... Yeah Christmas is about getting out, socialising and enjoying yourself, but since when can that only be done whilst getting drunk and eating badly??? 

Little story for you... 

I was out recently, stone cold sober amongst a city full of people who seem to have no idea of their limits when it comes to alcohol. That's not a nice place to be if I'm honest. Drunk people are obnoxious, rude, aggressive and can be intimidating...I'm pretty glad that I'm sober when I'm out, since it means that I'm 100% aware of my surroundings and can look after myself. Anyway I digress (as usual!).. 

So I'm at the bar (ordering a water.. which cost me €3.80...I'm sure it'd be cheaper to actually drink sometimes!).. Get chatting to this guy, he asks me why I'm only drinking water, we chat some more, exchange numbers and all that.. Conversation afterwards, and he confesses that once he heard I didn't drink, he thought for a second that I was probably a "dry shite" (forgive me, I'm merely quoting!!) and that it'd be pointless continuing our conversation...safe to say he changed his mind since I can actually hold a conversation and didn't need him to hold my hair back while I vomited up the curry chips I just had to have cos I was sooooo hungry after those 10 vodkas... 

My point is (I do have one).. you don't need to drink or eat crap just because everyone else does. You don't have to drink & eat crap because it's Christmas. If you do go crazy over the festive season, it's because you're making a choice.... nobody is going to force you! 

Any idea how many calories the average person consumes on Christmas Day? 3000? 4000? 5000? 6000? .... 

7000 calories in one day! People hugely underestimate the amount of food they eat... it comes down to portion sizes, grazing constantly on cheese & crackers/chocolates etc, and alcohol. Why do we feel the need to celebrate with food, to overeat just because it's Christmas, to eat so much food that we feel uncomfortably full.. I'm not sure... I guess because it's tradition... I need to look into why it's become tradition! 

1st world problems.... food coma!

A lot of people simply don't realise the enormous volume of calories that are in the food they're eating... Few Christmassy examples that might make you think twice... 

• 1 chocolate from a tin of Roses - 48 calories (I bet you don't just eat one!)
• Christmas dinner - 1500 calories
• 1 mince pie - 250 calories
• Christmas pudding & brandy butter 600+ calories
• Christmas cake 245 calories in 75g slice (that's a pretty tiny slice!)
• Shortbread biscuit - 170 calories
• Ferrero Rocher - 72 calories per chocolate

Once Christmas Day is over, there are so many leftovers... you don't have to eat them all!!! Ever hear of a freezer? If you receive countless gifts of chocolates and biscuits, I've no doubt there are plenty of homeless shelters etc that would be only too delighted to share them with others... 

You probably fall into one of two categories..

1. You train really hard all year.... 

So ruin all your hard work & effort by going crazy? Sure you can have treats, but there's really no need to eat everything in sight. Your body doesn't need or want all that food and drink, and you'll feel 1000 times better if you keep it relatively clean...

    2. Your New Years Resolution is to lose weight... 

This is probably the 10th year in a row you've made the same resolution... and you're undoubtedly still struggling. 

Why allow yourself to go mad just cos it's Christmas? You'll be starting a New Year feeling sluggish, heavier and tired and you'll regret eating all that cake that you're now trying to burn off on a treadmill fuelled by a WW ready meal or similar... 

The lesson.... 

Eat clean... if you're going to treat yourself, that's cool... but don't let your nutrition become a train wreck just cos it's Christmas.

• Eat your main meals as normal. Don't skip meals to compensate for treats during the day. If you eat real food for your main meals, chances are you won't actually want to snack (too much anyway). 
• If you're snacking, why not snack on nuts? 
• Who says dessert has to be Christmas pudding... why do we eat the heaviest dessert ever created after eating the biggest meal of the year??? Why not make a light trifle with yogurt/cream cheese, sponge and fresh fruit?? 
• Don't let one bad day turn into a bad month.... Don't let the whole of December turn into a food fest. 
• Stock up on healthy snacks so you don't feel left out when others are munching on Pringles... I'd far prefer to eat a few too many nuts than to eat Pringles.. 
• Drink lots of water... it will make you feel full.. 
• Move the tin of Roses to the other side of the coffee table... if you have to actually stand up and go get a sweet, you'll eat less than if the tin is right beside you. 
• Don't punish yourself or feel guilty for eating badly.. move on and eat clean for the rest of the day. 
• Go for a walk... you'll get fresh air, and it'll help prevent arguments because of cabin fever! 

Don't wait for 1 January to be healthy... In a years time you'll be thrilled you started today :)