Okay, so we all know this is the time of year where we celebrate being on holidays with lots more food and bevvies. It’s the festive season after all! It’s time to be Merry and let our hair down and have some fun! Right?

Yes, absolutely.

But my advice…don’t let it all go completely. Hopefully you already have a fitness regime set in place and pretty good eating habits. I say indulge on Christmas Day (stress free) and then get back on track. There’s nothing worse than going back to the gym after taking a few weeks off! Torture!

Follow some of these tips to help you beat the bulge during the festive season

1. Don’t go to any function hungry. When you arrive, have a glass of water before your first drink and stick to the 1:1 rule – one glass of water for every glass of alcohol. Because you won’t be ravenous when you arrive (have some protein and good fats to keep you satiated prior to going), you’ll make better choices and won’t feel the need to pig out.

2. Take advantage of the leftovers! There’s nothing wrong with having cold ham and turkey with some salad (including a bit of potato salad) for a few days in a row! You’ll probably be so stuffed from Chrissy that you won’t want to eat too much anyway. But don’t go overboard on the sweet stuff…limit that to Christmas and Boxing Day only.

3. If you’re going away for more than 5 days, don’t stop training altogether. If you’ve been hitting the weights hard, it’s okay to take a week off from lifting to give your body a rest, but do some cardio to keep your sanity and the bod in check!

4. If you’re someone who does stress about having a few naughties on Chrissy Day, or any day during the festive season, do some exercise first thing in the morning. That will put a stop on the guilts!

5. If you’re away, try not to drink ever single day…you’ll feel like crap. I recommend sticking to the one day on one day off rule. Or if you’re not a big drinker, having a glass of wine most days is fine.

6. If you’re strapped for time, doing a 15-20min circuit is more than okay! Try this one for your lower body. No weights required.

7. Have a plan set in place to begin the week of 6th of Jan or whenever you’re back from holidays. That could be a detox, hiring a PT or/and following my summer meal plans. My meal plans are PERFECT for getting you back on the wagon. They include two plans – one for someone who does light physical activity, and one for someone who does moderate to high levels. It also comes with a macro/micro analysis summary, a metabolic workout, recommendations of the best superfoods, supplements and protein powders plus lots more! Grab ’em here!

For some more tips and tricks, check out what I wrote last year.