Did you know that, according to research*, we could potentially eat our way through around 6,000 calories on Christmas Day? That works out to nearly three times more than an average person needs!
Add to that the extra calories in the run-up to Christmas and the days afterwards and it’s easy to put weight on over the festive season.
Try these tips to keep your weight on track over the holiday:

• Avoid having too many boxes of chocolates around and instead of having chocolates on the tree, why not hang some personal mini gifts instead for the family? The children could make their own decorations that are fun to make but aren’t chocolate!
• Start the day with a healthy breakfast – smoked salmon on a sliced bagel with some light cream cheese or mashed avocado; or a fresh fruit salad with a little natural yoghurt will keep you going until lunchtime. You could even make some posh beans on wholegrain toast or a fancy omelette!
• For your Christmas lunch, fill up on vegetables and think about using less oil for your potatoes. Go for a lean meat such as turkey which is low in fat and high in protein.
• Enjoy your Christmas pudding but think about switching the brandy butter or cream for a low-fat custard, crème fraiche, or natural yoghurt.
• Alcohol contains a lot of calories so alternate your drinks with non-alcoholic ones to save on calories – or go alcohol-free.
• Try satsumas, healthy plain popcorn, raw veg and low fat dips, plain pretzels or dried fruit as nutritious snacks instead of biscuits and chocolate.
  Have a little of what you fancy – but keep it balanced!
  You can help to work off those calories with a bit of dancing in the living room or going out for a brisk walk or cycle.
  * The research study can be found here via the British Medical Journal.