Christmas is a time of food so I bet you are probably wondering with all this food left over what is the best thing to do with it without damaging the waistline.

Eat it all and get it out the way or spread it out over January and February?

So if you are looking to tighten that waistline what is best this January?

I personally will be spreading the Christmas food out over the next couple of months, enjoying it in moderation.  I do this because I do enjoy a sweet little something here and there.

A huge binge for some might seem better for your mind knowing that all of the ‘bad’ food is out the way and that you will only eat ‘healthily’ from now on. 

But huge binges can be hard to offset and are not just nullified by starting a more controlled food plan the day after.

…and being good for 5 days and then having a heavy weekend could potentially put you straight back to square one.  

To help with Christmas, I relaxed my approach around food as it is only a short period.  To help counteract any calorie surplus I tried to exercise frequently over the festive period and also reduced my calorie consumption at breakfast or did not have it at all.

In doing this I wanted to offset some amazing indulgent cheeses and chocolates that I knew would be coming my way. 

I might have gained a bit of weight, but Im not shocked.  

Most importantly I enjoyed the festive periods but the eating is a little different to how I would like to eat long term so come the start of January and normality rectifies itself again I will begin to implement some of my usual eating habits.

I intend to trim up through Jan and Feb but this will also coincide with a greater activity output due to my recovery from a broken toe.

In this instance my food habits will return to normal (for me) and remain relatively normal for the next 11 months of the year.  

So with weight loss being all about consistently being in a calorie deficit and the greater the deficit over a period of time means a greater amount of weight loss, try and limit how frequently you consume some of those foods and maybe check out the calorie value.

Increase the amount of water you consume before and during meals so you won’t reach for that extra chocolate piece post meal.  Fill your plate with lots of filling vegetables that are going to fill you up.

Sweet foods induce cravings for sweet foods, so do your best to restrict and maybe also share them with family and friends so its not all for your waistline.

In the next 11 months I will be consistently around my calorie maintenance and possibly dipping in to a slight deficit so the odd bit of weight gain here and there like over Christmas is not a huge worry for me.

Understanding this consistent approach is key.  

Indulgent days are not so detrimental as long as we understand the potential impact that they can have upon us staying in a deficit.

If you are interested in gaining some control over your weight then you might want to take a read of this blog.