But by following a few simple tips over the Silly Season you won’t need to start 2026 with a weight-loss plan, promises Australian nutritional medicine practitioner Fiona Tuck.
Keep her guidelines below handy to help you keep on track without feeling like you are being deprived.
1. Stick to a routine
It is important to keep to a regular routine and not skip early morning exercise because you have had a late night. Push yourself to stick to your regular exercise routine which in turns keeps you positive and motivated to want to stay fit and healthy.
2. Watch your alcohol intake
Alcohol is loaded with sugar and empty calories so go easy on the drinks. Try drinking a mineral water in between each alcohol based drink to pace yourself. Avoid creamy rich cocktails and soft drink mixers and stick to white wine spritzers or clear spirits such as gin with mineral water with a twist of lime. A little splash of cranberry juice adds extra flavour without too much sugar.
3. Avoid going to cocktail parties on an empty stomach
We have all done it and after a couple of drinks your blood sugar drops sending you into an eating frenzie. Canapés are often a mix of high fat and high carbohydrates which spell disaster for the waist line. Eating a healthy meal before you go will avoid mindless snacking on miniature party pies and sausage rolls.
4. Don’t deprive yourself
Make the majority of your main meal salad of vegetables but have a little bit of everything that you really fancy. Moderation is key. If you really want that mince pie, have it and enjoy it. If you deprive yourself you will end up caving after a couple of glasses of wine and devouring the left over trifle straight out of the bowl!
5. Put it all into perspective
It is very hard, almost impossible to put on actual fat after just one day of eating whatever you like. You can weigh more purely because of extra glycogen storage and this extra fluid will quickly be lost if you get back on track. The weight sneaks on if you eat what you like every day for 1-2 weeks over the holidays and that is when it becomes harder to shift. Remember to give yourself one day of indulgence, but get right back on track the next day to avoid falling into that dangerous trap of “I’ll start tomorrow”.
For more nutritional advice from Fiona you can visit her website by clicking here.
