Avoid heavy holidays

To help you navigate the festive season, and still lose weight, Weigh-Less offers the following festive tips:

1. Survive the holidays at home

Use the long evenings to take leisurely strolls. Plan lots of action-packed days with your children and join in the fun too! Use your free time to give your home a facelift. DIY is great exercise. Visit some of the nature reserves or parks in your area. Have a picnic. Make sandwiches with low fat spread and thin strips of turkey or ham. Spice it up with mustard or chilli.

2. Christmas lunch

Never go hungry all day to save for the big meal. Rather eat smaller snacks throughout the day to regulate your hunger. Skip the parts of the meal that you don’t really like it is not worth the extra calories. Offer to help serve the food that way you can have control over your portions. Be wary of wine or champagne. Not only does alcohol contain empty calories, but it makes it easier to throw caution to the wind.

3. A better choice Christmas meal

When preparing the turkey, use as little fat as possible for basting, and remove the skin when serving. Bake the stuffing for the poultry separately, as it can absorb fat like a sponge inside the bird. Instead of using the fat dripping as gravy, reserve the juices from the vegetables and mix in a little gravy powder. Christmas is a very hot time of the year in South Africa, so a refreshing fruit salad or fruit sorbet are great choices for dessert.

4. Survive the endless parties

Have a wine spritzer instead of a big glass of wine, use low kilojoule mixers, and alternate alcoholic drinks with water or diet sodas. Drink slowly and keep your glass in your hand so nobody passes you another drink.

Have a cup of Royco Cuppa Soup Lite before you leave, so you don’t arrive at the party ravenously hungry. Sit as far away from the buffet table as possible so you won’t be tempted to nibble constantly. Talk to as many people as possible interesting conversation will keep your mind off the snacks.