Here are top ten ways to help you shed the pounds before Christmas

We want to party like it’s Christmas without having to cry into a boring purging regime come January. when the blues are bad enough without also being stuck with a capacious waistline.

So here are some tried and tested tips – our top nine – according to nuitritionist May Simpkin.

1. Build up your exercise routine

Cold weather and shorter days are not so enticing when it comes to venturing outdoors and it is surprisingly easy to end up doing very little or no exercise at all during the week. With excessive calorie consumption ahead, your daily routine of exercise is crucial.

Firstly, look in your diary and work out a slot each day to incorporate some exercise. This can be either a gym session or a more formal exercise class, such as aerobics, spinning or yoga/pilates but you can also wrap up warm and simply head out for a walk or gentle jog on your own or with friends. If that doesn’t appeal, then there are plenty of free exercise videos on YouTube that you can do from the comfort of your living room.

2. Focus on your meals

Try to avoid going out for meals and takeaways for the coming weeks in the lead up to the festive season. Whilst you have a little more time in the evenings, this is an ideal time to consider your meals more carefully. Cooking from scratch will help to you to prepare more balanced meals with good quality protein, like meat, fish chicken, eggs, tofu or beans and pulses and at least two to three portions of vegetables.

3. Ensure your stocks are filled up

You may have good intentions to cook from scratch but you haven’t had time to shop. With the colder evenings, the thought of venturing out may not appeal and you might be tempted to order a takeaway instead. Make it easier for yourself by ensuring that your larder, freezer and hopefully your fridge are well stocked with healthy staples, so you can easily put a meal together. Batch cooking and keeping meals and soups in the freezer are always a welcome choice if you’re pressed for time and want to ensure you are eating healthily.

4. Swap your coffee

These unnecessary calories will sabotage your efforts to establish a healthy routine and as they’re loaded with refined sugar, will also encourage cravings for even more sugar.

5. Avoid desserts

Try to put mind over matter at that crucial decision making moment and let a big “No thank you” leave your mouth before you’ve even had a chance to consider the options. Once you’ve lost your taste for sweet treats, you’ll find it them a lot easier to avoid as the festive season presents its many offerings.

6. Aim for a minimum of four 'dry' days per week

Take a look at your social commitments over the next few weeks and note preferably four days each week as “non-drinking” days. Alcohol – particularly red or white wine and beer – i fact virtually every alcoholic beverage you can think of with sugar-laden mixers galore are far, far more calorific than you release and drinking excessively and frequently can massively, and we mean massively - expand your waistline. Restricting your intake to certain days only will allow your liver a chance to rest and repair, so you are more resilient to the excesses over the festive period. Opt for much less calorific naturally carbonated fizzy water with lime cordial or orange juice instead.

7. Lose that niggling 2-3lbs

It’s time to focus in earnest on reducing those unwanted pounds and embarking on a healthy eating programme now will ensure the weight drops off but more importantly, you’ve instilled some good habits to help curb the excesses of Christmas.

When meal planning, start with which vegetables to include and then consider a good lean protein. You should aim to include at least seven portions of vegetables and fruit (max two) per day. As a guide, your plate should be made up of half vegetables, one quarter protein and the remaining quarter complex carbohydrates such as starchy vegetables or wholegrains.

8. Boost your gut bacteria

Gut bacteria is all about balance and the good bacteria will flourish if they are provided with the right “food”; fibre. Eating fibre rich foods such as vegetables, oats, beans and pulses will starve the bad bacteria, which would otherwise proliferate on a diet high in refined sugars, alcohol and refined carbohydrates like white bread and pasta.

9. Sleep

Unsurprisingly sleep has a significant role in encouraging weight gain. Research shows that a lack of sleep can play havoc with the appetite regulating hormones, leptin and ghrelin. Despite hearsay, it is a myth that you can make up for lost sleep during the week over the weekend. Ideally, getting into a regular sleep routine from now and ensuring at least seven to nine hours sleep from now will help to balance these hormones so that they are not sabotaging your efforts to avoid weight gain.

10. Enhance your immune health

Along with less sleep and busy work/family schedules, your immune system will be under pressure to defend you against falling sick. Your immune system relies on an array of vitamins and minerals and ideally these should come from the diet.

Eating foods high in antioxidants will help to combat the free radicals produced as a result of stress and in turn will leave your body able to fight germs. Eating a balanced diet high in vegetables, fruits, wholegrains and healthy fats will bolster your nutrient levels but opting for those with deep, rich colours which will provide good antioxidants. An antioxidant rich kale and courgette soup is the ideal immune boost.