I’m heading into the Christmas season with a little more Yvette hanging around than I’m traditionally comfortable with, and because my Fit-by-40 campaign has to start sometime, I’ve come up with some strategies for tackling all the festive season eating…

So here’s my plan. I’m calling it Yvette’s Strategies for Avoiding a Food Coma on Christmas Day…

1. 1. If the main meal on your Christmas Day is lunch, don’t eat a heavy breakfast. Have a small bowl of cereal or piece of fruit. It also wouldn’t kill you to skip breakfast altogether.
   2. Drink plenty of water.
   3. Say no to sugary soft drink and punch. Stick to soda water with a wedge of lemon.
   4. Don’t park yourself too close to the pre-dinner nibbles. It is possible to eat so many pre-dinner chips, salami, crackers and cheese, that you don’t feel like eating the four-course meal the family have slaved over. It’s probably best to just say no to the pre-dinner nibbles altogether.
   5. Put salad and green vegetables on your plate first. There will be less room for the potatoes soaked in duck fat.
   6. Use a small plate. You won’t be able to fit as much on a small plate.
   7. Skip the bread rolls and garlic bread.
   8. Brush your teeth after lunch/ dinner. Just as a cue to yourself that you’ve finished eating. This might stop you picking at the leftovers or going for seconds. Chewing gum might work just as well.
   9. Limit alcohol intake. It’s easier for me to just say no to alcohol altogether.
   10. Skip dessert, or if that’s too hard, at least skip the post-dessert rocky road and fruit mince pies that go with the post-dessert cuppa.

Does anyone else need my plan?

It will probably work best if you set a non-food related reward for success. Like a pedicure, or a new novel. Also, it will be hard to stick to if the person in charge of Christmas lunch cooks like my sister-in-law.

All the best with the eating and Merry Christmas!!