CHRISTMAS is near enough finally upon us!

The season is notoriously known for its close links with over indulgence.

For most of us however it isn’t just the short Christmas period from the 24th December where we lose control of our careful dietary decision making skills. Most of us have been navigating Xmas parties, family events and many others throughout the entire month!

Did you know that the average Christmas dinner alone contains nearly 5000 calories? If you are anything like most people you will have already begun to notice a gradually increasing waistline and perhaps your clothes already not fitting quite how they should.

You are probably more than familiar with the ‘I’ll just wait till January’ mantra, but why not beat the crowds and make a start on tapering that waistline even before the Xmas season hits. Follow my top 5 tips to save your waistline this Xmas:

1. You don’t have to clear your plate!

This is an age old myth that has been engrained into us for generations. One of the biggest difficulties that my clients face is keeping control of their portion sizes.

Often our eyes are a lot bigger than our bellies and restaurant portions are growing year on year as their customers are expecting more for their money.

There is no shame in leaving a quarter of the food on your plate, and in fact it can be a great way to save yourself from over consumption.

Another great way of subconsciously controlling your appetite is to serve your meals on a smaller plate. This automatically drops your portion sizes and leads to you feeling fuller quicker.

2. Start with the protein!

Protein in Greek translates as ‘first importance’.

It is the most important food group for any individual chasing changes in their body composition. I always recommend to my clients that they eat their protein first whether they are eating in or out.

Protein is highly satiating meaning that it does a great job of blunting hunger. Those who begin their meals with meat, eggs or fish tend to find that they are far fuller before they even reach the end of their plate or dare I say it dessert!

3. Eat a small healthy meal before your scheduled over-indulgence

Another strategy I recommend to clients to control their indulgence is to eat a small meal before they go out or are set to consume a large meal they know will not support their goals.

The healthy food they eat prior will fill them up and help to control hunger and over eating when put in front of another meal. I tend to recommend a ‘pre indulgence’ meal made up of slow digesting protein and fat, such as chicken and nuts or a protein shake.

4. Try an advent workout!

We all know how pushed for time we are in December, whether it is from Xmas shopping or simply work just getting on top of us.

It is for this reason I recommend short, intense daily workouts during the Xmas period. Such workouts can be performed in the comfort of your own home and need not last any longer than 10-15 minutes.

These workouts can include bodyweight exercises such as squats, lunges, push ups and burpees in any combo you so wish. Just make sure you sweat! A great pre-christmas lunch idea for the whole family! Earn your meal!

5. The De- Bloating Strategy

Many of my clients report the bloat they feel and experience after over indulging. A lot of this heavy feeling we feel is water retention from an increase of carbohydrates in our diet as well as indulging on many foods which don’t agree with our digestive system.

A simple solution to help quickly flush the body is on the day after to put a focus on consuming only clean protein and lots of green vegetables as well as consuming 2-3 litres of bottled water. You will be right as rain in no time at all!

Scott Marsh is the director of Xcelerate Fitness (http://www.xceleratefitness.co.uk), a results focussed personal training company based in Marlow. For more information on transforming yourself in 2012 email info@xceleratefitness.co.uk or call 07921 856308 for your FREE information pack.