Louisa's Weight Loss Blog

Merry Christmas! I hope Santa Claus brought everyone the gifts they asked for. I got lots of lovely bath stuff, money to go towards my holiday and some rather fancy headphones from the lovely Jonny.

I did get lots of chocolates and a naughty hamper with mince pies, toffee and panatone which looks lovely!

When people don’t know what to get you, they often pick up little luxuries like nice chocolates and biscuits. It’s a terrible time if you’re trying very hard to lose weight – or even just maintain your current weight over the festive period.

So I’ve devised a little list of tips to help you enjoy your food at christmas that should help you prevent an unfortunate weight gain:

1. If someone gives you chocolates, thank them and share them among your relatives. You look generous and are less tempted to polish off the box!
2. At lunch time, fill up on green veggies and carrots. Turkey is a good, lean meat so don’t feel you can’t eat it. Do try and go easy on the roast potatoes, parsnips, chipolatas and other trimmings.
3. Take your time – too many people eat what is on their plate because it looks lovely. Learn to recognise when you are full and stop eating at this point.
4. Avoid attacking the chocolate tin when watching The Queen’s Speech or the Great Escape.
5. Christmas puddings are full of sugar and calories so eat a smaller portion and choose single cream or evaporated milk to go with it. You will be surprised how little can satisfy a sweet tooth.
6. Don’t drink alcohol to excess, make smarter choices when drinking alcohol and try and avoid creamy liqueurs after dinner.
7. Go for a walk or a short bike ride on Christmas day. You will probably want to sleep after dinner – that’s fine, just make sure you do something otherwise you will feel even more sluggish on Boxing Day.
8. Hit the sales. You don’t necessarily have to buy much but bag carrying is good exercise and we all know how exciting it is to find a bargain.

I like a drink in the evenings or at the weekend. I don’t mind who knows it because I do not drink to excess… anymore! My teenage experience with alcohol is not uncommon, most young people drink too much at some time and make a fool of themselves. Some continue this behaviour long into their adulthood. I don’t feel the need to go past that lovely warm and wobbly feeling I get when I have my first drink. I like a cheeky glass of red with a meal sometimes because alcohol does have its health benefits.

However, when most young people go to university, they pile weight on and whilst this is due to many factors, I have so many friends who lost weight after graduation purely because they were not drinking the sheer volume of alcohol they drunk as students. Alcohol is riddled with calories and research shows that the weight will hang around your abdomen, the worst place to carry fat.

Why should you have to give up having fun to be thin? Nobody wants to be one of those miserable skinny minnies that can barely muster a smile. The answer is that you don’t have to give anything up, you just need to make smarter choices as far as alcohol is concerned. Factor a glass of red wine into your diet a couple of times a week. A small glass (125ml) is typically just under 100 calories but pubs rarely serve 125ml servings any more, a small glass is considered to be 175ml which is about 120 cals. Fair dos if you skip dessert.

Large glasses are 250mls and a third of the bottle. I always laugh at the ‘buy two large glasses of wine and get the rest of the bottle free’ because many women will drink two big glasses of wine on a night out but actively encouraging them to consume a third glass brings their calorie intake up to over 500 calories just in that bar. That is a whole meals worth! Usually, this bottle would be shared with a friend but many people will visit a couple of drinking establishments on a night out …

You can drink on a diet, but with everything, it has to be done in moderation. Try drinking a small glass of water between alcoholic drinks to keep you hydrated, did you know that hangovers are partially due to dehydration? Avoid alcopops like the plague! They are FULL of sugars and are full of calories. They are a dieters nightmare so don’t be drawn in by cheap offers. Instead of beer or lager which is 200 cals a pint on average, switch to clear spirits like vodka or gin that average between 50 and 60 cals and drink them with a low calorie mixer.

I drink vodka, lime and soda on a night out to keep calories to a minimum. It is cheap and I find it quite refreshing.

Total Chunk Top Tip: Make smarter choices when drinking alcohol. Beers, lagers, wines and especially alcopops are a nightmare for serious dieters. Stick to clear spirits like vodka and gin and drink with low calorie mixers. I prefer Malibu and diet coke to Malibu and normal cola but it isn’t a low calorie option so try to avoid drinking it all night. Vodka, lime and soda is a smart choice as is gin and slimline tonic. Try to alternate each alcoholic drink with calorie free water to avoid a hangover.