HAVING KEPT UP GOOD EXERCISE AND NUTRITION HABITS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, DON’T LET THEM GO TO WASTE NOW. HERE’S HOW TO ENJOY YOUR CHRISTMAS PARTY WITHOUT FALLING OFF THE WAGON

The day is getting nearer, the venue has been selected, the outfit is nearly ready to make its debut, and the crowd awaits your entrance. No, it’s not your wedding day, but your Christmas party.  Your friends are planning to skip lunch on the day of the party to keep some room for the turkey and the dessert. They are going to save some calories for later on in the day.

Others have been following the latest celebrity crash diet in an effort to drop some weight and make a big impression in their new outfit. You, however, know that this will slow down your metabolism and lead to excess weight gain because it will lower the size of your engine, meaning you burn off less fuel.  And with some Christmas dinners containing nearly 3,500 calories or 1lb of fat, that’s a lot to burn off. This does not include the extra calories consumed as alcohol.

So, here are the dos and don’ts for the day of the Christmas party:

• There are two things that raise metabolism: exercise and nutrition. By training the day of the party, you will raise your metabolism and turn your body into an energy-burning machine. This will help burn off the excess calories you might consume at the party.

• Starving the day of the party to save calories is not an option. This will slow down your metabolism and, when you do eat your dinner, your blood sugar will be low and you will eat too much.

• The body will use whatever calories it needs and put the excess into storage. So the goal is to eat small, nutritious meals leading up to the time of the party.

• Choose a quality red wine over beer. A Pinot Noir, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon should be on your list as the anti-oxidants in wine are a better option than beer. Pace yourself with your alcohol intake; it’s it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

• Drink water in between alcoholic drinks to prevent a headache in the morning.

• Turkey is one of the leanest meats you can eat. It’s favoured by body builders because of its low-fat content. The protein should be eaten before the vegetables, as it will help stabilise blood sugar.

• Ask for your sauces to be put on the side, as they contain lots of sugar. Pass up on the stuffing, as the likelihood is that bread will bloat you out.

• It’s a time for celebration, so what better way to blow off a bit of steam and some calories than by hitting the dance-floor?

The more exuberant the dance moves the better, and don’t worry — chances are your friends or bosses won’t remember in the morning!