December eating habits.... Do you gain weight over Christmas?

[PeppermintLatte]

I need to lose weight, i'm being as sensible as i can this month and going to a couple of gym classes every week, but i'm not magically going to lose weight by christmas, for the simple fact that all bets are off come december.

I love a baileys, mulled wine and the odd bottle of bucks fizz throughout the month and once we get into mid december i can't resist the tins of roses, the christmas lunches & puddings that our local carveries offer, greggs festive bakes and don't get me started on that twilight week inbetween christmas & new year, all i do is eat!

Anyone else put weight on over the festive season? Do you find your attitude to food relaxes over christmas? Or is it just me??!

Not sure if I gain weight but definately go into almost hibernation (later staying up and later getting up).

I suppose I'm lucky in a way that - I'm vegetarian and I don't drink (or smoke) so that's alot of 'hidden' calories I'm not tempted by

I've decided to do another Chocolate free (bit like Lent) for the 40 days or so. (I started on Sunday) .
Once it is Christmas let battle commence

I try and be very strict in November - usually to try and squeeze into party dress but also it means that I can go wild over Christmas

I try to do things in moderation so not lose track of the efforts to lose weight, but don't kill myself either.

So I will try to have sensible food in the fridge as well as treats (so I put out a bowl of carrot sticks with the dip as well as crisps, and make myself alternate - but I like carrot sticks so that helps).

I tend to be a proper butter and cream kinda gal, but I am getting better about portion sizes over the years. And if I use full fat but vintage or fully mature cheeses, for example, I need a lot less actual cheese for the depth of flavour I want than if I use low-fat cheese which is usually very mild.

Herbs and spices can make a huge difference to dishes. A tomato based curry sauce is lighter than a coconut milk or cream based one, and just as tasty for leftovers.

Don't pretend the world is going to end and buy up the supermarket - get what you need and enough to indulge/treat yourself, but not OVER-indulge. The shops will open again, and as long as everyone has sufficient, that is plenty.

For treats, I try to actually limit the quantity but then ensure they are quality - so I'll get a bag of Leonidas orangettes to nibble on rather than a big tin of Roses costing the same (a decent sized bag costs about ?5-8, roses can be got for 6.75). Or share a big bag of nice crisps (well, DH and DD will scoff a lot quickly!) rather than getting 3for2 on pringles and having them around for days tempting me.

Remember the slimline tonic (although I can't stand diet coke etc), and don't go overboard on alcohol every night. Try to have a glass of sparkling water or something soft in between, or just a plain tonic alternating with G&Ts. Have a glass of water on the table beside your wine glass (put the water on the right so it is what you'll reach for first) and that will slow down those calories (you can still enjoy it, just reducfe the amount). I often buy a few less bottles but of nicer wine for Christmas.

I make sure I get out to enjoy any nice weather with walks, and make time to keep going to the gym/pool (for the endorphins to get enough energy to get through the season as much as anything else).