Happy, Healthy Christmas Blog
20th December 2018
Keeping a healthy lifestyle going over Christmas
We are all in the midst of the festive season, and want to enjoy this time of the year as much as possible. In these dark, cold festive days it's good not to lose sight of our health. Are you aware that the average weight gain over the festive period is 7-10lbs? That is a lot of weight. I have seen people put on as much as 2 stone (28lbs) over this period. No one puts on that amount of weight in just one day. The important message to remember is not to over indulge all the way through the rest of December and into January.
Here are some things to consider. The average British person eats around 6000kcals on Christmas day. In order to work that off, you would have to run for 8 or walk for perhaps 21 and a half hours. There is definitely a reason why gym membership increases by around 12-18% in January every year!
Of course, I believe that people should enjoy Christmas day, and that means not worrying about your weight at every moment. However, try to keep to your usual intake and activity levels on the other days between now and returning to work in January 2019. Keep an eye on your weight, you don't have to weigh yourself everyday, but be aware of feeling too full, of clothes getting too tight and try to get on the scales between Christmas and New Year, just to keep a check on things.
Things to do
- Wrap up and go for a walk on Boxing Day - weather permitting.
- Don't over-indulge in the many extras, like mince pies (227kcals per pie) and wine (red 250ml av 165kcals, white 250ml av 200kcals)
- Only give the kids one selection box each (medium size selection box 169g 875kcals)
A Merry Christmas to one and all. And a happy, healthy, New Year!
Dr Laura Stewart
December 2018