Limit weight gain smartly during X-mas

Christmas means celebration time with cookies, chocolate, cakes and "calories"! But it's not all that tough to maintain your health and weight around the festive period.

Stick to a few simple rules to stay in shape even as you gorge on yummy sweet-somethings, according to Sandra Dowse of DesirableBody.co.uk, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Here are Dowse's top tips to manage your weight this Christmas:

Plan your eating habits for the week ahead: Planning your food for the week ahead will aid you in making those healthier meal choices. I recommend having a protein-rich diet where you can, to help you feel fuller for longer.

Love green tea: Try your best to detox through the festivities and help fight against the onslaught of unwanted fat and energy loss that can be brought on by Christmas parties and events. Green tea and green tea supplements also contain bioflavonoids, which help prevent against infection which is rife throughout the winter months.

Fill up on healthy snacks: At Christmas, we often find ourselves surrounded by temptation in the form of chocolate treats, cakes and pies. What you should do to prevent piling on the pounds this year is to make sure you are constantly stocked up with healthy snacks instead. Fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grain snacks not only contain less calories and fat but provide a slow release of energy keeping you fuller for longer.

Drink plenty of water: Thirst is often mistaken for hunger and all we need is a glass of water to appease our cravings.

Take a walk: The cold weather can often lead us to be a little lazier than we would usually, with many of us choosing to catch cabs instead of walking to our Christmas parties and meals. It is amazing how effective walking for 10 minutes rather than jumping on the bus can be for managing your weight.

Limit alcohol consumption: At Christmas celebrations we often find ourselves drinking more than we would usually. What we don't think about is how many calories we are consuming per glass. Try to cut back by sipping on water between glasses of wine and if you find it hard to limit your alcohol consumption over Christmas, switch to spirits with low calorie mixers.

Up your exercise regime: During festival time it can be hard to cram in those much needed workouts. But some quick daily exercises like skipping with a speed rope are also manageable time wise and extremely effective.