It is so easy to fall into bad habits, or continue them, when Christmas and New year arrives. With that comes the guilt, the knowledge that you are eating too much and exercising less than you should.

Well I say; let it go! Christmas should not be the time of year when you worry too much about your weight or what you eat. It is Christmas after all. But, that being said, it doesn't mean you can just stuff yourself with food for a week. I know Christmas is not a week but then there are the leftovers from Christmas and then the New Years party so that means about a week of eating. And lets not forget all the smaller Christmas party like the one at the office, and the one at your friend, and on it goes.

Staying healthy over Christmas does not mean you have to stay at home when everyone else is enjoying themselves at a Christmas party. No, there are ways for you to enjoy the good stuff and still come out winning. These tips will help you to not ruin your healthy habits because of Christmas;

*No nibbling! It is the nibbling that makes you pile on the pounds, all the extra that we eat "just because it's Christmas".

* Eat before you go to the Christmas party so you don't arrive on an empty stomach and eat everything that comes in your way.

* Skip the drinks- ask for a glass of bubbly water with a splash of lemon instead of a calorie filled drink that will only make you eat more. Skip the drinks and eat less. The more alcohol you drink, the more you eat.

*Don't want to cut down on the food? Exercise! Want to eat more? Then you need to double the exercise as well. No exercise = no food. Add that as a simple rule and you will motivate yourself to exercise and you can still enjoy the food without gaining weight. I think that is the best tip of them all.

* Decide to eat one or two things only. You don't need to eat everything, stick to one or two things, preferably nothing too salty. The salt will help to make you feel like a balloon with all the water it will retain.

*The "bring your own" parties are great! You can make a low calorie treat and bring and won't have to worry about what you are eating.

* Avoid anything with dough/ pastry in it. If you haven't made it yourself, avoid it. Some of the pastries contain more fat than you need for a week.

These are simple but yet effective tips if you stick to them. And if these tips alone aren't likely to affect your eating habits then perhaps when I say that you will consume about 6000 calories per day at Christmas will change your mind....

Have any good tips for how to stay in shape over Christmas? Comment here or email me your best tips to share.

This is day 13 our of 31 Days to a New you where we get in shape for 2008.