We can all struggle in the build up to Christmas to keep our weight management plans on track. So, keeping the Christmas theme in mind and thinking about the carol The 12 days of Christmas, here are some top tips that I apply on the lead up to the 25th December:

Day 1 – Value

Make you a priority. This seems an odd thing to say at this time of year when most of us are spending hours on end organizing and doing things for everyone else. If we do not value ourselves and look after our well-being then how can we do it for everyone else. Make sure you take the time to sit down when you can with that favourite magazine or have a coffee with a friend.

Day 2 – Time

Planning and preparation is key. Think about your week and your social engagements. Plan your meals around them. If you are going to be eating lots of rich food and drinking more alchohol, think about reducing your meat content that week or replacing things with Quorn, trying more vegetarian dishes or just reducing protein and carb portion sizes and increasing vegetables and fruit.

Day 3 – Delegation

Delegate those tasks that can be done by other family members – you do not need to do everything yourself. Think and plan what needs to be done and what you can offload to create more time for the things you really need to do! Much better to be calm and organised than rushing round and stressed.

Day 4 – Activity

Keep moving. Walk where you can instead of using the car, don’t put things at the bottom of the stairs – take them up. Go to your exercise classes don’t make excuses, don’t we always feel good when we make ourselves go and come out with that feel good factor. Dancing is a great activity especially at this time of year and helps to burn off a few extra calories.

Day 5 – Strategy

Think about your danger areas. When attending parties, think about what sort of party it will be. Know yourself and acknowledge your weaknesses. If you are a grazing person like me then don’t stand near the buffet table, take what you want and move away then sit strategically where it is going to be difficult to get out and get more. Select a smaller plate and choose a small selection of what you like, do not deprive yourself. Smaller and sensible is much better and easier to maintain than ‘not at all’. Always have a glass of water on the go to drink between alchoholic drinks plus it will help with morning after headaches. Staying hydrated at this time of year is so important for a multitude of health reasons.

Day 6 – Focus

Think about what you want. For some people its about losing some weight before hand ready for the treats later on or maybe its about damage limitation and maintaining the status quo. For others its about having freedom to do everything that they like and then deal with it in January. Plan for what you want to achieve and know  your outcome for January do not leave it to chance.

Have a great week, good luck with the first six and tune in next week for my remaining Beat the Christmas Bulge tips………

Building my own business has led me into many areas where I feel I need to learn more or develop my skills in order to succeed. I have been practising one of these skills this week, having been invited to speak at a business event today.

I am always happy to talk to people about the journey I have been on, my experiences as a life coach and as a small business owner. I have many stories to tell about my progress in all these areas. But I know that as a public speaker I have to deliver these stories differently. In a one-to-one coaching session I am really in my comfort zone; when confronted by an audience I have to work at my delivery and interact in a way which is less natural for me.

There are many tips and tricks available to the novice speaker, but I would suggest focusing on one area first – get feedback! We all see many presentations delivered to varying levels of quality – from smooth and engaging to rather excruciating. We rarely see our own presentations to make these judgements, relying on other people to give us the sometimes harsh news that we are not the most natural or engaging presenter, maybe that we need to look at a different approach.

I would recommend that you help yourself to improve by generating as much feedback for yourself as possible. Work hard at your performance by:

Having someone you really trust see you run through your presentation and get good feedback from them.
Taking a friend to your “show” and getting them to tell you what they really think.
Using video or audio recording to get a true view of how you look and sound – you may surprise yourself.

Above all, keep working at it – there is always room for improvement and it will help you enjoy your journey.

Lastly, thank you to Ema Doherty from Exact Makeup Art and Red Leopard Colour & Style for inviting me to speak at your Christmas Sparkle Shopping Event, I had a most enjoyable and informative afternoon.

Weight loss journeys can be difficult and you may feel as though you cannot enjoy social occasions. In reality, of course we all can – but it does mean making different choices and applying damage limitation where possible.
I have had a birthday this week and also a long weekend away. At first I was concerned with how I would cope but after some consideration I decided to go and enjoy myself within reason and then deal with things when I returned to the UK.
I used the sight seeing opportunities as exercise and walked around as much as possible which also helped with the digestion of several heavy lunches and evening meals plus the consumption of more alcohol than usual. I also decided that while I was drinking wine I would go without cake with my coffee as a compromise.
I have thoroughly enjoyed myself, having ridden a Segway around Budapest, pedalled my way through the Central Park on a beer bike and had some fantastic Asian Fusion food at the Buddha Bar restaurant. I am now back in the UK and my focus is on planning and preparing for the coming week.
I will be planning my meals, which will help me create my shopping list of healthy foods to get me back on the wagon and into my little black dress for the Christmas party. I will be stocking up on fruit, vegetables, fish and chicken and limiting my treats this week. If there are no goodies in the house then I find I am rarely tempted.
My plan will include more vegetarian dishes this week, plus lots of homemade vegetable soup to help me get back on track. Exercise will also be very high on my priority list.
I will look back over my super week and appreciate the whole experience but then move on with the determination to stay on track for my Christmas goal by making some slightly different food choices.
Life does not have to be mean and miserable when losing weight but returning your focus to your weight loss goal and getting back on track quickly reduces the damage to the progress you have already achieved. After having a rest from healthy eating, take action and get back into the groove as soon as possible. Don’t beat yourself up, just draw a line under it, appreciate the good times, and continue with your healthy choices.

Thanks to everyone reading my posts recently, especially those sharing them with your wider community of friends.  I always appreciate your feedback and comments.

This week I thought the best advice I could share would actually be this post from the Guardian, which was sent to me by a friend.  If you are coaching someone (or being coached) this week then this might help you cover the basics when developing personal goals.

You can contact me on the usual channels.

Whether you want to look gorgeous at the Christmas party or you just want to be healthier and fitter, now is the time to do something about it. Do not let time slip by, take action now and picture how you will look and feel in 6-8 weeks time.
Changing your lifestyle does not mean you have to go on a diet or join a slimming club, although these can help if you have longer term goals. Think about your daily routine and habits and decide if some of these need to change to allow you to achieve your goal.
If you always sit in front of the TV in the evening and snack on food that you really don’t need to eat, then the pounds will increase. But if you go and do something different that takes you away from the food adverts and puts your focus elsewhere then it is surprising how food is no longer a priority.
Just recently I have started to learn to crotchet and I find that if my hands are busy with the needle and wool and I am concentrating on the pattern, I don’t have the brain capacity to think about food and therefore nothing goes in my mouth.
I also walk instead of using the car whenever possible to increase my activity and it is kinder to the environment plus more cost effective for me.
I no longer place things at the bottom of the stairs to go up later, I take them up straight away.
I have bought myself a pedometer to monitor my daily steps, this is actually fun to use and a great incentive especially if I am getting near a daily milestone.
Smaller plates and smaller portions will certainly help with your weight loss. Increasing vegetable portions, reducing consumption of red meat and substituting it with Quorn will also help. Dishes such as Quorn chilli and bolognaise can be very tasty, particularly with fresh herbs and spices.
Looking at your habits and routines, making small changes now and doing something different are all steps you can take so that Christmas can be a positive, comfortable and happy time for you.