The office Christmas party, drinks with old friends, dinner with family over the holiday season — chances are you've had two or more social events in December where you may have or will be overindulging.
The holiday eating and drinking blitz is hard to resist and its effects are difficult to ignore.
The trick is not to be too hard on yourself, experts in food, fitness and mental health tell us. Guilt and regret will make the effects of calorie consumption worse.
Set reasonable goals
"I sometimes hear, 'Oh, I'm not going to eat any chocolate,' or 'I'm not going to have any sweets all of Christmas,' " said Robin Anderson, a registered dietician with Edmonton's Southside Primary Care Network.
"Then that's really hard to follow through on," she acknowledges.
The ‘all or nothing’ approach usually ends up backfiring, says registered dietician, Robin Anderson.
When setting limits for yourself, Anderson recommends being 80-per-cent sure you can do it.
"It's not about restrictive eating over the holidays, it's about restrained."
Whether it's wine, eggnog, special coffees or Nanaimo bars, try to enjoy in moderation.
"I'm not going to have as much of it as I would like to, but I'm going to still enjoy it."
Avoid high expectations
Setting reasonable goals when it comes to fitness is also useful, echoes Jeff Woods, the owner of Custom Fit personal training in Edmonton.
With extra time demands throughout the holiday season, it's better to accept that you may not fit in your usual routine, he said.
Exercise is great way to manage stress over the holiday season, says Jeff Woods, a personal trainer in Edmonton. (Supplied)
"Instead of going to the gym or doing a run and thinking that you're going to spend an hour — people think that's a daunting task — so reduce it, just do 20 to 30 minutes."
Even 20 minutes a day of walking can make a difference.
"Not only are you going to manage your stress more effectively over the holiday season," he said, "but long term in terms of high blood pressure, heart disease, risk of stroke or heart attack, it is all far reduced if you're just even engaged in a walking program."
A mental-health check
When it comes to your mental mettle over the holidays, lower expectations may be more crucial.
Entertaining family over the holidays usually means setting the scene for a fun, fulfilling time, explains Shelina Merali-Tate, a social worker at the Southside Primary Care Network.
You may be setting yourself up for disappointment.
'The holiday season is supposed to be relaxing.' Shelina Merali-Tate, a social worker at the Southside Primary Care Network
"When the time comes, sometimes those expectations are not being met and that's when people sort of feel deflated — that it wasn't what it was supposed to be like, or meant to be."
For those tasked with preparing Christmas dinner and entertaining, Merali-Tate recommends setting boundaries and asking for help.
"Make sure you schedule in some quality time for yourself," she advises. "Even if it is time away from the house, from family members — because we do need our own space and time to just regroup."
Plan but don't worry
If you have one or two dinners to attend over the holiday season, Anderson recommends simply embracing the festivities.
"Don't go crazy but enjoy it and don't worry so much about setting some fairly restrained eating for yourself."
If you have two or three events a week over the course of December and the beginning of January, she suggests a little more restraint may be called for.
“It’s not about restrictive eating over the holidays, it’s about restrained,” says Robin Anderson.
If in the past, the indulgences and commitments over the holidays have left you feeling exhausted by the time you get back to school or work in January, Merali-Tate has one more reminder:
"The holiday season is supposed to be relaxing, and that's just important for people to try and incorporate that during this season."
