You don’t have to be the person standing in the corner nibbling on carrot sticks while everyone else tucks into mince pies. Christmas is for enjoying — the food, the drinks, the late nights, the chaos. But you also don’t have to start January feeling sluggish, bloated, and full of regret.
The good news? You can have a proper festive season and still feel great when the decorations come down. All it takes is a little intention (and a few clever tricks).
Here’s your no-miserable-restrictions guide to surviving — and actually enjoying — the Christmas period.
Eat Like an Adult, Not a Labrador
Festive food is one of the best bits of December. Quality street, pigs in blankets, cheese boards the size of Wales — brilliant. But you don’t have to hoover up every single thing that’s put in front of you.
The trick: decide what’s genuinely worth it. Love mince pies? Have two proper ones and savour them. Couldn’t care less about cheap office biscuits? Walk straight past. Choose your treats like a grown-up instead of lunging at everything within a five-metre radius. You’ll enjoy the good stuff more and dodge the dreaded 3 p.m. sugar coma.
Hydrate or Hibernate
Alcohol + central heating + endless cups of tea and coffee = one very dehydrated human. And guess what dehydration feels like? Hunger, tiredness, and a thumping headache.
Keep a decent water bottle with you all month. Make it a rule: one glass of water between every alcoholic drink. You’ll drink less booze, feel brighter the next day, and snack less because you’re not confusing thirst for hunger. Easy win.
Keep Strength Training (Yes, Really)
No one’s asking you to live in the gym between Christmas and New Year. But keeping even one or two short strength sessions a week does wonders. Lifting weights protects the muscle you’ve worked hard for all year, keeps your metabolism ticking along, improves your posture (handy when you’re carrying trays of roast potatoes), and stops you feeling like a slug.
A 30–40 minute full-body session is plenty. Do it early in the day, before the Prosecco starts flowing, and you’ll feel smug for the rest of it.
Protect Your Sleep (As Much As Humanly Possible)
Late nights are part of the deal — mulled wine and board games don’t stop at 9 p.m. Fine. Just don’t let every single night turn into a 3 a.m. disaster.
Aim to protect sleep as often as you can: get to bed at a sensible time when there isn’t a party, keep your bedroom cool and dark, and avoid scrolling on your phone when you do eventually collapse into bed. A few decent nights restore your mood, your willpower, and your immune system (which will be under attack from all the coughing relatives).
Lean on a Coach
If ever there was a month to have someone in your corner, it’s December. The diary fills up, willpower gets stretched thin, and suddenly it’s the 23rd and you haven’t moved properly in weeks.
A good personal trainer isn’t there to shout at you for eating half a Terry’s Chocolate Orange. They’re there to keep you anchored: quick check-ins, adjusted workouts that fit around parties, and someone who’ll gently remind you that you still want to feel strong in January. Accountability is gold dust this month.
The Bottom Line
Christmas isn’t a month-long emergency that requires extreme discipline or total abstinence. It’s a short, joyful season that you’re allowed to enjoy.
Have the roast dinner. Have the Baileys. Have the lie-in. Just sprinkle in a few smart habits — chosen treats, plenty of water, a bit of iron in your hands, and some decent sleep when you can grab it — and you’ll sail into the new year feeling human instead of hungover.
You really can have both: the fun and the feeling-good-afterwards.
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