If you ate just one mince pie every day in the lead-up to Christmas without compensating with extra exercise, you would be up to a kilo heavier by the end of December. That makes it easy to see how holiday weight gain happens. So it’s no surprise that evidence shows keeping basic lifestyle habits on track during the holidays is likely to prevent excessive weight gain.

One-off indulgences do not cause weight gain; weight gain is caused by gradual, sustained increases in calorie intake, or dietary habits that develop and support higher kilojoule intakes each day – an extra biscuit here, a large glass of wine there, and so forth.

So we have put together a great list of tips so you can feel more confident about managing food at Christmas functions and keep you track to start 2016 fit, healthy and happy, rather than lethargic, unmotivated and fat!

• Start the day of a party with a healthy breakfast. if you know there will be only high-calorie foods at the party, eat a little less than you usually would during the day (no starving)

• Don’t arrive hungry. Have a small healthy snack before the function to take the edge of your hunger.

• Schedule an activity session before the party so you’ve burnt up calories in advance.

• If you’ve been asked to bring a plate, bring a low-calorie dish you know you can eat.

• If you are the food provider, plan your menus. Only buy and prepare as much food as you need.

• Throw your own party and put on a low-calorie spread. Your guests may be pleasantly surprised at how tasty it is.

• Set yourself a limit for alcohol before you start partying and stick to your plan.

• Choose mineral water or plain chilled water instead of sugary laden soft drinks

• Avoid stockpiling your plate with food you may not need, but are likely to eat. Take one or two items and come back for more if you are genuinely hungry.

• Adopt a pastry-free policy. By avoiding one of the most calorie laden party foods, you’ll be ahead.

• Choose a smaller plate at buffets and smorgasbords.

• Move away from the buffet once you have something on your plate.

• At the party, talk more and eat less.

• Eat slowly and pay attention to your stomach’s fullness signals so you know when it’s time to stop eating.

• You don’t have to finish your plate. It’s far better to put the calories in the waste than on your waist.

• Place leftovers in the fridge or freezer immediately after serving. This makes it harder to go back for more.

• Don’t feel you’ll offend the host if you don’t have dessert. If you are satisfied with the main course, put yourself first

• Clear the table after the meal, rather than leaving food out as tempting all-afternoon or all-night nibbles.

• Better still – give any leftovers to guests when they leave. You have to put yourself first.

• Go dancing or go for a stroll after dinner to burn up some of the extra calories.

• If you overindulge, try not to feel guilty, as this can make it harder to get back on track the next day. Having flexibility in your program is a key factor for success.