We have officially entered the twilight zone of debauchery. Yes — I’m talking about Christmas season. When work colleagues, friends and family are all part of a cunning plan to debunk everything you have worked so hard for through the year. It is the only month in the year when healthy eating and exercise regiments are traded in favour of excess eating and drinking in forms of work, social and family commitments.

During this time exercise usually constitutes as walking from one party venue to another; healthy food choices are put on hold; mirrors are left aside and scales stowed away.

Christmas blurs into New Year’s celebrations and the festival of eating and drinking continues. Fast forward to post celebration period in late January/early February — when the head is dragged out of the sand to brave the scales and reflection in the mirror. Exasperated you yell, “What!!!! How on earth did this happen???”

Then it all stops. New Year’s resolutions are drawn up — you join/reacquaint with the gym, enlist in the latest trending diet and kale smoothies become the new black. All this in aspirations of a slimmer, healthier you for the new year. And despite the promises of ‘never again’ and ‘next year it will be different’ — it rarely is.

I’m of the belief that quantity of food/energy consumption should be relative to the energy output of the body. So if you intend to eat and drink your way through Christmas — be prepared to commit to an exercise routine that affords the intake. Otherwise, the start of the new year will be about diets and begrudging exercise. I don’t know about you — but that sounds like wasted energy and not how I like to start the new year.

All jokes aside — my honest (albeit obvious) advice is being festive without being excessive. Try to make (some) healthy food choices and be active - keep the body moving to keep the extra weight (and self-loathing) in check. And you will start your new year with a happier disposition in Mind, Body and Spirit!