Six Little Changes You Can Make To Shape Up After Christmas

Christmas is a wonderful time of eating, drinking and being merry but there's no avoiding the fact that evidence is definitely there to see come January. Most people either decide to ignore the extra bit of insulation and panic once the summer arrives or start a crash diet that will leave you miserable in January and back to square one by March but this year, we're going with the 'slow and steady' approach. By making a few little adjustments to our lifestyle, we'll be feeling back to ourselves in no time - without three weeks of cabbage soup! 1) Ditch the booze A bottle of wine has 800 calories and chances are, you've downed a few over the festive season. Taking a few weeks of a break from alcohol can have a serious impact on your calorie intake... and your wallet! If you really can't abstain, opt for a low calorie vodka and slimline tonic instead. 2) Cook at home If you swap takeaways and processed food for homecooked meals, you'll see a major difference in how you look and feel before long. If you find it hard to get organised, try doing an online shop with your local supermarket and batch cooking on Sunday evening for the week. If the right foods are already in the fridge, you're a lot more likely to eat them. 3) Make smart substitutions  Love chicken fajitas? No problem. Keep having your favourite meals by making little changes, such as swapping a high-calorie tortilla wrap for a lettuce leaf. Can't do without a Friday night curry? Whip one up in the kitchen and save yourself hundreds of calories - all the taste and none of the guilt! 4) Get off the couch It's tough to go exercise when the weather is so cold but it's important to start the year as you mean to go on. If you find yourself dreading the gym, try and enlist a friend for moral support or check out some classes to shake things up a bit. If funds are tight, try an evening walk/jog or check out some of the handy 'at home' exercise on the Operation Transformation website or try these suggestions. Signing up for an event like a 5K can be a great way of motivating yourself on those chilly nights! 5) Shop wisely Believe it or not, there's more to a clever supermarket sweep than avoiding the frozen pizzas! Certain foods can help if you're trying to lose weight and we've got a handy list here. 6) Beat the bloat Sometime excess poundage isn't the problem, it's just bloating. There are a number of things you can do to flatten that stomach from drinking peppermint tea to cutting down your salt intake. You'll find more details here.