It’s the scenario quite literally tens of thousands of plus size women up and down the United Kingdom face each and every year. You hope the most incredible Lagenlook clothing to last until the springtime, but by the time the New Year sets in, you’ve already…well, let’s say expanded your horizons.

Gaining a few extra pounds over the Christmas period is the kind of thing most simply expect and never really give a second thought to. Which is all well and good if you’re the kind of person who can gain 5kg and not seem to change shape even slightly. For others, even the most modest of weight increases can make it nigh-on impossible to fit into about 95% of the clothes packed away in the closet.

So if you happen to fall into the latter bracket, how can you ensure you don’t find yourself greeting the spring in need of yet another full-scale wardrobe overhaul? If you’re the type that would prefer to be proactive about things, how realistic is the prospect of holding onto your shape throughout the festive season?

Well, the simple answer is that it is very realistic indeed and doesn’t have to be nearly as difficult as you may expect. So from the minds of those who’ve learned by way of plenty of trial and error processes, here’s a quick rundown of just a few of the most effective tips that are guaranteed to bear fruit:

Move Your Workout

First of all, if you usually head for the gym at say 7:00 AM or 7:00 PM, there’s no escaping the fact that the darkness of the winter months makes the whole thing so much less enjoyable. And the less enjoyable it is, the more likely you are to find excuses not to bother. This is why one of the most effective and proactive things you can possibly do is to find a way of moving your workout to a more palatable time of the day. If possible, think about slipping in a quick gym session during your lunch break at work, or swapping two of your weekday workouts to the weekend. The simple fact of the matter is that when it’s cold, wet, dark and miserable outside, there’s barely a soul out there that wouldn’t try and come up with a decent excuse to stay home!

Bring it Home

It takes a decent amount of self-discipline to get started, but if you can get into the habit of exercising regularly at home, it’s a habit that’s impervious to the seasons.  These days, you don’t even need to bother investing in a DVD or a games console to get the job done – even YouTube is crammed with outstanding instructional videos.  Even if it’s just a case of 5 minutes each day to get your heart rate up, it will make an enormous difference long-term.

Don’t Be Too Restrictive

When it comes to the annual month-long festive feast, try to remember that one of the very worst things you can do is to be too restrictive.  The reason being that the harsher you are with yourself when it comes to what you can and cannot eat, the more likely you are to get totally fed up and binge. And of course, the worst thing you can do is be frugal one moment, pig out the next and so on and so forth.  Be sensible by all means, but don’t even consider depriving yourself of treats – it simply will not work.

Winter Wonders

If time and circumstances permit, at least try to make the very best of the winter wonders that only come around for a brief period every year. From ice skating at the local shopping centre to snowy walks in the park and really anything else that gets you out and about, there’s a lot of fun to be had during the colder months of the year without necessarily having to drag yourself to the gym.

Drink Plenty…of Water!

If you’re the kind of individual prone to either binge eating or non-stop snacking on all-things unhealthy, never forget that water is your best friend. When a hunger pang strikes or you find yourself ready to devour the biggest dinner on the face of the earth, drink a decent-sized glass of water relatively quickly and you’ll be amazed how it takes the edge off your appetite.

Drink Sparingly

Last but not least, and still on the subject of libations, try not to forget that one of the biggest doses of calories most people tend to take in over the Christmas period comes from alcohol. Put it this way, with approximately 1,600 calories in a standard bottle of whiskey and around 800 calories in that bottle of wine…well, let’s just say it soon adds up!