What?! Healthy and indulgent? How can that be? Its as easy as 1, 2, 3......9.

It's approaching that time of year where you're expecting dinner after dinner and lunches every other day. And drinks. The festive season is a fun time of year and for some it can cause anxiety about all of the eating. But it doesn't need to and you don't need to feel bad about what you put in your mouth. It just takes a tiny bit of forethought, and a splash of remembering to be kind to yourself because you deserve to have fun.

So without further adieu, here are my 9 tips for surviving this year's festive season:

1. Deprivation is a no no. Do you know what the opposite of deprivation is? Bingeing. Also, is there anything worse than the feeling of watching all your friends enjoying food at the party while you sip your water and nibble your carrot sticks? I'm going to go out on a limb and say, "nope". And I'm going to go out on a limb again and say that you're probably going to go home and eat the entire contents of the refrigerator because you're hungry. So nothing was achieved. Eat the party food. But do so mindfully - stay conscious of how much you have had to eat, and the choices that you are making. Enjoy some healthier foods and some of the less healthy options in moderation.
2. Eat the healthier options first: Leading on from tip number one, fill yourself up on the healthier options first. Then, you will be more likely to be discerning about which of the other foods you eat, and won't need to eat as much in order to feel satisfied.
3. Watch your alcohol intake. Alcohol is one of those places where there can be a tonne of hidden calories. And the, let's not forget the health aspects of binge drinking. Nonetheless, tis the season to be jolly so we find ourselves surrounded by parties, lunches, dinners where alcohol is flowing like rivers. Try alternating between your drink of choice and water. Not only will you save yourself from a lot of extra and unnecessary calories, you wont have quite the same hangover the next day.
4. Weight maintenance. Honestly, now just isn't the time (for most people) to try to adhere too strongly to a diet, let alone start a new one. If you have weight loss goals, amend them so that it becomes about staying at your current weight. There's no sense berating yourself for struggling through the festive season. Tomorrow is a new day, January isn't too far away. So unless you have a medical reason for weight loss, take a few deep breaths and set yourself free for a while.
5. Don't go to a party hungry. Remember when you were in your late teens to early 20s and you loaded up on "predrinks" before a party? Well, this is a bit like that but instead, make it a healthy snack. Its much easier to make healthy choices when you aren't absolutely ravenous.
6. Eat breakfast. Eating regular meals sets you up for a successful day. Why? Because by the time you reach the point where you are starving, you want quick food and quick more often than not equates to foods that are not your best choices.
7. Morning exercise. Whether you are typically a morning person or not, at this time of year al lot of us are eating lunches and dinners out and by the time all is said and done, we just do not feel like exercise. So get that booty moving first thing in the morning before you have time for an excuse.
8. Listen to your stomach. How often do you go out for a meal and eat twice as much as you usually would? The best tasting meals are always the ones someone else has prepared! Over the festive season, try to tune into your body's cues of fullness and hunger and be guided by those instead.
9. And possibly the most important rule of all: The 80:20 rule. You do not need to be perfect all the time. The most sustainable eating habits are the ones that let you indulge a little bit. So long as you are eating well 80% of the time, no harm will come to you when you allow yourself to indulge in temptation.