Follow intuitive eating principles: Eat your food slowly, chew each bite well, and relish the flavours. When you enjoy your meal thoroughly you are satisfied with a small quantity. Also, honour your hunger. Eat when you are hungry, always rate your hunger levels on a scale of 1 to 10. Eat when you feel 7 or above on the hunger scale. While eating, keep checking in on your hunger level, and stop when you are 80% full. These strategies will ensure that you don’t unnecessarily overeat.

2. Protein-rich meal: Protein keeps us full for a long and has great satiety value. Hence consuming a protein-rich meal before a party will ensure that you eat less for the subsequent meal. Consume a protein shake or have 2-3 eggs/paneer salad/chicken salad before you head out.

3. Avoid binging on packaged foods such as munching on packaged chips, nachos, crackers etc. These foods are designed in a way that we can’t just stop eating them. Instead go for foxnuts, nuts, seeds, homemade crackers, lavash, vegetable sticks etc. Avoid using sugary colas and other mixers for your drinks. Instead, make use of lemon juice and fresh herbs to flavor your drinks.

4. Instead of eating and snacking every now and then, take a time out, pull out a plate, put in the things you want to eat, and sit down and eat. Follow the principles of intuitive eating. Dedicating a specific time for eating will help you substantially drop your food intake.

5. Pick your favorite sweet: With Diwali here, the house is going to be filled with all sorts of sweets. It’s almost impossible to avoid eating it completely. Instead of eating everything that comes your way, pick your favorite sweet, have a small portion of it, eat slowly and savour each bite.

some tips to get back on track:

1. Exercise on a regular basis. Set a clear goal for yourself, begin by working out three times per week, and try to progressively increase your schedule.

2. It might be wise to abstain from alcohol and sugar for a month after the festivities. This healing procedure will be well received by the body.

3. For the next two months, refrain from consuming any processed food and try to eat as cleanly as you can.

4. Shake off the extra weight within 2-3 weeks because this is the ideal time to reduce the subsequent weight gain that is just visible on the surface. The sooner you lose it, the better for you.

5. The festive season may interfere with your routine. Simply having your sleep, exercise and eating schedule in order will complete 50% of your job.

6. It is very important to take care of your packend – the kitchen. Clear your kitchen of all the extra sweets, fried foods and other leftovers from the celebrations. What you don’t see is what you may not crave for.

Sometimes taking a few small steps can go a long way in ensuring that you stick to your fitness and health goals.