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The little black dress diet

Countdown to Christmas with the 4-week diet that lets you drink wine, eat mince pies and still fit into your perfect party dress

The Christmas party season is upon us and despite that slight panic about looking - and feeling - like a sparkler at parties, it's tempting to put your diet on hold. Who can lose weight in the run up to Christmas? You can, that's who!

Getting healthy and losing weight doesn't have to mean a dramatic overhaul of your life, spending hour upon hour on the exercise bike, or turning down one party invite after another. You can lose weight and still have fun with this four-week plan.

Making small changes gradually makes healthy eating a part of your life. And the good news is that making small and easy changes is a whole lot better for you in the long run than going on a mad diet of only apples that leaves you falling-down hungry and desperate for a korma.

So here's the deal. Over the next four weeks, we're going to help you get healthy. But don't panic, we're not going to make you eat mung beans and drink nettle tea all day. This is about getting smart with what you already eat. You can still have mince pies and wine and chocolate - just slightly healthier versions balanced up with other goodies.

How the diet works
The rules: portions sizes, drinks, free foods etc

Most portion sizes are given but some are a little bit vague - a handful here and a portion there. These are mostly used for fruit and veg where portion size isn't really too important. A fruit portion would be a medium-sized piece of fruit such as an apple, pear or orange, a small banana, two small fruit such as plums or mandarins, a big slice of melon, half a mango, a teacup full of berries, cherries or grapes, or a small tin of fruit such as Frutini. You should add enough vegetables to fill you up - half a pepper plus half an onion plus five florets of broccoli, and so on. Veggies are filling, have next to no calories and are so good for you - eat lots of them!
It's fine to have tea and coffee (with skimmed milk and sweeteners if you like) on this plan but stop at four or five per day. Limit diet fizzy drinks to an absolute max of two cans or 500ml per day and try to cut these out completely if you can.
With water, on the other hand, more is better - drink one to two litres per day, every day.
Salads and green veggies are free - the more the merrier!

How to make smart choices when...

Eating out
It is Very Important to make smart choices when you're eating out. Restaurant portions are often huge and the dishes are often unhealthy so it's up to you to make the choices that will keep you on the straight and narrow!

Portion size. Just because you're in a restaurant doesn't mean you have to eat everything on the menu or everything you're given. Remember the portion sizes on your plan and eat just until you're satisfied. Get a starter and then share a main course, or order two starter portions if the restaurant serves giant portions.
Healthy choices. You know that a side salad, dressing on the side is a healthier choice than a plate of chips so be strong and make that choice! Go for lean protein (chicken or fish over lamb, for example), healthy cooking methods (grilled instead of fried, stir-fried instead of deep-fried etc) and beware of ingredients with incredible calories - creamy sauces like korma or carbonara can happily be replaced with Tandoori dishes and tomato-based sauces.
Don't go out hungry. Have a snack (fruit, yoghurt etc) before going out so you're not starving and tempted to order one of everything.

Getting a takeaway
The same rules apply here as for eating out - every decision counts. Swapping pepperoni for chicken and extra chilli isn't going to ruin your day but it could save you hundreds of calories. Remember portion size and choose wisely.

Going for a drink
Alcohol is a double-whammy when it comes to diet. Not only does it provide zillions of calories, but it can also give you the munchies! When you're trying to lose weight, it only makes sense to cut back a bit but that doesn't have to mean total abstinence. If you're going for a drink - which, let's face it, you probably will over the holiday season - here's the damage:

Spirit: 55 cals
125ml glass of wine: 80-120 cals
Measure of Bailey's: 140 cals
Alcopops: 200-250 (Bacardi Breezer Lite: 100cals)
Pint of beer: 125-250

Remember, women should drink no more than two to three units per day; men no more than three to four units per day. Max.

Getting a ready meal
Again, the rules above apply. The beauty of getting a ready meal from the supermarket is that you can read the labels and make an informed choice. Your best bet is to go for a meal with less than 400 cals per serving but compare different meals to get the best deal for cals, fat and sodium - the lower the better, really. Portion sizes can also be big, especially if you get the bagged meal-for-one or meal-for-two but that's what freezers are for - store anything more than a portion in a Tupperware in the freezer or fridge for the next night.

So, pick out your Christmas party dress and throw away those big pants! It's time to get gorgeous!