Christmas is a time of excess, when even the best intentions give way to extra servings of turkey and mulled wine. But if you don't want to undo all your good work over the last number of months, there is a number of steps you can take to make your Christmas a little more waistline and liver friendly.

To survive the Christmas excesses takes a lot of dedication. Make a decision and stick to it, just imagine how smug you'll feel in January!

The key to a successful Christmas diet is preparation. Don't stock up on festive food too early, as you will inevitably eat it and end up buying more. Instead, leave food shopping to the last minute and keep it to a minimum so that you don't have too many leftovers. If entertaining at home, make sure to prepare a low-fat alternative to the usual party foods. Instead of calorie-laden sausage rolls and samosas, snack on vegetable crudit?s and breadsticks with reduced fat crème fraiche or cottage cheese. Also, buy low-fat crisps and dips ? no one will know the difference.

If you have a sweet tooth, a full box of Roses in front of the fire is not the way forward. Instead try sticking to fruit gums and pastilles instead. One hundred grammes of fruit gums contain 172 calories, while the same amount of filled chocolates contain 460 calories.

The biggest meal of the year is without a doubt the Christmas turkey dinner. But, just because you are watching your weight, there is no reason to miss out on the fun. Luckily for all you slimmers out there, turkey is a very low fat meat option. Just make sure to remove the skin and pile your plate with seasonal vegetables to fill you up for the evening while avoiding extras such as cranberry sauce and Christmas pudding.

Watching your food intake is one thing, but it can often be a lot harder to watch your drink after a few slimline gin and tonics! Too many cocktails or beers can undo all your good work so pay attention.

One simple way to keep your alcohol and calorie levels down is to mix white wine with soda water or diet lemonade. If you can't bear to dilute it, opt for a dry white or red wine as these contain fewer calories than sweeter wines. Half a bottle of red or dry white wine contains around 250 calories! You have been warned.

Beware of alcopops ? they're loaded with calories and little else and because they don't taste very alcoholic, it's easy to drink large amounts of them. If you like the fruity flavour, add a dash of cordial or fruit juice to a wine and soda. Meanwhile, there are a few reduced-sugar alcopops now on the market so look out for these ? although remember, they are still high in alcohol.

Follow in the footsteps of celebrities and enjoy a glass of bubbly. In general you drink less as it's served in smaller glasses and the bubbles can help fill you up. Allow 100 calories for a glass. Steer clear of beer, lager and cider as they're loaded with calories and choose your cocktails with care. As a guideline, avoid anything that's made with cream, coconut milk or syrupy juices ? they're packed with calories. And remember that the more shots a cocktail contains, the higher its calorie value will be. Where possible, ask for diet mixers to be used and remember to sip slowly!

While watching your diet can make for a very happy January, it shouldn't mean a miserable Christmas. Take a few small steps with your diet and take advantage of your time off to take lengthy walks and burn off all those excess calories.

And if all else fails, take advantage of those special offer January gym subscriptions and you'll be back to your fabulous self in no time!

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