Maintain and don't gain is the aim

When in doubt, opt for party food made of fresh fruit or vegetables.

Worried about piling on the kilos over Christmas? Here's some help to get you through

With the party season well and truly upon us, slipping into that new suit or party dress on New Year's Eve may be beginning to look a little daunting, especially since research has shown most adults put on between half and one-and-a-half kilos over Christmas - but don't lose it afterwards.

Dietician Duncan Hunter says that needn't be the case and we can avoid gaining any weight at all if we take a few simple steps to avoid the silly season spread.

Never go to a party hungry. Ever. Eat dinner beforehand and avoid the buffet bar completely, or have a light snack - such as a low-carb snack bar - and then only have a few healthy nibbles when you get there. Remember though, highly processed/high carb crackers and dips are not a healthy snack!

Unless you have willpower of steel, aiming to lose weight over Christmas is probably unrealistic. So don't.

Just plan to maintain your pre-Christmas weight, and work hard to do it. If you set unachievable goals it will be way too easy to fail and then to fall off the wagon altogether.

Size is everything. Use a small plate rather than a dinner plate and dish up half of what you think you'll want to make sure you don't overeat.

Trade low-fat for low-carb. There's a growing body of evidence showing that restricting carbohydrates is a more successful strategy for long-term weight loss than opting for low-fat products that are often laden with added sugars instead.

Try limiting refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta and processed foods and instead choose "good" carbohydrates -- fresh fruit, vegetable, dairy ... as well as sources of lean protein.

Whatever you do, steer clear of creamy dips, pastries, chips and cakes.

Hunter advises bringing your own plate of low-carb snacks to share to ensure there's something at the party you know you can eat, such as vegetable sticks with homemade hummus or beetroot dip, sashimi, meat and vegetable kebabs or fruit salad.

Go online for some party season recipe ideas.

Too much alcohol will show up on the scales, plain and simple. Of course the best weight loss strategy is to avoid alcohol altogether, but if that's not going to happen then go for small glasses, hide from diligent staff topping up drinks (finish one at a time) and for every glass of wine have a water as well.

Try to find time to exercise. Take the kids for a bike ride.

Ask for gym gear or personal training sessions as Christmas presents. Go for a long walk in the soft sand on holidays. Every time you move you'll make a difference.