20 seasonal tips from WW members

Discover inspiration, motivation and support from your WW family.
Published 12 December, 2018

Aneurin Evans
“My tip is search online for healthy festive recipes. There are low Point® alternatives for most things, so you never have to go without!”

Sam Berry
“My tip would be to enjoy whatever you like on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day and then get back to tracking after that. I never deprive myself on the most important days, but make sure I don’t treat the whole of December as Christmas!

“Another tip from me which helps ‘balance’ things out is to WALK! If you have time off from work over Christmas, try and get out for a long walk every day to burn off some of the excesses.”

Nikki Kent 
“Desserts are made for sharing (but only at Christmas time). Sharing is caring but it’s also great for damage control! Halving the Points with a loved one on a gorgeous dessert is a saviour, and allows me to have my cake and eat it!”

Hannah Syms
“Plan a couple of days off to enjoy yourself, but meal plan for the days around it so you don’t end up off-plan for a whole week! I also prep lots of meals for the freezer so that I can get back on track easily.”

Colette Sticka
“I no longer buy three tubs of chocolates, six tubes of Pringles and every variety of cheese ever made! They hang around the house for far too long, especially with the goodies people buy too! I try and shop sensibly to enjoy, but also so I can draw a line after Boxing Day.”

Tracy Gough
"My Xmas tipple...is don't forget to drink plenty of water over the festive season. It's something I tend to forget myself, but in-between the festive cheers remember to top up with H20."

Paul Shannon
"My tip: ENJOY IT! It’s a difficult time to stay fully on track but just be mindful of what you're eating. You can always help burn off that extra mince pie by squeezing in some extra exercise if you’re off work."

Laura Tipton

"Mingle, dance and do whatever you can to stay active during the festive season."

Louise Tompkins
"My top festive tip is: remember you CAN enjoy all of your favourite foods, as nothing is off limits. It’s all about making your Budget work for you."

Liza McNulty
"My tip would be to use your weeklies and rollovers. They’re perfect for enjoying a little extra during the festive season."

Emma Banks
"Eat, drink, be merry - and make staying active fun. If it’s too cold to go out, I hula hoop while watching Christmas films!"

Kelli Tomlinson
"Make memories and enjoy it – you can still eat anything on WW. Set realistic goals for the festive period: it’s okay to say you’re going to gain weight as you can own that and minimise the damage."

Jenna Louise
"Enjoy the festivities, snack on zero heroes where possible and remember to enjoy! One bad day won't stand in the way of your weight loss goals, just like one good day won't make the weight drop off. I also enjoy getting some fresh air with the family around this time of year."

Fiona Dawson
"On the days that I still want to stick to the plan, even when I know I’ll be challenged for at least one meal during that day, I’ll fill up with ZeroPoint™ foods for my breakfast and lunch so that I can 'spend' the rest of my Budget on that special evening meal (and, if needed, use some of my weeklies too). I'll be enjoying all the festivities with a few days off-plan, and without feeling guilty as I’ll be straight back on it afterwards.

"I also like to keep moving...I'd suggest going for a walk with the family after your meal; it's a lovely opportunity to chat with family members you might not have had a chance to catch up with at the table."

Helen Haythornthwaite
"My tip would be to be mindful about what you buy food-wise this Christmas. I used to load the shopping trolley with lots of festive treats, and the cupboards and fridge would be crammed full with enough goodies to last a month, never mind a week! This year, the fridge will be crammed full but it will include lots of fresh, healthy choices as well. Yes, I’ll be indulging in a few treats but I’m aiming to balance that out with some delicious low-Point meals too."

Tania White
"I always cut myself some slack at Christmas - a few pounds will come off again, but you can only make those memories once. Echoing what a lot of others have already said, my tip would be not to deprive yourself over Christmas when everyone else around you is tucking in. A little of what you fancy on the key days isn’t going to hurt, but don’t wait until the new year to get back on plan. Take a couple of days off and then get back to it.

"Factor in some exercise over the festive period to burn off that extra Christmas cocktail and add Points to your Budget. But above all else, enjoy yourself!"

Elisha Langridge
"Be kind to yourself and others, and don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t go to plan. It's a merry time but it can also be a difficult time in many respects: remembering loved ones lost, feeling lonely and being surrounded by food and often encouraged to eat when it can trigger certain behaviours... Focus on what will ultimately make you feel happy, and cherish moments spent with family and friends."

Amy Minchin

"Those tubs of chocolates are so tempting: I used to find myself continuing to eat the hard centres (I don’t even like them) until every last chocolate was gone. My top tip is to rummage through the tub and remove all the chocolates you don’t absolutely love. Give them away to friends and family. You’ll be left with all of your favourites so if you do decide to treat yourself, tracked or not, it will be worth it and you won’t be consuming extra Points just for the sake of it!"

Grace Smith
"My Christmas tip is to enjoy the off-plan days, but make the on-plan days as exciting as possible! Tuck into those zero heroes and try making healthy versions of your favourites: pigs in blankets using lean bacon medallions wrapped around HECK sausages hit the spot. Today I'm introducing some festive flavour to an on-plan breakfast using a sprinkle of festive cinnamon on my banana and peanut butter crumpets!"

Olivia Machin
"Set realistic goals and enjoy spending time with your loved ones! I like to go for a Boxing Day walk - it burns off some treats and helps you add Points to your Budget. Make the on-plan days count and it will make the off-plan days even more enjoyable!"