The new year is near but there is one big obstacle that remains before you get your fresh annual start.

That obstacle is the month of December. Christmas party after Christmas party, platters of food at your fingertips, plentiful holiday cocktails and Tupperware containers full of leftover food to make sure your stomach stays plump.

The majority of students are even luckier: you guys get to go home to your parents who have missed you over the semester and are waiting to spoil you by feeding your faces full of home-cooked meals. It would be a crime for you kids not to indulge, because lets face it, you've all been eating rice for the last few weeks ever since your OSAP ran out.

I think it's safe to say we're all in this together and the clothes in our wardrobes are about to get tighter; however, here are some guidelines to minimize the weight gain and strain.

Start the holidays off with the right attitude. If you go into Christmas with the idea that you'll just eat everything you possibly can and worry about it in January, then you will bitterly regret it when Christmas is over. Decide to enjoy the festive season without going crazy over all the goodies on offer. Choose the things you particularly like and say no to anything that you're really not excited about.

Eat how much you need. At every meal aim for a comfortable feeling of satisfaction rather than getting to the stage where you need to loosen your belt. Decide to enjoy your meal AND feel great afterwards. This tip alone will save you hundreds of calories every meal. If you want to try all the courses, have small portions of everything you really want.

Keep up your exercise. Don't give up your usual exercise routine over the holidays because it will be hard to get back into it later. If you really can't get to the gym, do a few exercises at home or go out walking. It will not just burn up some calories, it will keep you in touch with your desire to stay slim and healthy. Also keep as active as possible as you go about your day — don't sit around watching the TV specials, nibbling nuts and chocolate.

Don't forget to put the goodies away when they aren't needed. If you have lots of extra treats at home "for guests," get them out when people come and put them away when they go home. Out of sight, out of mind will help a little, but if those treats do start calling out to you from the cupboard, put a few on a plate and put the rest away so that you are not constantly nibbling from the packet.

Try to keep calm over Christmas. As stress levels rise, so does our tendency to eat for comfort. Just remember that you don't have to make Christmas perfect for everyone else while running yourself into the ground. Do the best you can with the time available and enjoy it — however much you've done. If others have expectations of how Christmas should be, then get them involved by having them step it up themselves. Have some (non-food) treats up your sleeve to enjoy when it all gets a bit too much. Play games, go skating or build a snowman instead of snacking.

So do yourself a favour and save some cookies for Santa, or else you might become a candidate to put the red suit on yourself.