Margot Brennan of the Irish Dietetic Institute advises the following:

Have a little of what you fancy. Pick one or two parties where you can indulge . . . but keep it to one or two and remember that Christmas Day counts as one.

Don't go to parties hungry. Have something small and filling to eat before you leave, such as a bowl of cereal. Most canapes are high-fat, packing an average of 80kcal so choose crudites and olives instead of sausage rolls and chicken wings.

On Christmas Day itself, try melon or smoked salmon for starters. Avoid the turkey skin, which is high in fat and roast potatoes whole rather than cutting into small pieces, because they'll absorb less fat. For gravy, let the juices settle and skim the fat off before making it. Fill up on vegetables but avoid butter and rich sauces.

Use low-fat custard or creme fraiche instead of cream or brandy butter with pudding or choose a cranberry crumble with frozen yoghurt.

Watch the alcohol. Not only is it empty calories, but it can cause low blood sugar, which makes you hungry, plus after a few drinks you often don't care what you eat. Have a glass of water after every second drink and mix wine with mineral water to cut back on calories, as well as choosing sugarfree mixers.

Get some exercise. Most of us have a few days off over Christmas so do some extra walking or sessions at the gym to balance out the extra food you're eating.

Watch what you buy.

Who is going to eat all those tins of biscuits and boxes of sweets? If you are only having guests over for one day, just buy what you need for that day.

Take some time out.

There's nothing like stress to send many of us to the biscuit tin so have a long bath or find other ways to de-stress that don't involve eating.

Plan ahead. Most of us are very busy at this time of year and end up going for take-aways or eating junk food instead of a proper meal in the evening. Having some standbys in the house can help. Beans on toast is a quick nutritious meal, and stock your freezer with cartons of fresh soups.