So now that Christmas is here, you might be worried about putting on a few extra pounds with all the yummy food that’s around. Now, I won’t try and convince you that any of these methods will help you lose massive amounts of weight overnight but these easy, simple little things should complement any diet/exercise regimen nicely.

1. Are you wearing a jumper or a sweater? Take it off.

If you keep your body warm artificially in some way, your body won’t need to expend energy maintaining body temperature. What you want, however, is to keep warm and burn calories. Your body will burn more calories to keep you warm if you take your jumper/sweater/cardigan off.

2. Take the stairs!

You don’t need to be told this one (or maybe you do) , but taking the stairs, even just a few every day, helps you burn calories. Take the stairs going up and going back down. The more you move, the more you burn.

3. At the store, use a carry basket instead of a trolley

This one is like doing light (OK, very light) cardio every time you go shopping. Instead of taking the shopping trolley when you enter the supermarket, take a hand basket instead. It doesn’t mean you can reward yourself with a chocolate bar, but doing this will burn more calories because you’re carrying the weight rather than just pushing it.

4. Stop, think “Am I full yet?”

I love eating. A lot. Yep, it’s fun to eat. Thing is, when you get on a roll you can just keep going without really thinking about whether you actually need to eat more. Every little while,just pause for a moment and think about whether you need to keep eating, or whether you feel full. I bet you’ll realise you feel full.

5. Have a glass of water

You’ve read this elsewhere: it’s one of the most popular health and diet concepts ever. Drinking a glass of water will rehydrate you, it’ll fill you up, it’ll mean you won’t reach for a Coke or another full-strength soda, and it’ll get everyone who’s telling you to drink some water off your back.

6. Wear heavier shoes

I admit it, I’m a sneaker freak. They’re comfy and good to get around in. Thing is, they’re pretty light. If you get the option, choose boots or heavier cross-trainers to walk around in.

7. Choose the diet soda

It used to be the case that diet drinks tasted…well…awful. But nowadays, those rocket scientists have perfected all sorts of ways to make ‘lite’ drinks taste a whole lot better. Coke Zero, Sprite Zero and Pepsi Max are popular choices that taste good. But be careful - the jury is still out on how aspartame, the low calorie sweetener, affects the body.

8. Skip the tracksuit

Tracksuits are incredibly easy to wear. That’s why you should avoid them. Instead, go for something that doesn’t expand so easily - like jeans or trousers, with a belt.

9. Have smaller meals

This is an old standby - after all, you can always go back for another helping if you’re really hungry.

10. Every day, do a little more exercise

If you drive to work, park a little further away. The next day, try an extra block. If you go for a run at lunchtime, try running a little further. I also hear it’s worth the money to get a personal trainer - having someone else who is concerned about your health can really help to push you a little harder.