Christmas Binge VS Christmas Burn

Emma O’Neill: Christmas binge

Christmas is a unique holiday. People united through the magic of overplayed records and hideous jumpers with some sort of creature on the front. It is also the season of parties, raising the question: do I starve myself before or after Christmas? Question no further. Put down that Weightwatchers ready meal and prepare to pile on the pounds – after all, is this not what New Years resolutions are for?

Student houses, aside from the poles and Alaska, have been proven to be the coldest places in the world. In order to survive these harsh conditions, it is advised that one tries to grow a layer of blubber. This can be easily achieved through the baking of Christmas cookies, or by purchasing mince pies and Cadbury Yule logs in bulk. For the frugal, stale bread makes a perfect bread pudding. Add mixed spice, and I promise, your kitchen will smell like Santa’s grotto. Christmas would not be complete without a roast dinner big enough to make one immobile for hours after. For one evening of amity – despite housing disputes and the housemates you didn’t realise lived with in the same house – get everyone together! Food is the greatest peace offering, so bake something good and may your days be merry and bright.

Christmas is a time of giving, receiving and, most importantly, drinking. For the festive folk, mulled wine is the definition of Christmas in a cup – the cheapest red wine will suffice! Alternatively, add some baileys to your coffee or hot chocolate for an equally warming sensation. For those hunched over end of term essays, a non-alcoholic, sugary pick-me up can be found among Starbucks’ red cups, or Costa’s cute collection. From experience, the Orange Mocha is particularly motivating for getting the word count rolling!

Jess Walker: Christmas burn

Christmas: the season of glorious overindulgence. The time of year when reasonable portion sizes go out of the window, along with the chance of fitting into that gorgeous new dress you bought for New Year’s Eve. There’s nothing worse than emerging from the  inevitable food-induced coma around December 28th to the horrific realisation that those three helpings of Christmas dinner, several days of leftovers and countless mince pies have well and truly left their mark. How’s that new outfit looking now?

The temptation is to the carry the Christmas weight into the New Year with the age-old resolution of ‘I’ll lose weight’. Then, once the hangover clears and the Christmas decorations are packed away, the dreaded January blues set in. University work once more rears its ugly head and the prospect of going to the gym or for a run in the dismal weather is less than appealing. Before you know it, February has arrived and those extra pounds are here to stay.

But there is a way to avoid the unwanted gift of not being able to fit into your skinny jeans. A large part of this  time of year revolves around watching hour after hour of Christmas specials of countless programmes, whilst mindlessly munching your way through one box of Celebrations after another. But the festive spirit doesn’t just consist of chocolates and the Downton Abbey Christmas special. Wrap yourself up warm and take a walk with the rest of your family or friends. Nothing beats that post-turkey bloat than a brisk walk in the frosty December air. After all, what is the point of getting that new scarf or hat with the cute little ears if you’re never going to wear them? Get up and get out. Trust me, you’ll feel less guilty about that pile of selection boxes waiting for you at home under the tree.