I HOPE those of you who took on the challenge of Stoptober were successful and you’re well on your way to kicking the habit, improving your health and saving some money as well.

It’s just eight weeks now until the BIG day. Yeah, Christmas Day will be here.

At about this time most of us will be suffering from that traditional food hangover, brought on by that extra roast potato or the extra big piece of Christmas pudding we just couldn’t resist.

Eight weeks is plenty of time to start yourself out on an exercise programme, and drop a few pounds before Christmas arrives – and then put it all on again.

Depending on the amount of weight you need to lose, by Christmas day you could drop anything from eight to 24lbs. So between half a stone and one and a half stone. That would make quite a difference to that little black dress or the Christmas jumper that you’ve been wearing for the last five years.

So how do you do it?

It’s quite simple really, just get a bit more active and eat a little better.

As I’ve said before, getting more active doesn’t mean you have to go out and get yourself ready for a marathon or run round a Tough Mudder course. It means you have to get more active than you are now.

That could mean trying to walk more than you do, getting up and down from your desk at work more through the day, going for a swim, or anything that increases the amount you move around now.

If you currently take no exercise through the week then just adding a couple of short, brisk walks to your week will start to make a difference. Burning those few hundred calories extra a week will show results over eight weeks.

But what about your food? Again that’s relatively easy. Just eat a little less at each meal.

I have a number of rules I give to my clients that seem to work quite well:

• When you serve your meal, no two foods are allowed to touch on your plate. This can save anything from 50 to 150 calories per meal without you even noticing

• The 10 minute rule. When you finish your meal, you must stay sat at the table for 10 minutes before you are allowed to get a second helping or anything else to eat. You’ll soon find that you don’t want anything else.

• Eat with no other distractions, so no TV on. The TV stops your stomach telling your brain you’ve eaten, allowing you to overeat.

Just start with these simple tips and the next eight weeks can make a difference... then you’re ready to start the New Year with the best intentions and probably stick to them.