There's something about being the mother of a toddler that pushes the "yummy mummy" concept way out of reach. Sure, there are some celebrities that achieve it, but for lesser mortals - those of us without stylists and nannies and housekeepers and make-up artists - it's a frustrating concept. How are you supposed to look gorgeous when you have a teeny tiny person hell-bent on leaving jammy handprints on your top and toothpaste in your hair? It's even harder when you have the world's hairiest dog to contend with too.

God love Jasper, our giant golden retriever. He's a gorgeous, affectionate dog but hair from his coat gets everywhere. No matter how often we sweep or vacuum, the house gets coated in a fresh layer of fluff within seconds. This morning I found Jasper hair in the cereal box and my smoothie. It's not as if he's hanging out at the breakfast table, but after a good old shake a small percentage of his coat becomes airborne. And it has to settle somewhere.

Nevertheless, every now and then, I manage to escape the day-to-day frenzy of work and domestic challenges. For example, despite being apprehensive of needles, my monthly acupuncture appointment is a highlight. After an hour of bliss, I never fail to leave without the greatest sense of calm and tranquility. In those moments, the idea of becoming a yummy mummy seems perfectly achievable. Usually.

However last week, mid-treatment, and about to embark on some Moxa therapy (a heat treatment that stimulates acupuncture points) I noticed my acupuncturist brushing away at the souls of my feet. Always one for questions, I asked what he was doing … only to be told that he was brushing away dog hair. Apparently he was concerned it would be set alight by the Moxa. Can you imagine? How embarrassing. Arriving at your appointment coated in a layer of dog hair is just not glamorous. This apparently is what happens when you potter around in bare feet in the morning.

This sealed the deal on my New Year's resolution perhaps more of an aspiration, to be a yummy mummy. Even if I have to vacuum Jasper on a daily basis, I'm determined to up the glam factor next year. After polling my friends, it appears that this is a popular option, although by far the most common resolution was predictably weight loss. As the media is rife with reports that it's easy to pile on 7lbs over the Christmas period, that's not surprising.

Putting on a pound of weight requires an extra 3,500 calories, so if you were to rack up the dreaded 7lbs over the next two weeks, this would mean consuming an additional 1,750 calories a day (provided your level of activity stayed constant). If you think there's no way you'll increase your consumption that much, tread carefully. It's easy to underestimate the calorific punch of festive food and drinks, and adults routinely fail to recognise the cumulative impact of a series of smaller mistakes.

In reality, one small glass of eggnog contains 400 calories; a glass of mulled wine, a whopping 686 calories. Canapés tend to account for 50-75 calories each, more if it's something deep-fried or covered in cheese. With that in mind, it's quite possible to stack on the pounds over the holidays, especially if you are more sedentary too.

My advice? Whilst I don't think this is a great time of year for lifestyle change, there are certainly things you can do to make your weight-loss goal easier in January. Consider this as an exercise in damage limitation rather than "dieting" and you'll thank yourself for it in the New Year. Here are a few tips to help you enjoy the festive season more healthily this time around:

1. Serve healthy options at your own party

If you're throwing your own party, make sure you have some healthy canapés to hand. I'm not suggesting that you try and impress your friends with mini rice cakes, instead try the following. They're healthy but tasty too!

• Cherry tomatoes stuffed with hummus or goats cheese

• Dips with toasted pita and vegetable crudités instead of chips

l Melon wrapped in prosciutto

• Wholegrain crackers with smoked salmon and crème fraiche

• Strips of rye toast topped with guacamole and fresh cilantro

l Fresh fruit dipped in melted dark chocolate

2. Don't go to a drinks party hungry.

A drinks party isn't a drinks party without canapés. But whilst canapés can be delicious they can also be laden with calories…. deep-fried shrimp, mini pizzas and filo pastry cups are all hard to resist, especially if you're hungry! However you can be guaranteed that there will be more calories in the amount of canapés it takes to fill you up, than in a healthy meal. So if possible, eat before the party and only have two or three canapés with your drinks. If it's not possible to have a full meal before you go, have a healthy snack (e.g. an apple and some unsalted nuts) beforehand. As a last resort, if canapés are going to take the place of your evening meal, then just try to make healthy choices. Many venues serve crudités and dip, fruit kebabs and chicken skewers, which are all healthier options.

3. Limit your drinks and choose mixers carefully

Alcohol provides you with "empty calories" i.e. lots of calories, without making you feel full. If you over-indulge you are also more likely to get an attack of the munchies later on, stopping off for some fries or a burger on the way home. So, limit yourself to two or three drinks, with a few glasses of water in-between. Coke, lemonade, ginger ale, ginger beer and tonic water are all loaded with sugar or artificial sweeteners both of which worsen your hangover. The sugary mixers can also cause weight gain as remember, excess sugar in the bloodstream, can be stored in the body as fat. If you are drinking spirits, then choose soda water as a mixer or fruit juice diluted with LOTS of ice. Champagne, red wine and vodka with soda water are some of the better options.

4. Go carefully at the buffet table

Try to limit yourself to the equivalent of one course! Your body can only handle so much food at once. What it doesn't need immediately can get stored as fat. Instead, eating little and often actually helps to boost your metabolism.

5. Don't keep too many treats in the house

I always remember our kitchen being stuffed full of Christmas treats when I was little and because it was there, we ate it, even if we weren't hungry. For this reason, buy and make treats in moderation. If you enjoy baking at Christmas, give plenty away too.

6. Convert traditional high-fat, high-sugar recipes into healthier versions

Baking doesn't always require such a high sugar content. Try using one third less sugar or replacing the sugar altogether with unsweetened apple sauce. It's also important to limit saturated or hydrogenated fats, as these are the fats that cause weight gain and clog up your arteries. Margarine is often less healthy than butter, however, important exceptions are some of the healthier vegan margarines. My favourite is the Earth Balance margarine from Down to Earth. It has no cholesterol, no hydrogenated fat and lower saturated fat than many of the others. It's particularly good in baking.

7. Never say never. If you ban your favourite treats entirely from your diet for months on end, you are much more likely to fall off the wagon. If you are generally following a healthy eating plan and don't have any serious health concerns, there is no reason why you shouldn't have the odd treat.

8. Introduce some exercise orientated holiday traditions. Ever notice how most of our Christmas traditions revolve around food? Try and shift the focus away from the table by starting some new exercise orientated traditions such as a Boxing Day walk along Horseshoe Bay or a treasure hunt in the Botanical Gardens. Exercise is a crucial component of weight management and is especially important when preventing weight gain over the holidays. Healthy adults should aim to do 30 minutes of appropriate exercise for six days a week – more if you've eaten too many of those canapés.

The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the U.K. Please note that she is not a Registered Dietitian. She can be contacted at nourishbdagmail.com