CHRISTMAS may seem like a long way away but it is fast approaching. Bexleyheath personal trainer Mike Fitzgerald, who works freelance and at PureGym in Greenwich, has the tips for staying slim.

During the Christmas period, we Brits tend to put on half a stone. This is incredibly fast weight gain.

To lose just 1lb of body fat we need to have a deficit of 3,500 calories. That equates to 500 calories a day for a week.

So to lose half a stone it takes seven weeks and a total deficit of nearly 25,000 calories.

We have 12 weeks until Christmas, so that means we need to have a deficit of more than 2,000 calories a week, or 280 a day.

An easy way to drop these calories is by going sober! A 175ml glass of wine (small) has approximately 126 calories, and a pint of average beer 170 calories.

If you normally drink two glasses of wine per night, all you would need to do to reach your 280 calorie deficit is to cut this out.

If you can’t face a few months without a drink how about going for a three mile run, five days per week.

The average 10 stone person would burn 1,600 calories from running 15 miles. The best thing for your health, and sanity, would be to do a bit of both.

How about 9 miles per week (950 calories) and 6 less glasses of wine (750 calories)? Sound feasible?

To get the ball rolling, how about signing up to Macmillan's Go Sober for October campaign?

You can also raise money for the great work they do. You can sign up at gosober.org.uk.

Need a bit of help and encouragement along the way? I am available to write nutrition plans, exercise plans, and also group and individual training. We are aiming for a fitter, healthier and more productive you.

Mike runs Mike Fitz Personal Training and takes on all clients with goals. He specialises in weight management, body composition, high intensity training and sport-specific fitness. E-mail mikefitzpt@gmail.com or call 07795485426.