Easter and chocolate are impossible to separate and while the holiday is technically only 4 days long you could be forgiven for thinking it starts much earlier. Small children, hot cross buns and chocolate bunnies have been the scourge of my shopping trips for about 4 months now. Get close enough and you might just hear me hissing “because it’s not bloody Easter yet” to the never ending whines of “but whyyyy can’t we have an Easter egg???????”

I say stand firm, because the lure of chocolate is just a seductive to mums as it is to kids. If it’s not in the house, then you can’t eat it. I believe they are good words to live by.

People who are trying to live a healthier lifestyle often get intimidated by holidays that focus on food, particularly if they don’t feel supported by those around them. Here are some tips to take back control, enjoy your Easter and keep to your healthy eating goals.

Talk about it.

If your family is the type that likes to show love through food, then you are going to have to take charge. If the idea of being showered in 100’s of eggs is giving you a little panic attack, tell people that you don’t want them.

Yes I know it’s confronting but if you don’t want to eat them, don’t let people give them to you. Simple as that. Drop hints that you like flowers, need new workout clothes, or would prefer that they offered to baby-sit the kids. Give them alternatives.

Indulge a little

OK, so totally denying yourself is likely to bring on a rebellion. Allow yourself to indulge in one of whatever your heart desires and savour it. I would suggest trying to make it something good quality with a high cocoa content but this really is your choice.

The party’s over

Let’s say you didn’t do too well with number 1 and 2 and you end up with a cupboard full of chocolate. Once Easter is over, get rid of it. Yes you heard me, and I don’t mean by eating it. Give it away, drop it off at someone’s office, or take it to play dates. Do whatever you need to do, but get it out of the house.

Take control

The school of thought that ‘I will binge eat all the chocolate in the house tonight because then I will feel sick and will be ready to diet in the morning’ is bloody crazy talk. I am sorry but it has to be said. Just because you ate it really quickly doesn’t mean you have tricked the calories. They will find you and because you’ve consumed so many in one go, with little chance of burning them off, they will hang around, generally on your hips and thighs. Don’t do it.

Get out of the house

The best thing about Easter is that there’s plenty of time to spend with family. So get out of the house. Go for a walk with the kids, or go on a family bike ride, head to the beach and play cricket. No doubt the kids will need to burn off a little bit of energy too so it will be great for everyone. If you are struggling, fresh air and some exercise will give you a new perspective.

Remember that you are responsible for what you eat and you have the right to say that you don’t want something. Never eat something to make someone else happy. If they want it, let them eat it. Let the guilt pass away. Love is love. Food is food. They are two different things.