For many of us, Easter brings the tasty temptations of chocolate bunnies and hot cross buns. Easter is one of those times of year when time off work, social events, and plenty of delicious food can lead to a few extra kilos appearing on the scale. The best way to stop your good habits from falling by the wayside this Easter is to plan ahead and stay in control.

The sugary foods of Easter can be dangerous for your health and your waistline. A diet high in sugar is linked to health problems like diabetes, hypertension and obesity. Also, while sugar is high in calories, it is low in nutrients. Sugar, unlike other foods, does not trigger the release of the three key hormones that tell our body we've had enough to eat, leaving the door to overconsumption wide open. It's easy to see how these habits can lead to a weight gain, even if you only indulge yourself for a few weeks over Easter.

With Easter eggs appearing on the supermarket shelves earlier every year, many people fall into the habit of buying a couple every time they stop in for milk. Much the same, it's very tempting to pick up hot cross buns for everyone to enjoy when you pass the bakery for bread. Of course, a treat once in a while is fine. It's when you start eating these foods every day that it can lead to trouble.

A single hot cross bun has about 250 calories in it, while a medium sized chocolate bunny packs in about 300 calories. Seasonal treats and indulgences that seem small can quickly add up to weight gain.

Of course, it wouldn't be any fun to give up on the Easter Bunny altogether! The secret is to enjoy tasty Easter snacks, but not go overboard. You might choose to only have Easter eggs on the weekends, or perhaps just on Easter Sunday. Another idea is to limit the amount of what you consume. For instance, you might have one chocolate egg a week.

Chocolate isn't the only temptation of the Easter period. Like with any holiday, there is plenty of socialising involved. This can mean more savoury foods and deserts, as well as alcohol in some situations. Planning in advance for these events can help you to make the right choices. Choosing a low-carb beer, a low calorie wine, or just sparkling water can help you to reduce your calorie intake. Instead of cakes and pavlova, fill up your plate with healthy fruit first.

Eating balanced meals over the holidays is also important. In fact, sometimes eating more can help you to eat less. It's easy to skip a meal, but this can lead to over-indulgence later. Instead, make sure you eat three meals a day, especially a healthy breakfast. If you're feeling full, you're less likely to head to the cupboard in search of treats.

Keeping up your activity is an important part of weight and health management at any time of year. During Easter, our schedules are changed. There are plenty of social and family events, as well as school holidays. It's easy to put your exercise routine to the side for a week or two. However, in this period of indulgence it's more important than ever to keep active. If you can't fit in your regular exercise, why not try something different? For instance, you could try a family activity like a bike ride or a hike, or even a trip to a local park. Not only does this keep your own activity levels up, but it also teaches good habits to children