Men in the Gladstone region are being encouraged to beat the bulge over Christmas and New Year by heeding a few healthy eating messages and fitness tips.

Marcus Ellison, from CQUniversity's ManUp project, said men could prevent those extra kilos by watching portion sizes over the holiday period and by taking up some leaner meal options.

ManUp project officer Marcus Ellison warns about Christmas traps and how to beat the bulge."If you can avoid turning the oven on and eat tasty salads instead over Christmas it will pay off. Another good choice is to get out of the house and barbecue some lean meat and seafood."

Marcus also believes drinking plenty of water and having a couple of alcohol free days between Christmas Day and News Year's Eve would definitely pay off, as would taking the dog for a walk or a game of backyard cricket.

Staying fit and healthy is a common New Year's resolution for women, and now there is a project that is keen to help males get off the couch and back into life.

ManUp Gladstone is a research project designed to improve the physical activity and healthy eating habits of men in the Gladstone region.

The project provides participants with FREE access to a physical activity and healthy eating program developed especially for men.

The project is currently recruiting new members. To be eligible to participate, men need to be aged between 35 and 54, live in the Gladstone area, have a mobile phone and have access to the Internet.

For more details  visit http://www.recruit.manup.org.au/ or contact Marcus Ellison on 4970 7211 or via manup@cqu.edu.au .