Ah, the Christmas holidays - a time for winding down, catching up with family, gift giving and most importantly waving goodbye to whatever diet you'd committed to by tucking into the best food and drink Christmas has to offer. For many it's the most enjoyable time of the year.
However, for professional athletes, particularly AFL players, it can be a frustrating point of the year which can comprise their disciplined nutrition standards and rigorous training regimes.
Strength and conditioning manager at the Melbourne Football Club, Rob Jackson, said the Christmas period -- which comes just after the most gruelling of pre-season workouts -- is the most 'nervy' time of all.
"I think nervous would be a good word to describe [how we feel]," Jackson tells ESPN.
"You've just got them into this prime position, probably the best shape they're going to be in for a while, and then you send them away for two weeks.
"You also never know what equipment they're going to have access to and who they're going to be training with."
Before departing AAMI Park, every player on the Demons' list undergoes a weight and skinfold assessment, a procedure which is repeated upon their return on January 5.
While it's clearly an anxious period for the club's fitness and conditioning staff, Jackson admits no hard and fast rules are handed down, instead just general guidelines the players are strongly encouraged to follow.
"It's pointless to say [to the players] over Christmas 'you're not allowed to touch mince tarts' or 'you're not allowed to have a beer'. We know it's going to happen," he says.
"So, firstly, it's important not to have too many carbohydrates. They need to be aware that most of the food around Christmas is a lot of excess carbohydrates, so [they should be] trying to reduce this given they're not going to be utilising that energy source as often.
"Secondly, be careful of energy-dense foods such as alcohol and soft drink.
"Finally, avoid the hidden calories such as adding sauce onto different things or having a soft drink here and there.
"It's critical that they're monitoring their energy intake relative to their energy expenditure."
Watching their diet is just half of the puzzle for players heading into Christmas. The Demons also have an expectation that everyone will maintain training standards while away from the club.
"We know players are going to be out and about on Christmas and New Year's Eve so we base their training around the most realistic days such as the 24th, 27th, 29th and 30th of December," Jackson says.
"If you don't meet your targets, then you won't be able to train when you get back and your teammates are going to know that you've let them down.
"As much as you don't want it to, it does happen. It's a mistake that often first and second-year players make and you hope they learn their lesson, but if it happened to a senior player you'd be pretty disappointed because it's more a decision rather than lack of knowledge."
So while you're devouring the turkey and washing it down with a cold beer this Christmas, spare a thought for the players at your AFL club who will be busy calorie-counting and putting in the hard yards at the local footy grounds.
IsoWhey Sports is the official nutrition sponsor for Melbourne Football Club.