Let us assume that you would prefer not to put on the 5-7 pounds that the majority of Americans gain during the holidays. Your goal this year may be to approach the holidays with good health in mind. From a lifetime of experience, you know that most things taking place during the last month of the year seem to revolve around food – tantalizing, irresistible morsels of heaven.

So, now that you have made the decision not to expand your waistline this month, you begin to look for tips to help steer you toward a healthy holiday season. The Internet seems to be a good place to start. You type “healthy+holiday+tips” into Google, and you are presented with nearly half a million results. If you are not discouraged by the mountain of information that instantly pops up, you wade through it hoping to find the magic key that will open the door to a healthy holiday.

Tips are terrific; however, before they can be of any use whatsoever, you must first have a plan. Your plan, as well as the list of tips to help you carry it through, needs to be as unique as you are. That is why it is going to take more than just jotting down a few tips that someone else has put together. This is going to take some thought.

You have plenty of experience with the health challenges that surround the holidays. You already possess the information that is required to devise your strategies. But, keep in mind, it’s not as simple as deciding whether or not you are going to stay on your “diet” during the month of December. It does not, by any means, have to be all or nothing.

Having it All
The holidays are right around the corner and you have this vague idea in your mind that you would like to handle them a little differently this year. You are not going to let the dazzling and seemingly endless smorgasbord get the best of you. Not this time! It is now the first week of December and it is already time to go to the first yuletide gathering. As expected, you are exposed to an abundance of beautiful, high-calorie, high-fat food and it all seems to call your name. Your plan to make healthy choices creeps quietly to the back of your mind as you make repeated excursions to the buffet table. Afterwards, when you cannot eat another bite and you have discreetly undone the top button of your pants, you figure it is over and done - you blew it. You tried, but you could not do it. C’mon! You are not supposed to “diet” during the holidays, anyway! You decide to enjoy yourself (read overindulge and not exercise) through the remainder of the year and get back on track in January. That is the new plan. You will wait until then to undo the damage.

I have done it this way many times. Unfortunately for me, I can gain nearly twice as much over the holidays as the typical American. I can only speak for myself, but along with the extra weight, I was also burdened by the guilt and regret that comes with the loss of control. Emotions like this do not simply disappear come January, either! It was just that much harder to get back to my routine of healthy food choices and regular exercise--like it was not already hard enough! Turns out, having it all gave me nothing in return.

Nothing for Me, Thanks!
Nothing vague about your healthy holiday strategies this year! Your line of attack looks like something out of a 4-star General’s battle plan. You have left nothing up to chance. There may be a parade of delicacies passing under your nose all month, but none of it will get by those lips of yours! When you cook the holiday feast, you use nothing but low or no-fat versions of ingredients and you veto all the traditional recipes that your family looks forward to this time of year. You do not refuse the invitations to the parties; you just stick with steamed veggies, turkey breast, half a roll with no butter and seltzer water. You do everything you can to not cross paths with the dessert table. It is all torture, but it is worth it.

It is probably no surprise that I have taken this route, as well. The holidays are a time of enjoyment, delight and celebration. My focus, though, was on calories, fat grams and the number on the scale. I may not have gained any weight, but I missed the point of the party! I deprived myself of much more than just calories.

A Balancing Act
I am sure you see by now where I am going with this. There is a middle of the road here. It is called balance and moderation. I can tell you how this strategy applies to my holiday plans, but you are going to have to figure out how it can be applied to yours. Begin with a foundation of balance and moderation and build your plan from there, tip by tip.

Here are some tips that work for me.

Don’t Lose It
This is probably not the best time of year to set your sights on weight loss. It might be more reasonable to shoot for maintaining your weight. Unreasonable expectations could lead to feelings of failure. It may even be smart to expect to gain a couple. Because, come January, having to lose two pounds will seem much less daunting than having to lose ten.

Ditch the Scale
Even if you are successful at balance and moderation, it is likely that the foods you will eat this month are higher in sodium than the foods you normally eat. This may result in a temporary weight gain that can be very discouraging, especially if you are working your tail off to stay on plan. Consider putting the scale away for a while and focus on the things (healthy eating and exercise) that are totally within your control.

Keep Moving
A superb way to include balance in your plan is to make exercise a priority. Plan it into your day like you would a non-negotiable appointment. You might even plan to up your exercise a smidge on the days you know you will be taking in more calories. If you indulge a bit more than planned at a holiday get-together, you will rest a little easier if you had burned some extra calories earlier that day.

Involve your family, as well. What is better than a nice walk around the neighborhood after a big turkey dinner? Make time for a snowball fight or a day of sledding.

It is OK, Indulge!
Pumpkin pie seems symbolic of a special occasion. It is almost unthinkable to refuse the offer of a slice. The thing is, a small piece of pumpkin pie is just as delicious as a gigantic one. Portion control is a difficult thing to master, but like most everything else; it comes easier if you have a strategy.

For instance, if there are eight desserts to choose from, you are not duty-bound to take a full serving of each one. If possible, narrow down your choices. If it is not fabulous, then maybe it does not deserve a spot on your plate. Then, take two or three bites of your top picks. You can experience their scrumptiousness without overdoing it.

At parties, try not to sit directly next to the buffet table. When you do go through the buffet, skip the ordinary foods like crackers, cheese, dip, rolls, etc. Why waste the calories on the usual fare? Take reasonable portions of the healthy items like turkey, fruits and veggies, and smaller, bite-sized samples of the more decadent items that look good to you.

Do Not Trust Yourself Completely
You go to the office party with your plan in mind. You have the strongest of intentions, of course. However, you have not told anyone about your plan, because what if you get there and the food and drink is so incredible, that you decide to scrap all the strategies you planned.

That, most definitely, is the point I would like to make. If you want to adhere to your plan, then do not keep it a secret. If you are like me, you are much more likely to make good choices if you feel you are accountable to someone other than yourself. You do not need to shout your strategies from the rooftops for all to hear. Instead, enlist the help of one or two people who have already shown they can be a good source of support for you. Maybe it is someone who is trying to stick to their own plan. Regardless, find that rock and lean on them if and when you have to.

Traditions – Old, New and Improved
On Christmas morning, my mom used to make this incredible coffee cake. It was to die for and even more so when I got my portion and slathered butter all over it. However, my memories are not rooted in the fact that this coffee cake was horribly unhealthy. The meaning was wrapped around the fact that my wonderful mother made it just for us on this special day. I cut down on the butter and sugar in the recipe significantly and still manage to succeed in continuing the happy memories of serving my family coffee cake on Christmas morning.

Holiday meals are frequently built around tradition – recipes that are handed down from generation to generation. More often than not, though, these beloved recipes are far from light or healthy. Rather than tossing out all the dishes that your family loves, try out a new healthy recipe or tweak the existing recipe a bit to make it a little less sinful. If it is a hit, it may eventually become part of the tradition at your future family feasts.

Eat Thoughtfully
You are walking around making small talk with the relatives while everyone is waiting for the big meal. In a matter of minutes, you snack on the following: 10 potato chips, 3 Oreos, 2 handfuls of trail mix and 4 bites of chocolate cake. Incredibly, you have just taken in nearly 900 calories and 50 grams of fat without even putting a dent in your appetite!

Mindless eating is an enormous part of the holiday season – handful after handful of snack foods, plates loaded with bite-size appetizers, constant nibbling throughout meal preparation and baking, chips and salsa with the game, enormous portions, desserts galore, etc. We do not even realize how much we are consuming because there is zero thought put into our eating other than, “Wow, this is yummy!”

Some pre-dinner strategies may include chewing gum while you are cooking. It keeps your mouth occupied! Along those same lines, try having healthy, easy to grab snacks available for munching. Drink lots of water and eat something light if you are famished. If you are exceedingly hungry when it is finally time to sit down to eat or when you arrive at the party, you are probably going to go hog wild. Plan? What plan?!

Post-dinner strategies may include putting the food away after the meal is over so you are not tempted to graze the rest of the day. Better yet, give the food away. Let your guests take it home.

At holiday parties, a common saboteur of a solid plan is the consumption of too much alcohol. Most alcoholic drinks are quite high in calories and the more you drink, the more likely it is that you will engage in mindless eating. Furthermore, alcohol can actually stimulate your appetite. Decide before you go to the party how much you will drink and make sure you follow through on it!

Chocolate Happens
Unless you are superhuman, you will not get through the entire month of December without a slip-up here and there. You may have regrettable moments of overindulgence. When it comes to a plan, though, the difference between victory and defeat is the ability to pick yourself up after one of those moments and dust yourself off to face the next challenge with determination. Your resolve will most likely be tested again a few minutes later. You may have strayed off course a bit, but that does not mean you need to burn the plan. Give yourself a break, learn from what happened and decide to go about it differently next time.

Above All
The holidays do not have to be stressful, frantic and overwhelming and they certainly do not have to be all about food. If you truly want to avoid the dreaded holiday pounds, increase your awareness and think things through. Leaving it all up to chance is probably not the way to go if weight management is important to you.

Visualize what your challenges will be and come up with ways to maneuver around them. By anticipating your obstacles, you can build an effective plan. Take a minute to put your ideas down on paper and, before you know it, you will be ready for the festivities to come. Think about how great it will feel when you do not have to spend the first two months of the New Year attempting to get back to where you were before the holiday season arrived.

Remember, the goal here is not about perfection or willpower; it is about planning and preparation. Most importantly, it is about enjoying yourself and taking full advantage of the happiness this time of year can bring.

~K.Lee is a wife and mother who is striving to have a happy and healthy holiday season! Our members know her best from her time as host of the Working Towards A Slimmer You board where she has been an inspiration to many. Her tips are great for anyone looking to to keep their waistline in check this month!