Enjoy the holidays without packing on the unwanted pounds!

I used to be the girl who would indulge over the holidays knowing that come January 1st I would be on a new fast track diet. But as we all know the "lose 20 lbs in 4 weeks" never seemed to happen and I was stuck all year battling the weight I had gained not to mention my free for all eating lead to intense cravings. As I grew more passionate about nutrition and health I realized that the holidays are meant to be spent with family and loved ones and can be a healthy happy time of year.

Here are some helpful tips to start your holiday season off right:

1. Eat breakfast and in some cases lunch- Many people tend to avoid eating all day to "save up" for the big feast. This leads to binge eating and making choices based on hunger not on health. Keep your daily routine even on the holidays. If that means getting up and hitting the gym, do it! Extra activity only helps when we have the special piece of pumpkin pie.

2. Prepare- Every holiday, I pre-plan what I am going to eat. Maybe not exactly but enough that it helps me stick to my plan when filling my plate. It also helps to decide before hand what "treats" I really want to have so I can avoid temptations.

3. Bring a healthy appetizer- If your family is like mine we always have appetizers before the big meal. The best advice is to skip the appetizers all together and focus on helping prepare for the big day or bring a few healthy dishes that you can enjoy without feeling guilty.

4. Practice Moderation- of course it is OK to over indulge slightly during these special occasions but remember this tip "splurge on those items you can only enjoy once a year and skip those that you can have another day". For example if your Grandmother makes a homemade pecan pie... enjoy a small slice, but skip the rolls.

5. Enjoy tea- A cup of peppermint tea is a great treat after a meal that will help prevent picking at left overs

6. Give away leftovers- send your guests home with containers of left overs so you can get right back on track without temptations.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!