12 Tips to Beat Holiday Feasting

You know the dire predictions: People gain an average of 10 pounds during the holidays. Or is it five? Maybe 15? Whatever. What can you do to make it through the holidays without locking yourself into a closet to avoid temptation?

1. Lift weights at least three times a week. (Turkey legs only count if you don't eat the skin afterward.)



2. Don't starve yourself until the party or big meal. Instead, eat small food portions throughout the day, which will keep your metabolism moving.



3. Sneak in a little resistance training. Go up and down on your toes, for instance, while standing in the buffet line (great for your calves; rather annoying for someone trying to maintain eye contact with you).



4. Eat more smoked turkey and less apple pie.



5. Eat until you are satisfied, not until you are stuffed.



6. Take a walk not just a stroll after a meal. And going back and forth to the kitchen for leftovers doesn't count.



7. Set a goal of maintaining weight, not losing any.



8. Cut down on alcohol, which tends to increase your appetite.



9. Make wise choices, for example: one cup of eggnog equals the same number of calories as three 4-ounce glasses of champagne plus three 4-ounce glasses of red wine plus three 4-ounce glasses of low-calorie sparkling fruit punch. However, refrain from drinking them all at once :)



10. If the get-together is at your place, send leftovers home with the guests, or better yet take them to a shelter or someone truly in need of some holiday goodies.



11. The holidays are truly a festive time but don't use this time of year as an excuse to overeat.



12. Eat slowly & drink slowly--try to enjoy yourself. After all, this holiday is here but once a year.

Stephanie Oakes is a fitness correspondent for Discovery Health Channel, a contributing editor for USA Weekend Magazine and the LA Times, and appears on NBC's 'Today in New York'. She can be reached at soakes@beststuff.com.