Weekly Read: "Want to Lose 7 to 10 Pounds?"

By Phil Lempert
www.philsfatdiaries.com

The holidays are not only notorious for long lines, major traffic and familial tiffs, but also for super-rich foods, overindulgence and lower activity levels. Everything adds up and becomes part of what we all dread: holiday weight gain. Whether it's one pound, half a pound or five pounds, it happens to almost everyone, and the weight goes on and rarely comes off. Five Christmases later, you have a significant weight gain on your hands (or hips!).

So, what to do? Here's our list of 10 tips to make sure you stay in shape over the holiday season and avoid putting "Lose Weight" on your list of New Year's resolutions.

1. Stay Active
One of the major causes of weight gain during the holidays is lack of activity. Instead of working out, we spend our time running holiday errands, which makes us even more tired, less motivated and less likely to stick to our routine.

Best thing to do: Stick to your regular schedule! Not only will it help keep weight gain down, it will give you more energy and it will reduce stress -- both of which are needed to battle the long lines and parking squabbles. And, if you can up your activity, even better! Try walking a few extra laps around the mall or an extra 20 minutes on the treadmill.

2. Don't Starve Yourself
One of the most common mistakes people make is going hungry all day so that they can "afford" the calories later on at the holiday party. Big no-no! You will be so hungry by the time you get to the party that you will forget about any sense of moderation or control. You are setting yourself up for a major binge.

Make sure to eat your normal (healthy, hopefully) meals and keep your hunger at bay so that you can enjoy the food at the party without going overboard. Another good thing is to have a snack before you go the party. A piece of fruit or something along those lines will keep you somewhat satiated.

3. Don't Let Your Fat Diary Go!
If you stick to your normal routine of writing down what you eat, you will be better able to monitor your caloric intake. Go online to www.philsfatdiaries.comwww.Philsfatdiaries.com to sign up for your free fat diary. Research shows that people who keep track of what they eat actually consume 15 percent less food than those who do not!

4. Choose Healthier Options
White-meat turkey is a great lean protein. Vegetables that aren't laden with butter, salad not drenched in dressing, sweet potatoes and cranberries are also good options. Make other typical holiday dishes healthier by changing the ingredients slightly. Try making mashed potatoes with reduced-fat or low-fat milk, yogurt or sour cream. Do the same with dips and spreads. Really think about the ingredients that you normally use, then think about how you can make the dish healthier. But, on that same note ...

5. Enjoy What You Love
We all have those certain dishes or items that just bring us back to childhood and make the holidays special. Go ahead, indulge! Be choosy about what you indulge in, though. Don't choose the pumpkin pie just because it is lower in fat than the pecan (which it is). If you want the pecan, choose the pecan! You don't want to set yourself up for binges later. That one piece of pumpkin pie may not satisfy you, so you may have another when, really, you could have had just one piece of pecan and been completely satisfied.

Give yourself permission to enjoy the holidays. Just enjoy with a sense of moderation. If you want to splurge on dessert, perhaps be a little more careful with your entrée choice.

6. Don't Try to Start a New Diet During the Holidays
A holiday diet plan just screams binge! You will only be setting yourself up for disappointment, resentment and depression. Stay healthy, but don't be too restrictive.

7. Remember That Holidays Are Days
Yes, days. Not weeks. Not months. Enjoy yourself on a particular holiday, but then go right back to your normal healthy eating plan. Just because it's the-day-before-the-day-before-Christmas-Eve doesn't mean it's a holiday!

8. Take Time for Yourself
It goes without saying that this season is all about stress. Between trying to shop, worrying about what your Aunt Tilly is going to say about your new choice of career, trying to schedule in all your holiday parties along with your kids' plays and concerts, and still dealing with day-to-day stressors, it is important that you take some time for yourself. Schedule a massage, buy a new book, treat yourself to a yoga studio membership, learn to meditate, whatever. Find something -- something besides eating, that is -- that will curb your stress. With a ton of food around -- all of it super-indulgent -- the holiday season is the easiest time of year to eat for comfort. Give yourself another method to deal with stress; you more than deserve it!

9. Give or Ask for the Gift of Health
Consider gym memberships, exercise equipment, athletic apparel or shoes, gift certificates to a spa or personal trainer, etc. There are many health-related gifts that you can give or ask for to help you or your loved ones stay healthy all year long. And they'll give a great jump-start to those New Year's resolutions that we normally give up by February. Make a commitment to your body and teach others to do the same.

10. Eat, Drink and Be Merry!
It can't be said enough. This is a season that is full of joy, love and many good things if you let it be just that. Let your body and mind tell you what they need, want and can do without. Live a little, but don't go overboard if it is only going to make you miserable the next day. The holidays are supposed to be fun, and they will be if you stay true to yourself and your needs.

About Philip Lempert: An expert on consumer issues, marketing trends, new products and food safety, Lempert is a respected analyst with an uncanny ability to identify and explain trends to both industry and consumers in a thought-provoking and entertaining manner. Known as the Supermarket Guru(r), Lempert is the food trends editor for NBC News' TODAY Show, founder and editor of SupermarketGuru.com, and can be heard weekly as host of the syndicated radio show Shopping Smart(r). He's also a correspondent for BBC Radio's 5 Live Program and is the author of several books including "Being the Shopper: Understanding the Buyer's Choices" and "Phil Lempert's Supermarket Shopping & Value Guide." Phil is a member of the Advisory Board to the Partnership for Food Safety Education in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.supermarketguru.com.

© Philip Lempert