holiday dieting? really?

Apparently you can diet during the holidays, although it's probably more correct to say "keep from gaining 20 pounds" rather than "diet." What's the secret other than avoiding that fourth helping of buttery mashed potatoes and third slice of pumpkin pie? For take it off tuesday I bring you this great article from WebMD with some helpful hints for handling those holiday temptations--and I'm not talking about post-Thanksgiving-Day sales.

In "Top 10 Holiday Diet Tips of All Time," WebMD consulted diet gurus across the country and consolidated their advice into a list of 10 recommendations for keeping off those unwanted (are they ever wanted?!?!) extra pounds that tend to creep up on our thighs starting October 21st and ending January 2nd. Here's the list in short form. You'll definitely want to read the entire article for the "why" behind each one of these tips.

1. Trim back the trimmings. (Seconds on the salad not the stuffing.)
   
2. Wear snug clothes and keep one hand busy. (Does playing Wii count?)
3. Chew gum. (I use this trick at night when I get the late-night munchies.)
   
4. Be a food snob. (But what if I really like Grandma's homemade rolls?)
5. No skipping meals. (Like that's an option!)
   
6. Check it out. (Sipping and socializing--totally doable!)
   
7. Add fun and games. (Okay, playing Wii does count if it's Wii Fit!)
8. Alternate alcohol with nonalcoholic beverages. (As long as I have a Diet Coke in hand, I'm good to go.)
   
9. Skip the appetizers. (La la la...not listening to this one...la la la.)
   
10. Limit the variety. (Variety is the spice of life but it could also sabotage your diet.)
    

These tips seem to be pretty common sense; it's following them that's the hard part. As I get older I'm learning I gain weight more easily and have to work twice a hard to lose it, so there's some serious incentive to avoiding even a second helping of stuffing!

Do you have any tips or tricks to help you survive the non-stop holiday buffet? We'd love to hear them!

"Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence." ~Erma Bombeck