Oh boy. I can practically smell the baked goods already. Thanksgiving may have passed, but most of us consider it the warm up to the Olympics of holiday eating.  The average person gains between 2-5 pounds during the holiday months.  And though it’s rather fortuitous that all that eating falls during winter months when we get to layer, we shouldn’t just expect that we are going to hide under our clothes.

Granted, it’s hard (impossible) to resist, party after party, office treats, and all those cocktails don’t serve our waistlines well.

So here are a few tricks to stave off the pounds. Some of them aren’t fun, they don’t involve chugging eggnog, but if you have a smidgen of self-control, they work. I know. I lack it too.

Indulge without overindulgence. This is so important. Don’t let yourself get carried away, but don’t deprive yourself either. If you deprive, you will binge.  Especially at the company party when you’ve had a cocktail too many. Set a rule for yourself. If one treat per party is what you allow, that’s fine. But stick to it.

Cook for yourself when you can and choose healthy options.  If it is a week that you know you’re going to be headed out a lot at night, make yourself lunch.  If you eat healthy at lunch, you can feel better about indulging later.

If you feel yourself going off the deep end, keep a snack journal. This may sound a bit obsessive, but it can be shocking to see just how many extra calories you pop in your mouth every time you grab a handful of M&M’s.

And finally. Drink water. The most boring trick of all, but it works. Most cravings only last about ten minutes.

Good luck and happy (and healthy) holidays.

-Arianna Schioldager