You can keep your holiday spirits by using the following tips:

• Holiday meals: Thanksgiving dinner can add up to 4,500 calories if you include appetizers, eggnog, turkey, trimmings, and dessert. Redesign dinner with delicious lower-fat dishes. Substitute white turkey meat for dark meat; make your own cranberry sauce; skim the fat off the gravy.
• Holiday parties: Have a small snack before you go. Don’t socialize by the food table, but do socialize. For potlucks, bring a dish you know you can enjoy. Watch the alcohol; it can lower your resistance to tempting treats.
• Holiday travel: Pack healthy, portable snacks to see you through the trip. Good ones include fresh or dried fruit, pretzels, low-fat chips, ready-to-eat cereal, and low-fat cheese.

Take advantage of opportunities for exercise. Walk the mall before you shop or take a stroll with your family after dinner to see neighborhood decorations. Keep things in perspective, and if you overindulge, make good choices the rest of the year.

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