It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

So it has begun, the season of endulging in the most decadent of menus--Holiday season.

Although many of us have already gotten ourselves in a little bit of trouble four days ago, it is not too late to make sure that we do not get ourselves off track of healthy meals and on track to make losing weight our New Year's resolution.

Try some of these simple steps and save your resolutions for something better like doing one good deed a day or leaning another language.

1.) Plan menus in advance and shop bi-weekly for what you need. It is easy during the holiday season to skip cooking and stopping to grab something on the way home.  That piles up the calories and spends more money that could be used to get Aunt Mable those slippers she wants.

2.) I know the weather outside can be frightful this time of year but indoor exercising can be delightful for one's body.  Believe me, it will thank you.  If you don't belong to a gym, it may seem cheezy, but invest in a workout tape like pilates which not only can work up a sweat it keeps you limber as well. When the weather does break (heck, we live in Ohio, the weather is unpredictable!) feel free to do your regular running or out door regimen.

3.) Deprivation is NOT the answer! Do not deprive yourself of holiday treats, indulgence is OK in moderation. Yes, after dinner you can have dessert, but make sure you watch your portions. (And that goes for the rest of your plate as well!) Instead of consuming empty calories with wines and other drinks, limit yourself to one drink and drink carbonated or flat water the rest of the dinner to quench your thirst and this will also help fill your tummy to not want so much stuffing and deviled eggs.

4.) While we may not always look forward to eating with our family, eating meals together, people usually consume less calories. I'm guessing this is because when people eat together they are conscious of what is on their plates and because they are talking and eat slower which triggers your brain to tell the tummy that it is full. So the more often we have dinner and listen to Uncle John's crazy stories, we can also help limit our caloric intake.

I hope these helpful hints will be heeded, they are small changes that will make a big difference in your holiday season.