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Avoiding Extra Pounds and Inches During the Holidays

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(NewsUSA) - Holiday festivities can pack on the pounds. Among parties, meals, cocktail hours and cookie swaps, it's not surprising that we always manage to start the new year a few pounds heavier. As many of us know, with dieting and exercise strategies, Americans can maintain their current weight through the holidays.

However, maintaining healthy weight can sometimes seem tortuous and may cause many people to lose sight of the path. Dietcare, a company that specializes in weight management, offers these simple tips to keep you healthy through the holidays without feeling overwhelmed:

- Eat breakfast. You might feel tempted to skip breakfast, especially if you're busy or plan to eat a buffet at dinner. But eating a healthy breakfast, like an apple with peanut butter or a bowl of oatmeal, will boost your metabolism. Eating too little incites sugar cravings, so eating breakfast can help you control your eating the rest of the day.

- Plan ahead. If you know that you will attend a party in the evening, eat lightly through the day. Fresh fruits and vegetables will fill you up without giving you excess calories. At lunch, choose low-calorie options like broth-based soup or salad.

- Watch your portions. If you were at home, you wouldn't fill your plate four times, so why do you keep returning to the buffet? Try filling your plate once. If you are still hungry after your first portion, fill up on raw vegetables and fruit salad. Drink soda water, which can help you feel full without adding extra calories.

- Stop picking at food. When food's sitting in front of you, you might be tempted to eat little bite after little bite. But those little bites can quickly add up. Before you pop another mini quiche into your mouth, consider how full you feel. If you are not truly hungry, stop eating.

- Watch the alcohol. Those holiday toasts contain nutrient-free carbs, sugars and fat. Even worse, alcohol can lower your inhibitions around food. Avoid mixers, and choose red wine, white wine, champagne or light beer instead.

- Keep moving. Your busy holiday schedule shouldn't prevent you from exercising. Enjoy winter activities, like skating, skiing or sledding. Take the dog for a walk, build a snowman with the kids or take a romantic stroll with a loved one.

For more information, visit http://www.dietcare.com.