The holiday season is coming up, and for many of us this is a time where we gain weight: whether we justify an unexpectedly large bulk or simply seem unable to avoid our weight inching up despite our best intentions. Learn some practical methods to achieving your goals and preventing or limiting holiday weight gain (or even enabling holiday weight loss).

The holidays present unique challenges: huge meals, home-baked desserts, calorically-dense food items, peer & family pressure, fond memories. We can enjoy the holidays while still moving toward our goals.

First, leave room in your food & training journal to assess why you deviated from your plan. This isn't to judge yourself, but to build awareness. Were you hungry? Did you eat because you always eat at a certain time? Did you not want to disappoint someone? Did you mindlessly eat? Or, did you just really want that food item?

Approaching holiday meals and time periods with realistic plans. Fasting prior to a meal is likely unrealistic. Eating a protein-rich meal the day of a big meal that will have plenty of fat and carbohydrates, however, makes sense.

For the big meals themselves, have a plan to help you prevent or at least limit overeating. For example, fill your first plate with a normal amount of food. This may mean limiting the items you put on your plate. This may mean putting sample-size amounts on your plate. Then, when you're done, wait 15 minutes before getting seconds.

For dessert, assess whether you're hungry or not. Take a dessert home if you really want it--you don't have to try every type of pie that meal or that day!

Finally, Niki & Gillian discuss the idea of "volume eaters" and "intensity eaters." Though people may be some combination thereof, volume eaters tend to overeat through large quantities of food, whereas intensity eaters tend to overeat through calorically dense items (eggnog, anyone?).

Arm yourselves with the knowledge and tips to better battle the holidays!

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