Happy (Health Conscious) Holidays!

Holiday time has arrived, along with the fear of that wondrous, winter weight gain. Since most of us will be cranking out Christmas cards instead of keeping up with our cardio, a little health-conscious help is necessary. With these tips you might be able to make up for your last New Years resolution; before the next one comes around.

The first way to create a healthier holiday is to nip the nibbling problem in the bud. Overeating at events becomes avoidable by eating healthy foods at home before attending the party. Any lean protein and soups are good choices that will keep you full longer.

"Try not to go to parties on an empty stomach," said Marilynn Medley, dietician for the Missouri Department of Mental Health. "I know that many people deprive themselves all day to save calories, but this will only lead to starvation and over-eating."

When attending a holiday function with food (which, in reality, would be all of them . . .), stick to the fresh options such as the raw veggies and fruit, shrimp cocktail, deli meats, and a few cheese cubes. Don't congregate near the table, where you will be tempted to continue picking at the food, and try to go easy on the creamy dips, cocktail weenies and cookies. Also be sure to avoid original versions of Christmas time favorites such as hot chocolate and egg nogg, which are full of sugar. Giving up the corn squeezins is another sure-fire way to keep the holiday weight under control.

"Watching the beverages you consume, particularly alcoholic beverages, is very effective because the calories really add up," said Jennifer Drewing, owner of Pilates for Everybody in Columbia, MO. "Try drinking a glass of water in between alcoholic drinks, and keep in mind that moderation is key - every calorie counts."

According to Medley, alcohol has about 7 calories per gram! For some indulgences, such as alcohol, it's hard to find a convincing substitute, but for high-fat and high-calorie foods, there's a cornucopia of options.

"Finding ways to use lower calories ingredients in favorite recipes is certainly a way to cut back," said Medley. "Pies are particularly high in calories, yet can become much lower calorie when substituting ingredients. Using a graham cracker crust, or no-crust, and evaporated skim milk, particularly with pumpkin, saves a lot of calories."

Medley also suggests using individual custard dishes to bake the pie in, which are attractive and allow portion control, and then topping each with fat-free whipped topping.

The calorie-free sugar substitute Splenda can be used in the pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, and any other baking, and still takes like sugar because it's made from sugar. Instead of serving candied yams, which contain calorie packed ingredients such as butter, marshmallow and brown sugar, try "Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes". Mix together cooked sweet potato with twice as much drained crushed pineapple in its natural juice. Sprinkle with Splenda's brown sugar mix and warm in the microwave or oven.

Instead of white dinner rolls made with bleached flour, try a wheat or whole grain variety. Using a non-calorie spray butter (I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and Parkay make great ones) to flavor potatoes and breads also cuts way back on the calorie factor.

And of course no weight-watching plan is complete without nutrition's companion, exercise.

"My biggest tip to clients during the holidays is to not give up," said Drewing. "Many people want to call it quits because they're stressed and tired, but exercise helps release stress."

Take advantage of this time with the family together and engage in activities like walking or hiking. If it's snowing, take the kids sledding and join in on the fun! Trudging back up the snowy hills provides a great cardio workout. With harsher weather conditions, outdoor activity may not be an option, so find ways to stay fit by the fire indoors.

"The Fitness Channel (available with extended cable) airs 24 hours of various video and programming," said Drewing. "Also, yoga and Pilates can definitely be done safely at home within after a few sessions of training."