I wrote this Monday, December 13, 2010 but its very relevant -- Be smart and healthy this season

I'm always amazed at how much I see people overeating during the holiday season. I read recently that the average American can gain ~ 5lbs over the holiday season. While this seams exaggerated - the New England Journal Of Medicine has reported that the average American can gain 1-2lbs over this season. The really bad news is that many Americans never lose this weight.

What to do? So many of my patients are constantly reminded of just how hard it is to lose the weight once it has been gained. Therefore, any strategy to keep the weight off in the first place seems to me to be the smartest.

Here are some ideas that I have come across to help my patients during this season of temptation.

1. Eat smaller portions of food
2. Eat slowly
3. Go for a walk after a meal
4. Off to bring a low calorie dish to the party
5. Go ahead and mingle - get away from the food
6. Say "no" to fast food
7. Be realistic - now is not the time to diet but to maintain