As the end of the year quickly approaches, most people start looking back and thinking about how the year went. Likewise we start to wonder, what the New Year will bring us. Often we start to form ideas and new plans for how we can become healthier and wealthier in the coming year. Thanksgiving is over and we are in the height of the holiday season when we most often over eat, over drink and over spend. During this time my suggestion is to be mindful of your eating and spend wisely. Just because you are invited to several holiday parties doesn’t mean you have to attend all of them as a food tester, who has a bottomless pit of a stomach. Pick your holiday foods with care, I know it’s difficult when you’re around family and friends and everyone’s stuffing themselves, however you can still enjoy the food without overindulging. According to a November 2007 article in the New York Times, the average person gains 7 -10 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas alone! Think of all the time and hard work it would take in the gym to drop that much weight. So unless you want to gain extra weight like all the others around the holidays you may want to try a different approach. Here are three simple tips to help beat the unwanted holiday pounds:

1) Exercise more often: take an extra workout class during week, use the stairs or add 15 more minutes  to your cardio workout.

2) Don’t over eat: when going to holiday parties use the salad plate. This will help to keep your food portions smaller and help prevent over-consumption.

3) Walk after your meals: Taking a walk 30 minutes after your meals will helps you burn some extra calories.