By Curtis Bovee

Staff Writer

The holiday season has arrived, the time of the year filled with endless obstacles to healthy eating. Whether it’s the abundance of Christmas parties to attend or the never-ending baking of pies, cookies and cakes, temptation during the holidays is inevitable.

The following are ways to avoid overeating during the holiday season.
-Extra time: during the holidays, we tend to have more free time, especially students. Although this time is a “break,” plan to utilize the extra time each day to participate in some kind of healthy activity. Utilize this as an incentive program—the more calories you burn, the more you can consume without negative repercussions.
-Portion sizes: turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pies, etc. The list goes on. You do not need to create a masterpiece by seeing how much food each plate can fit. Instead, try limiting portion sizes to the size of your fist or smaller. In addition, as you inevitably make your way back to the line for your third and fourth servings, make a point to take less each time.
-Alcohol consumption: the more you can limit your consumption of alcohol during the holidays, the better. Not only is alcohol empty calories, greater consumption will cause you to eat more and be hungry for longer, a combination for uncontrollable caloric consumption.
-Moderation: just because your grandma makes a pumpkin pie to-die-for does not mean you need to eat the entire thing. Focus on limiting yourself and the amount of each food that you consume. As goes with portion sizes, try just to eat enough. Yes, there may be 4 deserts offered, but this does not mean you have to eat every one of them. Leave the table feeling satisfied, not stuffed.

During one holiday season, overeating and the resulting weight gain will not hurt you; however, cumulatively it adds up over the years and will increase the risks of obesity. Making and sticking to a plan this holiday season will provide you with a template to follow for the rest of your life to combat overeating during the holidays and the risks associated with it.