Many people find it difficult to avoid gaining extra pounds and inches during the holidays. Despite our resolve, when it comes to holiday parties and other gatherings where food is plentiful, we typically give in to temptation. Is it possible to avoid weight gain and still enjoy great meals without the guilt or stress? Some tips: This year, don't box yourself in with another diet. Diets fail for a number of reasons, primarily because they don't address the reasons we overeat in the first place. The key to losing weight and keeping it off doesn't lie in having to focus on, or having to avoid, food. It also doesn't require depriving yourself of all of your favorite treats or having to count every calorie. It's about making simple, small and manageable changes that are guaranteed to lead to weight loss in a healthy and manageable way. It's also about getting to the root cause and identifying the reasons for overeating so that you can use this knowledge to your advantage instead of feeling powerless and out of control. A good place to start is to think about what times of the day you are most likely to engage in 'mindless' eating. The calories consumed for reasons other than hunger are the ones that get us into trouble, and so by discovering which situations give rise to thoughts about food, you can begin to identify your triggers. It's during times when we are least active, for example, such as watching television, sitting in front of the computer or relaxing after a long day at work, that we tend to snack the most. In these instances, we have two choices for making it a weight-loss day. We can change the situation that we put ourselves in or we can change our snack choices. It is unrealistic to stop watching television altogether or pull the plug on the computer forever, so instead of trying to make drastic changes that will eventually backfire, your plan should be one that you know you can live with. An example is to replace highly processed foods with healthier more natural foods. Unprocessed or lightly processed foods fill you up and provide greater nutritional value and include fruits, nuts, vegetables, whole grains and low or no fat dairy such as yogurt or cottage cheese. Eggs, chicken, turkey, and fish are also excellent options, as are lentils and legumes. What you will find may surprise you. An egg white has only 17 calories, one cup of fresh strawberries 45, a small baked sweet potato 54 and a cup of microwave popcorn only 20. There is no disputing that if we begin to eat a little less during the day and exercise a little more we will lose weight. Along with making better food choices, you can add to your calorie burning by planning a brisk walk or other activity once a day. Again, in order to be effective long-term, it's best not to drastically increase the amount of exercise you are doing. If you are unaccustomed to activity, start with a 15-minute walk during breaks at work, or take a walk around the block after work. Gradual small changes are much more likely to result in consistent effort, while doing too much too soon usually results in soreness, injury or burnout. Research shows that it takes approximately three weeks for something to become a habit, so try to be patient and give yourself a pat on the back each day for a job well done. It's possible to burn hundreds of extra calories every day just by staying busy, whether it's going out for a day of shopping, cleaning or decorating your home for the holidays, or running errands. We all know that taking the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator or parking further away from a store entrance burns extra calories that might otherwise be stored as body fat. If you are already exercising but feel you need additional calorie burning, as little as 10 extra minutes at the end of each workout can help you avoid holiday weight gain. If you don't have extra minutes to spare, try increasing your pace or choosing a new and more challenging activity. Going to holiday parties doesn't mean you have to abandon your weight-loss goals. Here, just a little pre-planning goes a long way. For starters, avoid heading out on an empty stomach. Have a small salad, a light yogurt or raw veggies, and have a glass of water beforehand. You'll feel fuller and less likely to overeat once you get to the party. Control portions by sticking to serving sizes of most foods to no larger than the size of your fist or palm of your hand. Enjoy, but set a reasonable limit on alcohol and other high-calorie drinks. Marjie Gilliam is an International Sports Sciences Master certified personal trainer and fitness consultant. E-mail: marjie@ohtrainer.com. Her Web site is www.ohtrainer.com. This article appeared in the Dayton Daily News. 