Christmas is right around the corner and all month long we will be celebrating at office functions, cocktail parties and family gatherings.

Suddenly we are surrounded by an abundance of temptations, such as eggnog, nuts, chocolates and all the other decadent treats we love so much. Before we know it, waistbands are tight and buttons are popping.

The average person commonly gains between five and ten pounds over the holiday season! Anyone who has ever struggled with their weight knows how much more difficult it becomes around the Christmas season.

There is no easy answer to avoiding weight gain, and life is too short to deprive ourselves completely of the pleasures we enjoy. However, the holiday season does not have to completely sabotage your attempts at maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle. The key is moderation! Try to remain active during the holidays; although you may have less time for yourself than usual, make sure you get in some exercise. Shorter workouts are better than none at all.

Get up early to fit in a walk before work so that you can enjoy your evening parties without feeling guilty. Maybe you can even start some new family traditions by suggesting a walk after Christmas dinner or a friendly game of football or cricket out in the yard.

Here are a few other tips to help control the weight gain that often occurs during this festive time of year: Do not go Christmas shopping on an empty stomach! You will be more likely to end up in a restaurant where you will spend more money than you intended, and will probably make a less healthy choice than if you ate lunch at home. Eat your meals slowly; it takes your body about 20 minutes to realise that it is full. Put your fork down between mouthfuls and savour each bite. Put smaller portions on your plate; most of us have been brought up to clean our plate, so it is better to take a small portion the first time around and go back for seconds if you are still hungry. If you fill your plate up the first time, you will be tempted to eat more than you need. Remember to be more active throughout the day: take the stairs instead of the elevator, park a little further away from work, take a walk around the block on your lunch hour. Find ways to incorporate exercise in your regular routine. Many of us tend to drink more alcoholic beverages during the holidays; match every alcoholic beverage consumed with a glass of water. This will help prevent hangovers, and will keep your body from getting dehydrated. When eating your Christmas turkey, take the skin off; the skin contains a lot of fat, and by removing it you can make your Christmas dinner a little healthier.

After the holidays are over, we do not want to have to spend the next two months just getting back to where we were at the beginning of December.

However, we also do not want to look back at the holiday season and wonder why we didn't enjoy it! So use the 80/20 rule: plan to make wise choices 80 percent of the time, and for the other 20 percent have fun.

Be Body Wise by using the tips suggested, but remember, Christmas comes but once a year, so celebrate! And after all, isn't that why we make New Year's Resolutions? Happy Holiday! Alison Hirschi is a Bermuda-based fitness consultant No caption HEALTH HTH