Staving off unwanted holiday pounds Published Nov. 25, 2014 By Kimberly Woodruff Staff Writer TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The holidays are tough for a lot of people, especially when it comes to the plethora of delicious foods everywhere you go. Let's face it, delicious fudge, cakes, cookies and old family recipes are hard to resist. Wendi Knowles, the nutrition program manager with 72nd Medical Group's Health Promotion, advises making over recipes so they are at least lighter, if not fat free. "During the holidays, people who are at a healthy weight gain 1 to 2 pounds, while people who are overweight tend to gain 5 to 8 pounds," she said. She said she loves the term, "freeze the gain" over the holidays. "Work to maintain your weight, or at least vow to gain no more than 'X' pounds during the holiday," said Ms. Knowles. "Keep moving and make better choices to help maintain." She said one way to do that is to start thinking healthy, have some healthy food options and enjoy other things in moderation. Below are a few healthy tips to follow during the holidays and anytime to maintain weight. · Fill up with more protein. Eat lean meat such as ham or turkey, but remove the skin · Skip or limit nuts and cheese, or sprinkle them on top of food rather than mixing it all in · Use herbs and spices to flavor food, this will help lower your salt intake · Use butter flavoring instead of piling on the butter · Eat soup before the meal to fill up so you won't eat as much · Only have one dessert · Skip foods you can have all year round · Mix alcohol drinks with a calorie free mixer Some non-food ways to stay healthy: · Make exercise part of the holiday · Keep your hands busy so you don't eat as much · Skip going back for seconds · Don't wear stretchy clothes to dinner · Use smaller plates--try grandma's china · Make the foods look more festive Health Promotions has some great tips for choosing healthier snacks, beverages and meals. For more information, call Ms. Knowles at 736-2169.