Maintaining your weight any time of the year but especially during the holiday season can be a challenge. However, there are a number of fundamental concepts that can help steer you through the season and reduce the odds of weight gain.

1. Approach food with a healthy attitude

Choose food for your health and enjoyment. The two need not be mutually exclusive. Fill up on tasty, healthy, and low calorie foods first and limit your portion size for the high calorie "treats" whether they are part of the main meal, dessert, or on the snack table.

If you do overeat a meal or two, keep it in perspective. Everyone overeats on occasion. The difference comes with how you perceive what happened. The healthy approach is to simply move on. You can choose to eat a little less over the next 24 hours or you might get in some exercise to burn calories or both. Deciding you will just give up and allow yourself to eat whatever you want because you feel you've set bad habits in motion is simply not an acceptable option.

2. Eat balanced meals and snacks both before and after a food-focused celebration

Skipping meals can set up a cycle of "feast or famine". This kind of approach may slow your metabolism and lessen your ability to know when you have eaten enough. It also makes it easier to overeat by overcompensating for the meals you went without. So eat regular meals and snacks before and after, just eat somewhat less.

3. Give yourself the gift of better health this year and find ways to exercise

It isn't necessary to buy an expensive piece of equipment or join a gym. These can be great choices once you have developed the habit of daily exercise. Instead start small and choose to do what is simple and fits with what is likely to be an already overly crowded schedule.

Walking is one of the easiest and most commonly recommended choices but there are plenty of other possibilities. How about making one or more of your holiday gatherings centered around a physical activity such as dancing or ice-skating or indoor badminton or any of dozens of other choices.

Think in terms of steps. Get yourself a good pedometer and start tracking how many steps you take to accomplish your holiday tasks from shopping to cooking to mailing packages. The recommended number of steps for better health is 10,000 a day. How do you measure up?

4. Remember Quality Not Quantity when You Eat

Choose only the best when having a high calorie treat! Just remember to fill up on healthy low calorie foods first. If you do, only a small amount of the high calorie treats can be very satisfying. Also, make a conscious decision to eat slowly and mindfully.

5. Plan Ahead to Avoid Overeating

Make a list and plan meals and snacks for each week before you grocery shop. If your schedule is far too busy for regular meals, plan to have healthy low calorie snacks you can easily take with you to avoid going without eating. Also, when asked to contribute, bring low calorie dishes to parties and family get-togethers. That way you have at least one food you can eat and feel good about.

Think about the many ways you might socialize with family or friends that does not involve eating. If you are at an event with lots of tempting foods, choose to join a group that is not standing by the snack table. Converse, socialize, and enjoy. It's possible to have fun without eating.

Not everyone gains weight over the holidays. This year with a simple and focused strategy, you may not gain an ounce.

For hundreds of specific tips on choosing healthy low calorie foods and snacks and how to plan your strategy for weight loss or maintenance, visit the Women and Weight Website. Lori Pirog, M.S., the Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Expert.