By: Ashlyn Rhodes

Danielle Yantis is a registered dietitian and no stranger to the weight management struggle. She says the holiday season is a particularly tough time for people trying to keep and eye on their weight.

Click here to listen to Danielle Yantis

The holiday season is a time for excess when it comes to eating, but Yantis has a few suggestions for ways to make it through the culinary minefield without packing on the pounds. For starters, she says make sure you eat healthy at home. Eating plenty of veggies and lean proteins like eggs and beans before a holiday party can help curb your appetite so you don’t over-eat on special holiday treats.

Click here to listen to Danielle Yantis

At buffets, Yantis says it’s important to know what options you have so you can only eat your favorites, and to only take two or three items at a time. She says starting with a low-calorie drink is a great way to control hunger while socializing with friends and family. Making activities with friends and family the main focus of holiday celebrations is a great way to manage what and how much you eat. Yantis suggests going for a walk to admire neighbors’ lights or playing a physically active video games as a way to burn calories and make fun memories.

If it’s too late to keep off the pounds, and you’re focused on losing your holiday weight instead of avoiding it, Yantis says weight-loss is a simple equation of calories in to calories out.

Click here to listen to Danielle Yantis

For more suggestions on ways to manage your weight, go online to the American Heart Association’s website, or Eat Right dot O-R-G.