Jeannine Groll, RD, certified health coach, owner of Got Health?

This time of year you’ll see lots of articles on how to lose weight and get fit for the holidays and it can sometimes become exhausting to take in. We just want to have fun, eat the fruit cake and relax with no worries, right? Here are my top five tips on how to put on a that typical 7-10 pounds people gain during the holidays. (And, if you want to keep the weight off, we suggest you do just the opposite of these facetious tips!)

Stock up on all your favorite holiday treats. Whatever it is, you can never have too much. Whip out the holiday candy, desserts and anything — and everything — you love to eat.

Save your appetite. When attending holiday parties, don’t eat all day so you can show up starving and ready to eat. Plant yourself next to the buffet and make it your personal serving table.

Drink less water. Water takes up stomach space. Don’t drink it and save room for all the desserts! You only have so much room in that 12-inch space, but, don’t worry, the stomach is expandable to fit in that last eclair.holiday

Don’t exercise. It will burn off those calories you are saving for cold days, and give you too much energy. You don’t want to have extra energy, or your spouse will want you to put up Christmas lights, run errands and haul boxes.

Bring your own plate. Have you noticed how little plates limit your serving size? And who came up with the two-bite rule? We can’t be wasting food. It’s much better on our “waist” than in the “waste” basket.