Do you want to avoid the pitfalls of weight gain this holiday season? Eating lighter foods doesn't mean taking the joy out of celebrating. It only means skimming off the fat, cutting back a little and learning to modify traditional recipes. Try the following pointers.

• Pay attention to portion sizes. Instead of eating twice what you usually do, set down your fork when you start feeling full.
• If you're cooking turkey for a small group, instead of wrestling with a 20-pound bird, why not buy just a part of the turkey, like the breast? Then you won't have a platter of leftovers to tempt you. Prepare the stuffing outside the bird, so it doesn't absorb the fat.
• Use skim milk instead of whole milk in the mashed potatoes.
• Make sugar cookies with a third less sugar--they're still delicious! And for a lower-calorie frosting, you can't beat light cream cheese mixed with a little honey.
• Try the Holiday Recipe Makeover Guide to make recipes lower in fat, cholesterol, calories and sodium (but still maintain the taste):

Traditional Holiday Meal	Makeover Holiday Meal
1. White and dark meat (6 oz): 289 calories 8 g fat 130 mg cholesterol 120 mg sodium	1. White meat only (6 oz): 178 calories 3 g fat 78 mg cholesterol 71 mg sodium
2. Turkey gravy (1/4 c): 76 calories 7 g fat 7 mg cholesterol 250 mg sodium	2. Skim fat from juices: 14 calories 0 g fat 0 mg cholesterol 0 mg sodium
3. Stuffing (2/3 c) 290 calories 17 g fat 43 mg cholesterol 713 mg sodium	3. Replace 1/3 bread w/ vegetables 160 calories 4 g fat 2 mg cholesterol 0 mg sodium
4. Yams (3/4 c) "Candied." 250 calories 6 g fat 16 mg cholesterol 9 mg sodium	4. W/ pineapple, apple juice omit margarine. 105 calories 0 g fat 0 mg cholesterol 1 mg sodium
5. Cranberry sauce (1/2 c) 210 calories 0 g fat 0 mg cholesterol 40 mg sodium.	5. Grind cranberries w/ oranges and apples 90 calories 0 g fat 0 mg cholesterol 1 mg sodium
6. Pumpkin pie (1/8 pie). With whipped cream 450 calories 33 g fat 66 mg cholesterol 299 mg sodium.	6. Pumpkin filling w/evaporated skim milk 1/3 less sugar. 142 calories 2 g fat 0 mg cholesterol 115 mg sodium

This article was provided as a service of IDEA, the world's leading membership organization for health and fitness professionals. Be sure to visit IDEA at http://www.ideafit.com today!