The holiday season revolves around sugar consumption and typically encourages us to indulge in high-fat, high-calorie foods that are low in nutritional value.

From Thanksgiving to New Years’, it only takes eating 200 more calories per day than you normally do to gain five pounds. An average slice of fruit pie has 320 calories, and there are always the homemade candy and pastries sitting in staff rooms and parties between friends and co-

workers that revolve around food and beverages. Eggnog is a big item during the holidays, and a

12-ounce eggnog latte is 405 calories.

With shorter daylight hours and sun deprivation, there is a reduction of serotonin, a chemical in the brain that regulates sleep and appetite. Sugar binges also cause a drop (after a rise) in serotonin levels, so there are two factors working against weight loss during the holiday season.

To help boost serotonin levels, try to eat small amounts of food more often that include complex carbohydrates, moderate amounts of protein and that are low in fat. Exercise regularly through the holidays, and accept no excuses to miss your workouts.

Some other survival tips include:

• Exercise for an hour at least five times per week through the holiday season. A brisk walk, run, or cycling class will burn those extra calories, elevate your endorphins, relieve stress, and improve your health.

• Try a new exercise class, or meet with a personal trainer to set up a nutrition and exercise plan for the next few months.

• Incorporate weight training with cardiorespiratory training to maximize your metabolic potential.

• Don’t skip meals; that will only make you ravenous at your next meal and increase the probability of binging on high-calorie, low-nutrient foods.

• Remove trigger foods from your home so you aren’t tempted to indulge more than you should.

• Alcoholic beverages pack on the calories and the pounds. If you are going to drink, stick with a light beer or a champagne spritzer.

• Eat a healthy snack before you go shopping so you don’t end up snacking on cookies, cinnamon rolls, or other high-calorie foods found in most malls.

• If you are at the mercy of the dinner host, eat a small amount of the higher- calorie items and try to choose foods that are high in fiber and lower in calories.

• Measure yourself around the waist right now with a string or piece of ribbon and cut it. Every Monday, re-measure your waist with that same piece of material to keep a gauge on your waistline.

• Don’t let the holidays be a license to eat. Every extra calorie counts.

• Enjoy the season, not just the food.

Deana Wyland is a performance enhancement specialist and personal trainer with Gold’s Gym in Albany. If you have fitness questions for her, send them to Lifestyles editor Robin Weber at robin.weber@lee.net.