The holidays are coming. Thanksgiving and Christmas (Hanukah, Kwanzaa, whatever you’re into) both are huge invitations to take those extra trips up to the buffet-style set-up your mom and aunt have in the kitchen. It’s a time where we all mix up the egg nog, sit around watching football and catching up with relatives we haven’t seen in far too long.

What can we do to stop, or at least minimize, the inevitable holiday weight-gain? How can we nip the tryptophan comas in the bud? One thing my mom and I do is put on the tennies and go for a walk in the morning or after our food has settled. Its a nice time to catch up with her, since she lives 1100 miles away in another time zone, and its a great way to not sit on the couch.

Another good tip is to think about all the ingredients that are going into your meals. If your stuffing requires canned creamed soups, consider low-sodium, low-fat versions. Try a little Splenda, vanilla and cinnamon in your sweet potatoes instead of all sugar.

Don’t forget your water either! Keep on chugging water while you’re cooking, while you’re sitting watching the game, and even have a bottle with you while you walk the mall for Black Friday deals.

what other ideas do you guys have about watching your holiday weight? Leave your ideas after the jump!

Water is good for you in many different ways and is essential to good health and great when you’re dieting.  Why?

Water gives you a false sense of fullness.  Experts say that a majority of the time that you think you’re hungry, it’s really just your thirst mechanism.

Water cleans out your system of elements it doesn’t need and gives your cells the water they DO need to function at their highest level, metabolically.  The reason you feel hungover after a night of drinking is because your cells don’t have enough water because your body’s process to break down the alcohol (carbs) you drank used it all.  It’s called your Krebs Cycle, bitches.  Know it and love it.  Feed it with water.

It’s great for your skin, as it clears away the yuckies mucking that up as well.  Expect clearer and healthier looking skin with your eight glasses a day.

Doctors recommend you imbibe 8-12 glasses of water a day, minimum – more if you’re sweating out at the gym or in some other physical activity.

Some tips to sneak in more water into your diet:

1. Take a bottle in the car with you.  I know when I am bored, I’ll drink it just because it’s there.
2. Have it at your desk while you work.  It’ll give you something to do, again, just because it’s there, and with the need to get rid of it (potty breaks) you’ll have an excuse to get up and stretch your legs.
3. Drink a glass of water before you eat each meal.  It takes up a good amount of space in your stomach so you eat less.
4. Always have it on hand while you’re working out.  I know I drink a lot more water when I have a bottle in the cupholder on the elliptical than if I have to wait until my 20 minute workout is up.  Then you can drink when you want, as much as you want, without the skeevy guy breathing down your neck, waiting behind you for the water fountain (or “bubbler” if you’re from Wisconsin).

Hopefully these ideas and tips will get you into the habit of drinking more water.  Do you guys have any more tips for integrating more water into your day?  Leave your ideas after the jump.