Between the parties and the cookie platters, the travel and the cocktails — plus the stress of it all — maintaining your weight over the holidays is never a piece of cake. But it can be done.

Weight gained during the holidays tends to stay put, and a small yet sneaky successive holiday weight gain can snowball to become a major contributor to obesity later in life, according to one study.

"To manage this challenging time, develop a plan going into the season that can help you minimize the damage," says Linda Spangle, R.N., author of 100 Days of Weight Loss, and a weight-loss counselor in Broomfield, Colo.

Here are several strategies Spangle recommends for maintaining your weight during the holiday season.

Develop a Healthy Mantra
During the month of December, many holiday revelers give up the goals they've been trying to maintain throughout the year, such as eating healthfully and exercising regularly. But your yearlong health habits should stick with you through the season, says Spangle.

"To stick to your guns, adopt this mantra: ‘I want to live every day as the healthiest person I can,' " she advises. "Bring that attitude into the holiday season, and hold the image of yourself as a healthy person."

To stay focused, repeat your mantra to yourself daily, before office parties and other holiday events. And when you're in the airport looking for a quick meal between holiday flights, don't send your healthful habits packing.

Postpone Eating and Drinking
Because holiday parties can go on for hours, the sooner you start eating and drinking, the more time you have to consume. To close that window of opportunity and eat and drink less, have something nonalcoholic, such as diet soda, as your first drink and alternate with your other drink choices throughout the night.

Likewise, with food, "delay eating until it's almost the end of the event, if you can," she advises.

Don't Chat and Chew
Once you give yourself the go-ahead to dig in, realize that the first bites of any food are the most flavorful.

"You can get the same level of satisfaction with two bites of crackers and cheese dip, for example, as you can with 20," she says.

With that, she recommends taking just a little of this and that at the buffet or appetizer table, and sitting down to savor each and every bite.

"What you don't want to do is fill up your plate then start to chat," says Spangle. "Before you know it, you'll have an empty plate and barely a memory of having eaten."

Don't Skip Meals
On party days, don't skip meals or under-eat to "save up" calories for the party. That common tactic will work against you.

"By the time the party rolls around, you'll be starving and you'll eat much more than you otherwise would have," says Spangle.

A better bet is to eat normally during the day, just like you would if you didn't have a holiday affair to attend.

Eating regular meals also can keep you from nibbling on holiday treats coworkers bring to the office.

Exercise Every Day
Throughout the holiday season, squeeze in exercise every day. Exercise quells your stress level, boosts metabolism and provides a feeling of well-being that can fuel your resolve to eat healthfully during the holidays.

"When you exercise consistently, you're less likely to say, ‘Oh, forget about it. I'm just going to pig out tonight,' " says Spangle.

Sandra Gordon spoke with Linda Spangle, R.N., a weight-loss counselor in Broomfield, Colo., and author of 100 Days of Weight Loss, Sunquest Media, 2006, $14.95. For more information, visit www.100dayschallenge.com.

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