Curbing the holiday pounds: Learn how to avoid weight gain during the festive season

Pumpkin pie, holiday cookies and fudge are most likely on the upcoming weeks' menu.

Eating season has arrived.

It's very easy to pack on 10 to 15 pounds during the holidays, said Andrea Tollefsrud, a personal trainer and certified nutritionist in Boulder.

"It's not just those two or three meals," Tollefsrud said. "There's parties, potlucks and about eight to 10 days of unusual eating and lack of exercise."

Tollefsrud will give some tips on Tuesday at a free presentation called "How to Avoid the Holiday Weight Gain," at Boulder's Full Cycle, 1795 Pearl St.

But Thanksgiving doesn't have to be miserable -- and the treats don't necessarily have to be avoided.

Instead, the key to prevent packing on the pounds comes with portion control, Tollefsrud said.

"It's about quantity," Tollefsrud said. "Just try not to exceed the right amount of calories for your body type."

In the presentation, Tollefsrud focuses on how much fat and calories are in the big meals, such as Thanksgiving dinner. She'll portion the servings with items such as dice, a deck of cards and compact discs to demonstrate the caloric equivalent.

"I'll show a normal plate of food and its calorie intake," Tollefsrud said. "Then I'll show if you add a second helping, how many more calories you are adding to your body.

"A meal at Thanksgiving could consist of more than half of your daily calories."

Karli Gronholm, co-owner of Full Cycle, said that although she is a very active person, holiday weight gain is one thing she can struggle with.

"This presentation is great at bringing awareness," Gronholm said. "You can learn how to combine a busy holiday season with some health tips -- even as simple as climbing the stairs in your home for exercise."

Tollefsrud said during the holidays, the exercise routine is usually the first thing to fall by the wayside.

"Everyone drops their exercise routine," Tollefsrud said. "People seem to have less time, but people should capitalize on the time they do have.

"Life doesn't just stop because of the holidays."

Tollefsrud said the presentation also will consist of calorie burning tips, lifestyle tips -- such as scheduling a workout into the daily grind -- and participants will go home with a flier of resources.

"Many people think, 'What is gaining a pound of body fat?'" Tollefsrud said. "But it's so easy to add extra pounds every week during the holidays.

"And it takes four times as long, four times as much effort to lose body weight than to put it on."