8 Easy Steps to Thanksgiving Recovery

Nov. 26, 2010— -- OK, you ignored the advice we gave you Wednesday on how to avoid the seven worst holiday diet disasters and ate the 3,000 calories the typical American eats on Thanksgiving anyway. That's enough to gain about a pound, which, according to the American Council on Exercise, is likely to stay with you the rest of the year.

A single pound may not sound like much, but multiply it by 10 and by the end of the decade, that's a lot of extra padding around the middle. Dr. Timothy Harlan, medical director of Tulane University in New Orleans and creator of Drgourmet.com, has some tips and strategies for shedding your Thanksgiving excess and navigating the rest of the holiday season without going up a pants size.

A good portion of holiday weight gain can be avoided simply by having a plan on how to traverse the buffet. For example, instead of mindlessly sweeping down the line taking one of everything, suss out the selection then decide what you absolutely must try. When in doubt, don't put in on your plate or you'll feel obligated to eat it and try being last on line so a lot of the good stuff is already gobbled up. It also helps to eat something before you hit the party; showing up ravenous will only increase your chances of caving to temptation.

In the best of times, it's hard to squeeze in a workout. Add shopping, parties and travel into the mix and it seems next to impossible to find the time to burn off some of those excess holiday calories. Here again, some advanced planning can make a difference.

At home, gather up your workout gear the night before so you don't waste precious time hunting down your iPod in the morning. If you're traveling, find a hotel with a gym or at least gym privileges, or scope out the nearest gym to grandma's house in advance.