Okay, it's Friday and I promised to talk about ways to eat lunch and snacks without gaining the usual holiday 6 pounds.  Yes, that's the, uh figure, for the season.  Now if you're tall, 6 pounds is not a problem.  If you're like me and under 5'2"-that represents an entire dress/pant size!

What to do and not starve while doing it?  First, I'm not going to give you any NEW & IMPROVED suggestions.  Nope.

Taking and adding 10 minutes a day to power-walks or (if you go to a gym) the same on any cardio machine will surely help.  Don't starve yourself-make a plan and stick to it.  Make it your holiday gift to yourself.

Breakfast-eat it at home and make sure the calorie count doesn't top 300 and that it has a good deal of fiber in it!  Eat a snack-just not a choice from the box of donuts, cakes and candies that some "nice" person brought in to share with everyone.  Bring yourself a pre-packaged one.  And while you're at it, add a second one for the mid-afternoon pangs.

What you ask?  If you like yogurt-use a 100 calorie one and add some berries or apple/pear slices to it.  In the afternoon packet-try some vegetable soup or a pre-measured amount of almonds and veggies.    

For the meal of lunch itself-if you like soup, there are so many microwave versions that are approved by Weight Watchers, the choices are vast.  If you don't want to make up an entire salad or special meal for one-hit those frozen food sections and chose something from Lean Cuisine or Weight Watchers or any other diet meal.

Remember to drink water! Its filling and calorie free.  Splurge and flavor the bottle.  Wal-Mart and Big Lots sell the individual packet boxes at a much less expensive price than the grocery stores.  I was there last weekend and bought a box of 10 packets for a mere $1.75!  And the generic brand for the 12 quart size was $1.98 as opposed to the over $4 is the grocery store-with more variety.

What you need to remember is to keep it healthy, keep it steady and keep it simple.  If you do, you're more apt to stick to it and still have some wiggle room for a few "dips and additions" throughout the season.