I absolutely love Christmas—I love all holidays—but Christmas holds a sentimental magic that cannot be duplicated any other time of year. Along with Christmas lights, trees, presents, tinsel, and joy, come neighbors. Neighbors who bear gifts of calories. The kind of calories that come in shiny wrappers and colorful boxes and taunt us as they lay on our kitchen countertops, waiting patiently to be consumed by us and then go directly to our thighs.

Today I received a tub full of caramel popcorn, a canister of fudge, a sack of licorice caramels and a box of chocolates, all innocently and kindly brought over to my home by my neighbors. I honestly appreciate their gestures and I reciprocate the kindness by giving them high calorie, sugary gifts right back. Is this really the Christmas spirit, or is it more assurance that we are not the only ones in our neighborhoods gaining five pounds over the holidays?

In all seriousness, those holiday treats are hard to pass up when they are sitting in front of us day after day. The problem is that there is almost an unspoken rule that you accept a gift by using it, or in this case, consuming it. It does not have to be this way. We do not have to consume the treats our friends, neighbors, and co-workers give us over the holidays. Since re-gifting is tacky, my suggestion might be harsh, but it is simple: throw away the treats. Take an itty-bitty bite, smile, think good thoughts about our neighbor, and take it outside to the trash (I hope my neighbors never read this blog).

Here is the deal, when we are committed to changing our lifestyle and aiming for a healthy and fit body, there is only a very small margin for holiday treats. Tempting ourselves by leaving plates and tins of goodies in our kitchens can ultimately lead us to fail at our fitness goals and we end up feeling defeated. Bottom line, there is no excuse for gaining the “holiday five.” Set yourself up for success in every area this Christmas—throw away the treats (and if you STILL have Halloween candy, throw that away too)!