For those of you who read the last column, you know we are continuing on with my 25 tips for preventing weight gain over the holidays. Last time I gave you 12 tips on exercise and social occasions; today the remaining 13 will deal with keeping the house temptation-free and the Christmas feast itself.

*** On the home-front: 13: Keep health foods on hand.

Have fresh fruit and veggies cut and ready to eat in the fridge for when you need a snack. It will help save you from reaching for more fattening snacks.

14: Gift-wrap those goodies! If you like to bake cookies and other goodies as gifts, package and gift wrap them as soon as they are cool. Don't leave them in containers for a couple of days - that's too much temptation to nibble! And try chewing gum while baking; it will keep your mouth busy and you'll be less likely to sample your creations.

15: Out of sight, out of mind! Just because it is the holiday season, it doesn't mean that you have to fill your house with all kinds of fattening treats. Choose one or two things that you really enjoy and only put them out for a few days or a week around Christmas. Treating yourself for a few days won't do anywhere near as much damage as doing it for a whole month! 16: Focus on healthy eating! Make an extra effort during the festive season to make your regular meals low-fat and healthy. Measure out your portions and make sure you're not eating too much food at home. By being extra vigilant most of the time, you'll probably find you eat less calories during your regular home-cooked meals.

This leaves you with a little room for extra calories at the social occasions, but remember the tips I gave you last time, and don't go crazy! 17: Drink your water! In one study, habitual diet-soda drinkers had higher hunger ratings than people who drank unsweetened beverages or naturally sweet beverages such as unsweetened iced tea, flavoured sparkling water, seltzer and water! And of course, water is the best choice by far! *** The Christmas Feast: 18: It is not the Last Supper! You will live to eat another day, so you do not have to stuff yourself with everything in sight!! Practice moderation! 19: Pick the things you really want and have a little of each.

You don't have to eat everything just because it's there. If you really love stuffing, have some but why not leave the potatoes; that way you'll save calories without feeling deprived.

20: Don't overload your plate! Have a little bit of turkey, a little bit of stuffing, etc. Make sure you can see the plate showing in between your globs of holiday fare instead of trying to balance one more potato on your Christmas dinner mountain! 21: Try to leave a little on your plate! Not only will you not eat as much, but it will serve as a signal to others that you're full so they do not pile more food on your plate! 22: Skip dessert It's okay to not eat dessert. You don't want to have to roll yourself away from the table because you ate way too much. Compliment the chefs on the food and explain that you couldn't possibly eat another bite. If the host insists, ask for the recipe to try another time or take a piece home for later! 23: Talk more, eat less! Eat slowly, put your fork down between mouthfuls, and focus on enjoying the merriment of your loved ones instead of polishing off your dinner so you can go for seconds! 24: Shift your attention from the food to the company you are with! Holidays are special times to be with close friends and family. Don't make food the main focus; instead focus on creating pleasant memories to treasure! 25: Last but not least, remember what Christmas is really all about! Christmas should not be about eating everything in sight! Christmas only comes once a year and it is a time of giving and caring, a time for loving and sharing and a time to remember the people and things that are really important to us! So this year, laugh more, love more and have the merriest Christmas ever! And plan to be BodyWise in the new year!