amExpert: How can we avoid overindulging during the holidays?

It's practically unpatriotic or a mortal sin not to overeat and overdrink during "The Holidays" -- the dreaded season that starts with Thanksgiving and progresses through Christmas until the show-stopping gourmet overkill of New Year's. This time period can cause a sense of unease.

My philosophy remains the same -- make the low-calorie choices where possible, don't waste calories unnecessarily, make sure you keep up your exercise program, avoid deprivation, eat a variety of foods and remember that no food is forbidden.

Here are some specific tips to make it easier to implement the philosophy:

My standard advice on this subject is pretty simple -- and highly effective. Make the first drink a seltzer, mineral water or even plain water dolled up with a twist of lemon or lime if you like. Why? Because the first drink tends to go down very quickly.

Then order a glass of wine, a cocktail or a bottle of beer. Even better, make the second drink a club soda, too. And if the party is a dinner, be sure to ask for water as well as alcohol; alternate between the two as the meal progresses. It's a way to pace your drinking and lessen alcohol's impact on your eating.