Give Those Fat Pants To Santa This Holiday

"I'm so stuffed I couldn't possibly eat another bite," we mildly insist before taking a bit more. Then out come the "fat jeans," and in more severe cases, the elastic-waist pants. At every turn, women face tinseled temptation: cookies, pies and eggnog. Throughout this two-month holiday time full of "moments of truth," one anxiety lurks in our thoughts -- how to undo the damage the holiday season imposes on weight-management goals.

A recent survey conducted on behalf of Kellogg's Special K confirms that most overindulgent holiday moments are as predictable as getting the itchy wool sweater from Aunt Edna. So Special K is offering five tips to defend against temptation and help ensure that those festive moments on the lips don't end up as a lifetime on the hips.

To Grandmother's House We Go ... And Then We Go Too Far

It's no secret many people gain weight during the holiday season. We know that the treats at grandmother's house usually demand second helpings, so we promise ourselves, hollowly, that we won't overdo it. But the Special K Holiday Defense Survey(1) reveals some interesting ways that good intentions go awry. For instance:

-- Experts tell us to use smaller plates to avoid overeating. This is good advice -- as long as we fill them with smaller portions too. Four-in-10 women admit to cheating on holiday eating goals, and some even try to trick themselves into thinking they aren't overeating by piling hefty amounts onto the smaller plates.

-- One of the biggest hotspots for holiday overindulgence is the kitchen -- 34 percent of women are more likely to nibble too much while making holiday cookies or other holiday foods.

-- Saying it and doing it are two different things. While 60 percent of women say that they are watching what they eat, most do not make and stick to holiday eating goals.

(1) The Special K Holiday Defense Survey was conducted by Braun Research and fielded among 524 women via telephone April 24-27, 2007. The margin of error is +/-six percent.

'Tis the Season