When it comes to dieting around the holidays, be reasonable. Rather than trying to lose a pound or two a week — a sensible goal other times of the year — try to lose half that, or try to maintain your weight.

Thanksgiving is coming up, and we're anticipating pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes and lots of gravy. Also Christmas cookies and fudge and fancy cocktails and big gift tins of popcorn in three flavors.

And New Year's champagne toasts and midnight suppers.

But not, on Jan. 1, the scales.

We know you know this stuff, but in the interest of limiting the January pain, here's a quick refresher course on limiting the damage. Many of the suggestions are from Linda Nye, a registered dietitian at Via Christi Hope, a health-care outreach program.

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Be reasonable. Rather than trying to lose a pound or two a week, try to lose half that, or try to maintain your weight rather than gaining.Still too much of a challenge? Take on something smaller: Switch to fat-free milk in your coffee or eat one more serving of vegetables each day. Use lower-fat substitutes in holiday recipes: two egg whites to replace one whole egg (omit the yolk); an equal amount of applesauce for the oil or shortening in baked goods; or a lower-fat cottage cheese instead of the full-fat version.•

Quit judging yourself by the foods you eat. You're not "good" if you eat a salad and "bad" if you eat fudge. They're both just food. And all foods are allowed — it's the amount that you have to watch. Instead of judging foods, think of all the ways foods nourish you. If chocolate lowers your stress and creates feelings of well-being, have a small amount. Savor each bite. Don't rush through the experience. Would life be worth living if you could never eat chocolate again?•

Change your definition of full. A good goal is to eat until you are four-fifths full. Cut yourself some slack on Thanksgiving Day, if you must, but after most meals, you should feel as if you could get up, go outside and take a brisk walk.•

Forget "all or nothing." If you're feeling that you've already "blown it" with a doughnut this morning, don't use that feeling as an excuse to raid your daughter's Halloween candy tonight. Instead, think of ways to be physically active with your kids 30 minutes a day.•

Keep a stash of healthy snacks — baby carrots or 3- or 4-ounce portions of plain sliced turkey. If you're truly hungry, the carrots or turkey should fill you up. And if you're eating for another reason (stress or boredom), it's harder to binge or munch mindlessly on carrots and turkey.A whole carrot has 30 calories, a whole cucumber has 40. Compare that with 11 chips and 110 calories. And it takes a lot longer to eat carrots and cucumbers. The more you chew, the more satisfied you are.•

Limit alcohol. We wouldn't ask you to give it up this time of year, but consider the empty calories: A 4-ounce Cosmopolitan has about 200; a couple of them after work eat up a lot of your allotment for the day. If you drink (or eat) 500 extra calories every day, then every week you will gain one pound. Beverages with calories are the easiest way to gain weight.•

Get a move on. In addition to burning calories, exercise is a great way to deal with stress. Can't get to the gym for an hour? Go for a five-minute walk at lunchtime.Or walk 15 minutes nonstop at the mall before you start shopping. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Instead of e-mailing co-workers, walk to their desks. Or find some other activity that can fit into your daily life. Exercise is the fountain of youth.