Photo: Allison Fishman

As we head into the holiday season chef Allison Fishman, owner of The Wooden Spoon, a cooking school in New York, shares the best ways to prepare your favorite holiday meals and desserts without adding to your waistline and without scrimping on taste.

First and foremost, "Prepare your favorites. It's not the time to skimp," Fishman explained. If you don't, she added, "As my dad would say, you're going to be sitting there with a 'broygis punim,' [that's sad face in Yiddish]. This is family, this is Thanksgiving. Let loose and enjoy." But there is room for a little diet-friendly compromise. "If pumpkin pie's your favorite thing in the world, I'm not going to tell you not to have it, but you could make crustless pumpkin pie. [The crust] contains a tremendous amount of calories, fat -- leave it off. The only food that should go into your mouth is food you absolutely love."

That's Fit: How do you go about changing your cooking style for health considerations?

Allison Fishman: I grew up with mashed potatoes that were made with a container of sour cream. Now I make mine with buttermilk. Buttermilk is naturally fat-free. I think they're a little bit gross and heavy now that I've got the other version.

The holidays are a time to get together with family and friends. However, the focus of our holidays usually revolves mainly around the food we are serving. And, with the average Thanksgiving meal (turkey, stuffing, candied yams, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie) totaling more than 2,500 calories, it is no wonder why the average American will gain between 9-11 pounds from Thanksgiving to New Years. This year, I have some easy Thanksgiving swaps that will save you hundreds of calories.

1. Easy Pan Gravy:

This pan gravy removes the fat from the pan juices, saving you over 100 calories per 1/4 cup traditional gravy. Combine in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat, 1 Tablespoon olive oil and 2 Tablespoons flour. Whisk constantly until the flour mixture turns golden brown, about two minutes. Next, add 1 cup of fat-free chicken stock and 1 cup pan juices (that have been skimmed of the fat). Continue stirring until gravy comes to a full boil and thickens.

2. Sweet Potato Souffle:

I save calories from the traditional sweet potato souffle by using egg beaters and a small tin of crushed pineapple for sweetness instead of sugar. I also top it with a high fiber cereal, such as Kellogg's All-Bran Buds mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and a packet of Splenda for a crunchy topping.

3. Spruced Up Stuffing:

I give your regular stuffing recipe a boost by using Thomas' English Muffins Light Multigrain instead of bread. Each muffin has only 100 calories and provides you with 8g of fiber. I add egg beaters, low calorie butter spread and lots of vegetables for a crunch factor (water chestnuts, mushrooms, celery, shredded carrot).

4. Cranberry Sauce:

You are going to love this cranberry sauce, it is easy to prepare and so delicious! You save nearly 300 calories by using whole cranberries, Splenda and frozen berries. Once you try this recipe, you will never go back to canned cranberry sauce!

After indulging during Thanksgiving dinner, a slice of pumpkin pie may seems out of the question if you're watching your waistline. Think again! Did you know that pumpkin pie can actually be good for you?

Pumpkins are rich in vitamins and minerals including fiber, folate, magnesium, potassium and vitamins C and E. Pumpkins also contain carotenoids, a phytochemical responsible for the orange-red color of certain fruits and vegetables. Carotenoids have been shown to lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by preventing oxidation of cholesterol in the arteries. The two carotenoids found in pumpkins are alpha and beta-carotene, which convert vitamin A in the body and are essential for normal growth, immunity and development.

Who knew pumpkin pie could really be so sweet? I have created a delicious version with half the calories of the classic. I use Fiber One cereal to make a crunchy crust instead of a pie dough. I also use a fat-free egg substitute to give the filling a creamy texture and a slice with 200 fewer calories than a traditional recipe.

Try this delicious pumpkin pie!

Haven't decided which Thanksgiving recipes you'll be trying out this year? Whether you're counting your calories, trying to avoid a binge or just stick to your normal healthy eating habits, we've pulled together a list of light, low-fat and vegetarian recipes for you to try out this holiday season.

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Got a favorite Thanksgiving recipe you want made-over? Nutritionist Tanya Zuckerbrot will revamp your favorite meal with a healthy twist. Plus, check out her low-fat pumpkin pie recipe.

Thanksgiving - 'tis the time for over indulgence, stretchy pants and naps after dinner. Oh, and friends and family, giving thanks, yadda yadda yadda. I know I always eat too much at Thanksgiving -- what about you? I asked you last week if you overdid it -- here's what you said:

• 17 percent of you said yes -- your belt is still tight.
  
• 20 percent of you said you did, but it could have been worse -- you stopped after seconds, not thirds.
  
• 40 percent of you said you were full but not stuffed.
  
• 21 percent of you stopped when you had satisfied your hunger.
  

So the majority of you didn't indulge in some rampant gluttonous feast -- good for you! Keep up the good work come Christmas.

Ah Thanksgiving. Is there anything better than a day dedicated to food, family, friends and fabulous slothfulness? It's all great, but one of our favourite aspects of the day is the food.

So last week, I asked you what your favourite Thanksgiving Day dish is. Here's what you had to say:

• 32 percent of you love the stuffing.
  
• 22 percent of you love potatoes -- either mashed or sweet.
  
• 20 percent of you love turkey the best.
  
• 16 percent of you hold out for dessert -- it's your favourite part of the meal.
  
• 8 percent of you love the veggies.
  
• 2 percent of you are crazy about cranberry sauce.
  

Thanks for sharing ... though all of a sudden. I'm feeling a bit hungry.

Ah, Thanksgiving. Isn't it a great day? I hope yours was fantastic. Last week, prior to the big day, I asked you what you loved most about Turkey Day. Here's what you had to say:

• 31 percent of you -- the majority -- just love Thanksgiving, and everything about it. I'm with you guys on this one.
  
• 17 percent of you are crazy about the food.
  
• 17 percent love the time with friends and family the most.
  
• 14 percent of you love having the day off work.
  
• 11 percent of you don't like anything about Thanksgiving. Bah Humbug!

Thanks for sharing your feelings towards Thanksgiving -- it's good to know I'm not alone in my love for this day. Be sure to vote in other Your Turn polls and stay tuned for more results!

Here at That's Fit, we're constantly telling you what we think about things, but sometimes it's nice to know what you think. So from time to time, we'll ask you a question. Don't be afraid to speak up -- we love feedback.

No holiday stands for overindulgence and wanton gluttony quite like Thanksgiving does. You might have planned to keep your portions reasonable, or you might have accepted in advance that you'd have to do an extra hour of fitness the next day to compensate for the calorie fest. But plans are one thing -- executing them is another. So I'm wondering ...

Not like you need a reason to go bananas, but if you did, Jacki's got 'em.

Thanksgiving officially kicked off the holiday season. Laura has seven secrets for sticking to your diet between now and January 1st.

Horatio Sanz will never lose his sense of humor, but he did lose 100 pounds. Check him out now!

Karla wonders if you can go home again ... without picking up the bad habits you learned there. Hear more about her internal battle between North and South.

Wu Long tea: Real weight loss miracle or just another celebrity diet fad? You be the judge.

If you overdid it this Thanksgiving, don't sweat it ... undo it! Fitz tells you how.

San Francisco 49ers stars Steve Young and Jerry Rice visit Biggest Loser Families. Find out what happened.

Are you walking in a winter wonderland? Before you start digging out, read up on how to approach shoveling as a workout.

When you're done catching up with your favorite That's Fit posts, hop over to Holidash for more tips on staying healthy and fit this holiday season.

Hopefully, most of you made great choices for your health yesterday, on Thanksgiving Day. You exercised in the morning, avoided too many appetizers and stuck to only one piece of pie. If you did that, congratulations -- I'm proud of you!

If you went a little nut-so on the nuts and gobbled up several different desserts, though ... it's time to get to work. Weight gain comes as a direct result of consuming more calories than you burn. It's quite possible that you actually gained anywhere from a half a pound to three in just one day. Yeesh!

Your second priority is to force vigorous exercise into each day during the next week as well. Vigorous exercise leaves you huffing, puffing and sweating profusely. Do lots of it.

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If you went a little wild with the pumpkin pie yesterday, don't worry about it. All of the efforts you've made to eat healthfully and exercise won't be undone with one food-frenzied holiday. Just get right back on the bandwagon and do a little Thanksgiving damage control.

If you're lucky enough to have the day after Thanksgiving off from work, then you have plenty of opportunities for fitness. Some ideas:

• Family time. The holidays are all about family, right? Well, yesterday it might have been more about food, but today you can let it be about active family time. Go for a walk or a bike ride. If it's chilly where you live, visit your community center for a game of basketball or a swim in the pool.
• Go solo. For some people, too much time with their family is just too much. If that sounds like you, then use exercise as a time to escape. Lace up your running shoes, turn on your iPod and hit the pavement. Some time alone with just the sidewalk and your favorite tunes will melt away any holiday stress while burning those Thanksgiving calories.

If you want more fitness ideas, check out AOL Health's Fitness A-Z.

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The day after Thanksgiving is reserved for all-day shopping and gigantic sales. Why not reserve it for wondrous workouts too?

No pumpkin pie for me. Not because it's full of calories, fat, and sugar, though -- just because sweets give me a headache, and there's nothing more powerful on the diet front than a medical reason not to eat something. Lucky me, because if sugar didn't go right to my head, believe me, I'd be terribly tempted. Otherwise, I've done a little moving today. I walked my mom's dogs (she's been sick and can't do it herself), and vacuumed her house (hey, housework burns calories, right?), and went for a brisk walk too. I'm hoping these activities take care of the turkey, pasta, meatballs, and more I managed to consume throughout the course of the day.

Maggie let herself have all of her favorites. But she didn't go overboard (she watched her portion sizes carefully) and she made some proactive decisions too. The night before the big day, she had a light tuna salad for dinner with cut, raw veggies on the side. No snacks on Thanksgiving Eve, and then she woke to a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and a salad for lunch. With dinner at 4 PM, she wasn't ravenous at all. She also exercised on Turkey Day.

Gravy, stuffing, pumpkin pie ... as delicious as it all is, the calories can really add up. Martha told us that a typical Thanksgiving feast can add up to 4,000 calories. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) is a bit more forgiving and estimates that most of us consume about 3,000 calories. But that's no less shocking. ACE also estimates that we take in about 229 grams of fat. Or, to look at it another way, it's the caloric equivalent of 5.5 Big Macs. Wow.

Don't let those scary numbers stop you from enjoying the feast, though. Fitz has some great ideas on how you can enjoy Thanksgiving and not regret it later. To help you decide what foods you want to splurge on, consider this list:

• Egg nog -- two cups have 684 calories and 36 grams of fat
• Dark turkey meat -- a 3.5-ounce serving has 187 calories and 7.2 grams of fat
• Candied sweet potatoes -- one cup has 286 calories and 7.8 grams of fat

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