Photo: New York Sports Club

One of the more colorful emails to appear in my inbox this month was a compendium of Thanksgiving-themed exercises, courtesy of New York Sports Club (a subset of the Town Sports International gym chain). Assembled by Master Trainer Amy Hoff, the collection promised to "help even the most overindulgent combat the year's biggest holiday meal." Sure, I'll take that.

The team at NYSC had actually taken time to connect the calorie burn of each exercise to a serving of a particular Thanksgiving food. In other words, according to their research, a set of "Jiggle Buster Jumps" could work off two slices of turkey (100 calories a slice). Three sets of "Pumpkin Pie Push Ups" might burn off not (as I'd first assumed) a slice of pie, but rather a half cup of stuffing (250 calories). The pie business (350 calories), it turns out, promises to be taken care of with three sets "Second Serving Squats." Should I want to wind things down with a glass of wine (95 calories), I'd be in for three sets of "Football Runs."

In the interest of full disclosure, I'll admit I didn't actually eat the foods in question on the day I tested these, but I ate a whole lot of other bad-for-me things. In other words, the will was definitely there.

Photo: Mr. Wabu, Flickr

My father used to have a saying about quitting cigarettes. "It's easy to stop smoking", he'd say, ruefully. "I've done it a million times."

If you've ever lost weight, you probably know exactly what he meant.

One of the biggest problems with weight loss isn't losing the weight in the first place, it's keeping it off. And while I've written in the past that exercise is not the most efficient way to lose weight, it may just be the magic bullet when it comes to keeping it off.

Dr. Paul McLean of the University of Colorado School of Medicine studies the metabolism of rats so that he can learn more about the metabolism of humans. In one study, he got his rats to be nice and fat and then put them on a "low-fat, low-calorie" diet causing weight loss. Then he put them through the rat version of our holiday season: He allowed them to gorge on unlimited amounts of food. Big surprise -- they got fat again.

Still have holiday goodies hanging around the house? I know it's hard, but it's time to stick them in the trash. January 1st is just two days away, and we want you to be ready.

Is weight loss on your list of New Year's resolutions? Here are five easy ways to make that resolution stick, once and for all. Here's to hitting your goal weight in 2009!

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You deserve a break, you know that? You've been letting the holiday goodies pass you by and sticking to your workout routine. That's why we want you to look really hot in your jeans this month.

Holi and Dash are giving away a $100 gift certificate to be used at Yummie Tummie. Time to put a little something for yourself under the Christmas tree.

Giveaway ends Thursday, December 11th, so check it out now.

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Santa knows if you've been naughty or nice, so why not ask him for a little help in being really, really good this year?

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.

Brrrr ... it's cold outside. And it's so very tempting to take a detour into your nearest Starbucks to warm up with one of those delicious holiday drinks.

It's also tempting to believe that coffee drinks don't "count" toward your daily calorie total. But, ohhhh, how they do. To see how bad it gets, check out this post over at Holidash.

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Hey everyone, Fitz has given you permission to let loose over the holidays! No, really!

But here's the thing: She wants you to remember the difference between an holiDAY and a holiMONTH. That means you can go wild exactly three times between now and January 1st. On the days between, she wants you to be on your best behavior.

See what else Fitz has to say over at Holidash.

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Look, we all know we're going to eat a little more than usual on Thursday.

Minding your manners this season may do more than endear you to your new grandmother-in-law. It can also help you keep the lid on holiday weight gain.

Brush up on your etiquette, and you might not need to make that weight loss resolution come New Year's. Our own Miss (Fit) Manners Kristen Seymour explains it all over at Holidash.

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It's kick-off time ... for the the holiday season, that is. And with that comes holiday weight gain.

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When the holidays role around, it's like we lose all semblance of eating common sense, don't you think? I can count on one hand how many cookies I've had in the past year and then the annual Christmas tree hunt rolls around and I'm packing away ginger snaps like there's a hunger looming. Truth is, I'm not alone -- lots of people invent excuses to overeat over the holidays. According to eDiets, here are five of the biggest holiday whoppers:

• Everyone gains 5 lbs over the holidays, so I might as well too. Gaining 5 lbs ain't so bad -- as long as you can lose it. Most people don't.
  
• I can take a vacation from my diet because I'll go back on it in January. Don't do it! It's a quick way to get back on the unhealthy eating roller coaster. Losing weight in the future is a lot harder than saying no right now.
  
• I'll starve myself all day so I can eat what I want at the party tonight. The only thing you'll do is put your body into starvation mode, which will make you overeat at the party.
• I can't diet if someone else is cooking. It's ok to say no to certain things. Your hosts will forgive you.
  
• My family would miss it if I didn't cook their holiday favourites. Try something new -- go healthy this season. Your family will live, and maybe you'll forge some new, healthy traditions.
  

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Thanksgiving has come and gone, but the holiday season is just gearing up. Health experts say that Thursday's feast not only kicked off the holiday season, but also started a dangerous six week period that lends itself perfectly to overindulging.

It's alright if you overdid on Thanksgiving. It really is. It's just one day, only one meal. But today is a good time to remind yourself that though one day might not do your weight and fitness level much damage, six weeks of splurging certainly will. So between now and the next holiday, have a plan. Practice restraint, get in your daily workout, drink plenty of water, reduce stress, and get enough sleep. Then look forward to the next delicious holiday meal, without having to dread getting on the scale January 1st.

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If you haven't started shopping already, you probably will soon. And while the holiday season involves gift giving for all of the special people in your life, it's also a good time to indulge another person you care about -- yourself. Ease holiday stress by taking good care of yourself and allowing yourself a treat or two. You don't have to buy yourself a present and wrap it up in a bow to indulge in these gifts, but you certainly could!

What does your body want to see under the Christmas tree?

• great skin care
• a good stretch
• a massage
• restraint
• laughter

Find out how to treat your body well this holiday season in the gallery below.

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One of the problems with holiday weight gain lies not so much in the meal itself -- after all, how much can you really eat in a sitting? (Wait, don't answer that.) -- but in the fact that delicious, delectable goodies are lying around all weekend long It's hard not to reach out and try a bite of this or put a little extra of that on your plate. I'm all for indulging a little on special occasions, but if you find yourself putting on a little weight every time a party or holiday gets together rolls around, it might be time to think about what you're eating.

Mindless eating is a problem year round, but it can be especially problematic over the holidays. MSNBC has a few quick tips to help you be a little more mindful about what your body is telling you eat:

• Wear a belt. If not a belt, at least a snuggish pair of pants (and leave them buttoned). When you're full, excuse yourself and resist reaching for seconds.
• Put your calories toward your favorite items and things that you don't get to eat every day. That way, you'll still feel like you're celebrating and not depriving yourself.
• Take small portions the first time around. If you need to go back for more, a second small portion will do, but chances are that those two servings are smaller than the large first serving you'd typically take.
• Forgo the late night turkey sandwich and eat a piece of fruit or some carrots from the veggie tray instead.
  

Have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

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