Do you find it "just about" impossible to stay mindful about weight and nutrition during the holidays? Of course you do. More than half of all Americans are overweight. What makes you different, all American's are in this together. Do you find it interesting that this is an American problem caused by American ideals?

You can relax a little bit now because of a new government study which shows most Americans gain only about a pound over the holidays. So you're not alone. The study shows two main things will influence your holiday weight gain: your level of hunger and your level of activity. In the study those who reported being less active or more hungry had the greatest weight gain.

If you can stay focused on dealing with just those two things, you'll probably win.

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of weight gain," according to Dr. Samuel Klein. The director of the Center for Human Nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. "Preventing the increase in weight is a lot easier and better than actually gaining weight and then trying to get it off again."

The answer is simple. Eat less and exercise more.

The good news is that most of the people overestimate how much they had gained over the holidays. Fewer than 10% gain 5 pounds or more.

The bad news is that although the one pound gained seems like a small amount, it WAS NOT LOST during the rest of the year and those single pounds accumulate over the years and add up to obesity. To help with some of your weight issues visit Fit and Slim Forever at http://www.fitandslimorever.com