YOU DON’T HAVE TO DUMP YOUR FITNESS PLANS THIS DIWALI; YOU JUST NEED TO TWEAK THEM.

Keeping trim during Diwali would seem to be a paradox because mithai and Diwali go hand-in-hand. You exchange sweets as gifts and they certainly aren't low in calories. Keeping fit is also difficult because shopping trips, traffic, and fatigue disrupt your regular fitness routine. Does this mean you should give up and resign yourself to gaining, on an average, seven pounds every year? Not if you consider these suggestions for a healthy and guilt-free festival season.

Eat only those foods you really enjoy: Special (usually high calorie) foods are a part of this special season. Food plays a big part in holiday celebrations and parties. It would be miserable to have to gnaw on carrot sticks while watching everyone else descend on the food-laden family table. Let yourself go and join in the festivities. However, limit yourself to eating only those foods you really enjoy. Do not use the season as an excuse to over-indulge in everything else.

Use the same control when it comes to all those food goodies you receive as gifts. If you don’t really like cakes, you don’t have to eat them. Give them away at the office or to charitable institutions. Keep and enjoy only those gifts you really like to eat. Don’t waste your calories.

Watch out for emotional eating: Diwali can be a very stressful time. Watch out for stuffing your mouth to relieve that stress. Use other means to relax such as cleaning and decorating the house.

Get enough sleep: It’s easy to lack sleep during the festival, especially if you are a card or party freak. Some studies have shown that people who are short on sleep, eat more. It’s as though the body is trying to obtain energy from food that was meant to come from rest.

Have realistic expectations: Diwali is not the time to try and lose weight. Consider yourself successful just to maintain your weight.

Beware the “all-or-nothing” attitude: Diwali time can be deadly if you have the “all-ornothing” attitude towards food. So what if you succumbed to mithai? It’s not the end of the world. Balance it in your next meal.

Create lower calorie versions of high calorie favorites: Consider modifying some of your favorite recipes to make them lower in total calorie content. Lessen the amount of sugar by one-fourth of what is required. Most people will not even notice the difference. Or use skim milk instead of full-cream milk in your preparations.

Eat low-calorie at home, high-calorie when eating out: To enjoy all the rich food that is served at parties without putting too much weight, eat low calorie meals at home to even out the total damage.

Modify your fitness routine: You need exercise now more than any other time during the year to manage stress levels and to burn off all those excess calories that come disguised as gifts from well-meaning friends. Instead of not exercising at all, try modifying your usual routine by cutting down on either the frequency or the duration of your workouts. Not only will this maintain your fitness, but it will also help calm your frazzled nerves.

Instead of not exercising at all, try modifying your usual routine by cutting down on either the frequency or the duration of your workouts. If you are used to working out daily, try cutting it down to two to three times a week. If you are used to one-hour workouts, try doing only thirty minutes. The whole point is that you should continue to do some exercise instead of none at all. Not only will this maintain your fitness till the end of year, but it will also help calm your frazzled nerves.