Cara Kempf is a certified personal trainer with the Fitness Zone in Carmel and a group fitness instructor with NIFS in downtown Indianapolis. She can be contacted at fitnessblog@theindychannel.com.

When you think about the holiday season, you immediately think FOOD -- and lots of it.

For the next month you will be tempted like no other time in the year. More times than not, if you're going to put on extra weight during the year, it will be over the holidays.

Believe me, I know how hard it is to watch what you eat over the holiday season. I love dessert! But I don't like the extra layer of fat that comes with it, so I use the three M's -- make, modify, and manage.

MAKE your own holiday food whenever possible. By doing this, you can watch what goes into each dish, so as not to consume a pound of butter in one serving of mashed potatoes. You can substitute skim or nonfat dry milk for whole or 2 percent, apple sauce or nonfat yogurt for oil, and splenda for sugar -- these are all my favorites!

MODIFY what you eat when you go to someone else's house. Let's say the spread is turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, pumpkin pie, and pecan pie. Instead of eating everything, choose turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn and skip the stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, pumpkin pie amd pecan pie.

Just because it's all there, doesn't mean you have to have it! (But if you absolutely do, try to take a few bites and then get rid of it.)

Also, palm-size portions people!! Don't load your plate.

MANAGE your time during the holiday season well, so as not to skip workouts. There will be lots to do, lots of people coming and going at your house, and maybe some travel time for yourself. Make sure you leave a spot in your day for a workout. Maybe you could even invite some relatives along.

If you're traveling, pick a hotel with a fitness room. Even some of the cheapest hotels have those, so don't try that excuse. Just do a little research! Working out will actually take away the extra stress that tends to come during the holidays.