In all of the New Year's festivities there is an almost never ending array of party foods, delicious dishes, tasty treats, and plenty of alcoholic drinks to go around. But when you are ringing in the New Year you don't have to necessarily give a toast to an expanding waistline. It is fairly common for even the most conscientious dieter and fitness guru to ease back and cut themselves some slack at special occasions and this is perfectly fine. The fact is if you eat healthfully for the majority of the time and stick to a regular exercise program you can indulge every so often and do so without an ounce of guilt.

Still, there are a few things you can keep in mind while celebrating New Year's and other holidays so you can give into some cravings but still avoid falling into a few calorie loaded traps.

* Eat mindfully. When you are at the party, don't linger around the hor'dourve table too long and instead pick out a few items that you really, truly want and then then move on. It's easy to eat or graze away the entire night without even thinking about it, so consciously keep track of what goes into your mouth.
* Socialize. That is the main reason you did go out isn't it? Peruse the room, talk up your friends, and meet new people. If your mouth is busy talking it won't be able to mindlessly eat.
* Eat something before heading out. Whether you are going to a buffet, dinner party, or a cocktail party that will be serving appetizers you can stave off hunger, and a potential calorie binge, by having a snack beforehand. Something that is filling but healthy such as soup, a piece of fruit, or some low fat cottage cheese will give you energy and leave you feeling full. Going to an event on an empty stomach is a sure way to over eat, especially because your will power caves when you are starving.
* Keep track of those drinks. Not only are many alcoholic drinks high in calories but the more you drink the more care free you are, which means you won't necessarily be thinking at all about what else goes into your mouth. Stick with a drink limit and then choose your drinks smartly.
* Choose lower calorie drinks. If you're going with mixers choose a diet soda, water, or club soda. Go for a light beer over a regular and slash off about 50 calories per 12 ounces. Red or white wine has about 120 calories for 5 ounces, and a vodka tonic has about 200 calories. Gauge your portion sizes as many glasses are larger than 5 ounces. And to both make sure you don't drink too much and also stay hydrated (alcohol dehydrates you) alternate between an alcoholic drink and water.