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Are you one of many North Carolinians who gain between one and five pounds every time the holidays roll around? It may not sound like much, but most people who gain weight during the holidays never manage to return to their pre-holiday weight.

The Eat Smart, Move More…Maintain, Don’t Gain! Holiday Challenge is a free online resource that can help you stuff the turkey, but not yourself this holiday season.

Rather than focusing on trying to lose weight, this free six-week challenge provides participants with tips, tricks and ideas to help maintain your weight throughout the holiday season. The challenge will begin Nov. 22 and run through Dec. 31. Online sign-up will be open throughout the challenge at www.MyEatSmartMoveMore.com.

Each week, participants will receive free weekly e-mailed newsletters with tips to manage holiday stress, ideas for fitting physical activity in during the busy season and resources for cooking quick and easy meals when time is in short supply. A calorie counter, food log and activity log are also available for free download to help track your progress.

In 2009, more than 5,200 people from all 100 North Carolina counties and 47 other states took part in the challenge. At the end of the program, 82 percent reported maintaining their weight.  Join us and don’t let holiday weight gain get you down!

The holiday season is almost upon us, and with tempting treats at our fingertips, many North Carolinians gain between one and five pounds each holiday season. And that’s hard to reverse – most people who gain weight during the holidays never manage to return to their pre-holiday weight.

This year, don’t be afraid of the holidays! To counter holiday weight gain, Eat Smart, Move More NC is gearing up for the fourth annual free Maintain, don’t gain! Holiday Challenge. Rather than focusing on trying to lose weight—a difficult task at this time of year—this free six-week challenge is designed to help North Carolinians maintain their pre-holiday weight from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day.

To sign up for the Maintain, don’t gain! Holiday Challenge, go to www.MyEatSmartMoveMore.com.

From November 23 through December 31, participants will receive practical tips, recipes and strategies to help them successfully avoid pitfalls leading to holiday weight gain. By recording their activity, meals, snacks and weight, participants are able to track their progress throughout the six-week program.

The Holiday Challenge is open to everyone – those with a few pounds to lose, those who have already lost weight and are looking to keep it off, and those already at a healthy weight.

And it’s free. All you need is an email address.

In 2008, more than 5,400 people from all 100 North Carolina counties and 47 other states took part in the Challenge. At the end of the program, 79% reported maintaining their weight.

The Maintain, don’t gain! Holiday Challenge is a part of the Eat Smart, Move More NC movement to increase healthy eating and physical activity wherever North Carolinians live, learn, earn, play and pray. Find out more at www.EatSmartMoveMoreNC.com.