The Christmas holidays are here which means you have countless opportunities to gain weight in the next few festive weeks! Maybe you've heard of the "Freshmen Fifteen" (those fifteen extra pounds a new college student can pack on). What about the "December Dozen"? Well, hopefully you won't pack on 12 pounds during the holidays, but it's very easy to put on a few pounds after your fifth Christmas party and baking your third batch of sugar cookies!

Here are five easy tips to avoid holiday weight gain:

1. Do not buy any special treats to bring home. Tempted to buy that box of Christmas assorted chocolates, peppermint ice cream or moose munch? Don't do it! You'll have plenty of opportunities to splurge at office events, parties, family gatherings and the list goes on. Don't tempt yourself by putting fattening sweets in your pantry or refrigerator.

2. Nix the Christmas baking. Instead of giving away cookies to your neighbors and friends, think of something else that doesn't have as many calories. When you bake for others, you end up tasting more than just a spoonful of that delicious cookie dough and you end up eating just as many cookies as you give away!

3. Add one workout to your week. You're going to be ramping up your eating, so you better ramp up your exercise too! Go to the gym an extra day a week during the holidays, or pop in a video and do an extra 30 minute workout at home. Make a date with a friend to go jogging, biking or shoot some hoops, anything to get your heart rate going.

4. Cut back on calories after you splurge. So you went a little crazy at the office Christmas party. You tried some cookies, a piece of cake, peppermint bark, and dark chocolate truffles - and that was after the mashed potatoes, gravy, ham and stuffing. That's okay - part of Christmas is enjoying all the wonderful foods the season brings. But now you've got to do some damage control. After you splurge, tip the scales in the other direction by eating fewer calories. For example, you might have oatmeal for breakfast, an apple for mid-morning snack, a turkey sandwich for lunch, a handful of nuts for afternoon snack, and then a salad topped with chicken for dinner. Skip desserts and sweets for a few days.

5. Drink water and tea, not hot chocolate and flavored coffees. Resist the temptation to get the latest Christmas creation at a coffee shop because it's probably 400 calories or higher. Instead of filling your mug with hot chocolate and whipped cream, opt for hot tea. You'll still get that warm Christmas feeling when you hold a mug of steaming hot tea.

Follow these five easy tips and you'll avoid holiday weight gain in December. You'll won't have any regrets going into the New Year.