Even the best-intentioned people on the path to a healthy lifestyle are likely to stumble and fall into the eggnog abyss this time of year.

It is the season to indulge, fa la la la la, so we grab one more brownie, ditch yoga, skip our daily walk and are a no-show at the gym (if we even belong to a gym, which most of us don't).

So what? There are worse things, right? Like Big Pharma's favorite congressman, Rep. Tom Price, taking over as chief of Health and Human Services. But I digress.

The fact is, if we let end-of-year overeating trump our natural desire to be healthy, a pound — or five — will soon appear. Over time, these holiday pounds add up. And up and up, until some of us can barely stand up, because we weigh more than our knees can handle.

Help is on the way. There are tips and strategies to help you stay on track during this holy-day season, this traditional time of peace and joy, where the spirit of the season isn't wrapped in tinsel or 80 percent off but lies within you.

If you can relax into that spirit over the next few weeks — feeding yourself generous portions of love, kindness and gratitude — you will waltz through the holidays with joy in your heart and vigilance on your mind, and you will sail into the new year stronger, more centered than ever.

It begins with a plan. To inspire one of your own making, here are some terrific ideas from some of America's top fitness experts, recently featured in the newsletter for the American Council on Exercise.

From Dr. Erin Nitschke: "The holidays are a flurry of organized chaos," she writes, but Erin sticks with her practice. She works out in the morning (so that distractions don't upset her routine). She fills her plate with fruits, veggies and lean proteins and is satisfied with a nibble or two of something super sweet. And she stays focused on her well-being. "Deriving joy from our holiday activities is as much a part of health and fitness as diet and exercise."

From personal trainer Mollie Martin: Mollie loves to indulge over the holidays, so she steps up the intensity of her workouts. (Good idea, but remember: You can't outrun your fork.) Mollie is an ACE behavior-change specialist and knows how important it is to eat vitamin-dense foods throughout the month. That means eating real food: not junk food, not overly processed foods with long lists of ingredients, not fake foods that trick your body into overeating.

From health coach Amber Long: Life gets hectic during the holidays, Amber says, so she uses her calendar to keep her on track. She schedules time for personal wellness, writing down appointments with herself to take a class, go for a walk or do a workout at home, including "purposeful labor," which I define as wrapping gifts, organizing the kitchen, decluttering the garage and donating to others. Amber finds that if she keeps her body in motion during the holidays, it actually helps her make healthier eating choices around meals and snacks. (Yes! That's the body-mind connection, masquerading as one of Santa's elves.)

From fitness instructor Jessica Matthews: "To me the holidays are all about spending quality time with loved ones," she writes. She loves cooking with her family during this season, "making healthful, plant-based meals," and she also makes a special point of inviting family and friends to join her in some physical activity, "whether it be an after dinner walk or a morning yoga class." That way, she keeps "health and fitness front of mind ... while also enjoying the company of the people I care most about."

(I won't tell her what happened last year when I invited a loved one to join me at a holiday season yoga class. He's still laughing.)

From personal trainer Beverly Hosford: "I call in mindfulness during the holidays," she writes. "Before jumping into a meal, activity or social commitment I tune into my truest needs." She also uses the extra time off "to honor my body more completely, experience gratitude and enjoy simple moments."

Simple moments of joy can add up, just like those extra pounds. It's the holiday season. You get to choose.

ENERGY EXPRESS-O! KEEP YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR, TOO

"Too much of a good thing can be wonderful." — Mae West

Marilynn Preston — healthy lifestyle expert, well being coach and Emmy-winning producer — is the creator of Energy Express, the longest-running syndicated fitness column in the country. She has a website, marilynnpreston.com, and welcomes reader questions, which can be sent to MyEnergyExpress@aol.com. She also produces EnExTV, a digital reincarnation of her award-winning TV series about sports, fitness and adventure, for kids of all ages, at youtube.com/EnExTV and facebook.com/EnExTV. To find out more about Preston and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.