The holiday season is marked by its cheer, extra family time and Christmas tunes, but it’s also a time of stress and weight gain. However, you don’t have to accept the bad with the good. These Lodi health gurus share their tips for staying healthy — both physically and mentally — over the holidays:

• I notice that people to tend to fall off the fitness wagon  in November and December because they are “busy.” Don’t do it! Keep up your fitness routine and it will keep you on track with your diet as well.
• When at holiday parties, opt for the protein first. Fill up on the meats and salads or veggies, and you won’t be as ravenous for the desserts and other goodies. Of course, the occasional indulgence is fine, but too many can lead to unwanted pounds.
• If you are indulging in cocktails, clear is better! Stay away from sugary or creamy mixed drinks, because they are loaded with calories. A better option would be a glass of red wine or a vodka and club soda.
• SWEAT every day. You will feel better, I promise. Get that heart rate up.

— Sara McRoberts, CrossFit Lodi

• You’ll be spending more time with people this season, with family in town and community events. So keep your immunities strong with moderate activity, which can include only 150 minutes every week, broken into 10-minute segments throughout the day. It can include walking, body-weight strengthening, group exercising or any physical activity you enjoy doing.
• Feeling stressed? Exercise is proven to help you deal with stress management by regulating the body and burning off energy from the stress. Stress also causes inflammation in the body, and exercise combats it.
• A little exercise can also help lower your anxiety by releasing feel-good hormones called endorphins.
• When it comes to sticking to healthy eating during the holiday season, planning ahead is key. Plan ahead for your events, and start each day knowing what it will be like. You don’t want to skip meals, because that will lower your metabolism and leave you starving. That’s when you are more likely to binge on unnecessary calories.
• Keep calories low and keep health high with at least four cups of fruits and vegetables daily. They are low-calorie selections that will keep you full, as well as fill you up with vitamins to keep you healthy.
• Combat the urge to reach for office candies and cookies with a food journal. Journal everything you eat, and keep track of your daily allotment of calories, or points for those doing Weight Watchers. Seeing the items in print will help you make conscious decisions and decide if you’ve worked out enough or saved enough room for that cookie or piece of fudge.

— Kevin Vondergeest,  Wellness coordinator for Lodi Memorial Hospital and West Fitness supervisor

• Enjoy your holiday food, but don’t just mow it down. Eat until you’re full, not stuffed.
• The gain might not be as bad as you think, but it can add up over time. Although people think they gain five to 10 pounds every holiday season, it’s usually one to two pounds. However, after a few years of gaining, those few pounds can result in your being 10 or 15 pounds heavier. Keep active, whether it’s taking a walk or running a 5K or 10K before a festive meal.

— Paul Vosti, exercise physiologist at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Lodi resident