The Holiday low-down:

How to guiltlessly eat that last piece of pumpkin pie

We hear them each year about this time: the cautions on the many calories in holiday foods, the extra five pounds the typical American gains each year and never loses, the many tips on avoiding holiday weight gain. Whatever the caution, they all seem to center around not indulging in those holiday treats or at least keeping indulgence to a bare minimum.

So here's another idea for you. Indulge. And then, strength train just one or two more times per week for a half hour each time. You'll get to eat your cake and avoid those holiday pounds.

Figure it this way: a 145-pound person burns 227 calories in a half hour of strength training. A 184-pound person burns 288 calories with the same half hour of training.

In one half hour, you can burn off four sugar cookies (235 calories), a significant portion of two chocolate truffles (366 calories), 4 tablespoons of spinach dip (220 calories) or a slice of pumpkin pie (320 calories)

High-intensity strength training is one of the most efficient calorie burning exercises you can do. It's the second-highest calorie burner of typical exercises (such as walking, swimming and bicycling). Topping it is running at 5 miles an hour or above.

And the extra benefit: strength training burns more calories when you're at rest than any other form of exercise. The increased muscle mass you gain from strength exercise is more efficient at calorie burning. So that half hour you spend in the gym under weight translates into even more calories burned in your off time.

Check out more calorie burn for various activities at the Discovery Health Channel's online calculator: http://health.discovery.com/tools/calculators/activity/activity.html

One powerful gift

Speaking of holiday weight gain, how about giving a loved one the perfect gift of fitness, health and improved self-confidence. Give a gift certificate for one-on-one training sessions with Joe Aben at the Excellence in Fitness studio. Choose from one of our packages (6, 12 or 24 sessions). For more information on the EIF program, visit http://www.excellenceinfitness.com/services.cfm

Health myths debunked

It's one of the top myths for women who are strength training, and this month we're here to debunk it. So many times, women worry that weight training will cause bulky muscles.

The truth is, it's impossible for women to build massive muscles. Why? Testosterone drives muscle bulk, and women have a small amount of the hormone. It's the reason why men start out more muscular than women to begin with. Women can still develop very strong muscles, but they don't face the problem of building too much bulk (women body builders who are very muscular and bulky are usually on special drugs designed to create bulkiness).