If you’re already guilt- tripping over how many holiday goodies you will inevitably sample over the holidays, how about giving yourself permission to overindulge a bit?

The holidays come only once a year, so perhaps enjoying a couple of big meals and your favorite cookies is OK, kinesiology professor Cory Doubek said.

“It’s OK to say, ‘I’m going to indulge in this dessert that I love,’” Doubek, academic chair of health, fitness and exercise studies, said.

Instead of beating yourself up over a few excessive calories’ worth of mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, ramping up your exercise could offset potential weight gain, Doubek said.

That could be a hard goal to attain, she admitted.

“We tend to plan events with our loved ones that revolve around eating,” Doubek said. “Staying active becomes a challenge.”

Her suggestion: “Walking is probably one of the best [exercises],” Doubek said. “It’s a great thing to do with your family and friends. … Walking after … dinner instead of just watching TV and talking can be a good approach.”

Dual enrollment student Jen Lloyd said that works for her.

“I plan on staying active during the holidays by taking time to do activities like walking or running,” Lloyd said.

Esports coach Conway Johnson said staying active doesn’t have to mean traditional exercise.

“People forget that prepping food and cleaning the house is a way to stay active,” Johnson said. “Make a schedule. Don’t let yourself sit on the couch watching TV all day.”

Others suggested eating anything you want over the holidays—but in limited quantities.

“By eating a sufficient amount of food that won’t be too little or too much,” Lloyd said, “you won’t feel as full and gross.”

Second-year legal studies student Jackson Darrow offered another way to avoid bloating: “If you eat slower, your stomach can process being full when you first get full,” Darrow said.