Dieting is a challenge any time of year, but during the holiday season it can seem almost impossible to stick to a low-calorie and/or low-fat or low-carbohydrate diet. The temptation to indulge on unhealthy food is greater this time of year than any other.

I wondered how I would handle Thanksgiving with multiple appetizers set up in the kitchen before the meal; followed by a dinner spread so large all of the serving dishes couldn't fit on the dining room table. For dieters on programs like Nutrisystem, which include pre-packaged foods, I personally think a holiday is a good day to make an exception and eat foods that are "off-plan." But you do need to be smart about it, otherwise you could find yourself putting back all of the pounds you've lost leading up to the holiday — if not more!

Whenever you need to go off-plan for holidays or special events that are outside your normal routine, the following tips provided by Nutrisystem will help you avoid overeating or sabotaging any dieting results you've achieved previously:

1. Have a plan

Think things through before you get to the actual holiday meals and parties. Maybe your strategy is to take tiny portions of different dishes; that's OK. If you're cooking, you might want to have your bottle of water with you in the kitchen, so you're less tempted to snack. Do what you can to stay away from the appetizer table. Plan to avoid anything that's not homemade. The point is that if you go in with a plan, you'll be less likely to get caught off-guard.

Along with my 3 ounces of turkey, I took about a tablespoon of all the side dishes, including mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, steamed zucchini and yellow squash, green bean casserole, gravy, and fruit salad. It didn't look like much on the plate, but I was more than satisfied after eating.

2. Stay on track

Holidays are not the time to skip meals in an attempt to "bank" calories. That's a strategy that can backfire miserably. Instead, eat everything on your meal plan leading up to the holiday event, and make sure you're drinking all your water. You'll be less likely to overindulge at the big event.

Then, following the big event or holiday, make sure you go right back to your normal meal plan. For me, this meant having a Nutrisystem breakfast instead of Thanksgiving leftovers for breakfast on Friday!

3. Set a goal

There's something about holidays that makes people forget what they do the rest of the year. Do you already have weight loss goals set up for November, December, and January? If not you can start today. Once you've set a short-term goal, decide on a way to reward yourself once the goal has been reached.

4. Drink smart

Face it, overindulging during holiday events with alcohol — whether it's an office party, a family gathering or a neighborhood open house — can add a lot of extra calories to your day. In addition, when you've had too much to drink, it tends to weaken your previous resolve and derail any strategies and plans you might have had. Besides, you don't want to end up as that karaoke-singing family member or neighbor everyone will be talking about for the next month.

5. Trim the calories

This tip is especially useful if you happen to be the primary cook for an event. In baked items, replace the fat with an equal amount of applesauce and the sugar with a sugar substitute; substitute a quarter cup of egg substitute for every egg called for in the recipe; replace whole milk with 1% milk and sour cream with yogurt; reduce the amount of nuts called for by half. And don't forget both veggies and salad.

6. Enlist support

Trying to maintain your Nutrisystem program can be hard at the holidays, but there's no reason you have to go it alone. Ask for your family's understanding or even their help, so nobody's trying to foist seconds on you. Nutrisystem counselors can help you strategize, based on your individual circumstances. Or you can go to the Nutrisystem Discussion Boards, where you'll find people who definitely understand what you're trying to do. Discuss your concerns; share tips of your own, or join one of the many weight-loss challenges. Some of them are specifically geared to the holidays. Introduce yourself well before the event, so you have that support already in place.

Most everyone at my Thanksgiving dinner knew I am on Nutrisystem, so while there was some teasing over the tiny portions on my plate, no one tried to push seconds on me. I even splurged on dessert, having a piece of pumpkin pie about the width of a pencil topped with fat-free cool whip! A few people asked why I was bothering to have a dessert so small, thinking I may as well just skip it entirely — but honestly, the miniature piece of pie was enough to enjoy the taste without the heavy feeling that comes after eating too much!

7. Keep moving

Instead of just sitting around after dinner, suggest a family walk, or organize a touch-football game. Most people will be grateful for the chance to move around, and it can keep you on track with your exercise plan.

8. Embrace the spirit

This last tip may just be the most important: You can get so caught up in all the planning and hoopla that you lose the whole meaning of the holiday season — coming together with friends and loved ones. It's the time that's really valuable, not the food and drink.

Follow Along

You can follow my overall experience and progress weekly at HealthyTheory.com. If you want a more detailed, day-to-day account of the challenges and successes I experience as a single-mom-business-owner on Nutrisystem, you can follow along at BestOnlineWeightLossProgram.com, or @debbiedragon on Twitter.

Nutrisystem is providing their program free of charge for my participation in the Nutrisystem Nation Blogging Program, but the views and opinions expressed in this blog post are my own.