I've devoted a lot of time these past few weeks to posting health recipes, finding tips to help avoid overindulgence this season and keep your eating habits on track. But if you really want me to be honest, I'm a big hypocrite. I committed to eating well most days of the week. I'm love fruit, I was always one of those weird kids whose mom never had to force them to eat brussel sprouts because I did it happily and you'll rarely find any form of grain in my home that isn't whole. I study nutrition labels almost obsessively for calorie, fat, sugar, sodium and fiber content and my shelves are stocked with cookbooks featuring any low-calorie, low-fat, good-for-you recipe you might imagine.

However, I also love sweet treats with my coffee and if I'm ever offered any type of soft ginger cookie will put up little resistance. I have days where I'll crave a McDonald's cheeseburger and fries or can eat an entire Dairy Queen Blizzard myself, without batting an eyelash. Sometimes I'll stop myself and use every bit of willpower I have to say no thank you and other times I'll indulge without giving it a second though.

Today, when I leave the safe confines of my office (where I keep lots of guilt-free snacks lest I be tempted in a moment of weakness to stuff my face with Oreos) and begin my holidays, all logic will leave my head. My Ukrainian aunts will stuff me full of rich food, and my house and the homes of various family members will serve as my own personal Garden of Eden full of forbidden fruit. I probably won't eat crap for the entire week and will stick to healthy breakfasts, but I know from years past that Christmas Day and New Years' Eve will be my Achilles heels. I'll overeat, fill my plate with sweet, heavy starches (and yes, I'll eat just as many vegetables for every "bad" thing) and probably take seconds of all my favorites.

My point in sharing all of this is that, if you are able to follow every last bit of advice offered here and countless other places about how to take tiny portions, savor food and feel satisfied, I am happy for you. Most of the time, I can exercise the same self-control when I put my mind to it. But if you're like me, you realize Christmas comes once a year. I know that I only get my special sweet potatos and Ukrainian cheese rolls less than a handful of times per year (Ukrainian Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas) and so I will indulge. And you know what? I might experience momentary guilt, but I also know I'll be up the next morning, putting on my running shoes and hopping on my elliptical trainer like I do several days a week. A couple of lapses every few months will not likely set you on the permanent road to poor food choices, nor cause you to immediately pack on 10 pounds (unless you really do choose to eat like that every single day for the whole week). Enjoy your moment of weakness and get right back on track the next day.

So if you're a fellow "healthy" eater who watches what they eat most of the year, go ahead. Here's your green light. Enjoy that second helping of pie, take a little extra gravy for your turkey and potatos, eat five truffles instead of one. For all of the caution you exercise throughout the year, you've earned the right to indulge without experiencing any long-term guilt. And know that somewhere, many miles away, I am doing the same.

» Ecollo