__________________________________ by Dr. Feel Good

November is here and yikes, it’s time to start planning for Thanksgiving and other holiday meals – and we all no what that means – added pounds! Here’s some tips in the fitness and diet genre to help you look your best.

Diet Secrets:
1. Time your sweets. “I love ice cream and sweets, but I know that if I start eating them in the afternoon, I’ll eat them all day. To limit my intake, I only allow myself to have sweets after dinner.” — Barbara Gollman, R.D., author of “The Phytopia Cookbook”

2. Lose 300 calories, instantly. “I leave three or four bites on my plate at every meal, which, for a day’s worth of food, saves about 300 calories. If you’re an average-sized woman and you eat this way for a year, you can lose as much as fifteen pounds.” — Jackie Berning, Ph.D., R.D., spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Fitness Tips:
1. Get your rest. “When your muscles are sore from a tough workout, get adequate rest or do something less demanding until you’ve recovered. Your body builds the muscles you’ve exercised when you’re at rest. If you don’t take a break, you’ll just hurt yourself.” — Keli Roberts, spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise and a personal trainer in Beverly Hills, California, whose clients have included Cher and Jennifer Grey

2. Fidget your way to fitness. “I never miss the opportunity to move, even when I’m watching TV or am stuck in rush-hour traffic. During commercial breaks I do easy toning exercises, like triceps dips and crunches. If I’m stuck in a traffic jam, I hold on to the steering wheel and do tummy tucks. When I talk on the phone, I pace back and forth while I talk. When I brush my teeth or blow-dry my hair, I do squats or standing leg lifts.”— Denise Austin, host of Lifetime Television’s “Denise Austin’s Fit and Lite”

Beauty Secrets:
1. Find the right cut. There’s a right and a wrong way to get the perfect haircut, according to Mark Ritchie, colorist and stylist at Glow Salon in New York City. The wrong way? Don’t expect to hand over a photo of your favorite celeb, then emerge from the salon looking like her mirror image. “After all,” points out Ritchie, “those photos are taken after professionals have spent hours on hair and makeup.” So how to steal Meg Ryan’s latest do? “A good stylist will work with you to modify the cut you want,” says Ritchie.