We are one week into that hectic, crazy busy, party after party, holiday season with another five weeks to go.

Most of us will indulge a little more, or a lot more, during the holiday season leading to the goal of getting in shape topping most New Year's resolution lists in the near future. The average American weight gain during the holiday season is 1 to 5 pounds. This may not seem like much but the vast majority of people never lose these extra pounds. Throughout the years, it adds up and obviously explains the common midlife bulge.

The holiday season creates an extended period of time where there are more high fat and sugary foods in the office on a daily basis; more alcohol, snacks and appetizers at the various parties you might attend and multiple meals with specialty foods where we tend to eat more than normal. Combine this eating plan with no or reduced amount of exercise and the result is quite obvious.

In addition to the weight gain is a more important health consideration. Holiday eating can create or contribute to a high risk and damaging internal environment for our arteries, heart and other organs. Add in a little (or more than a little) holiday stress and you have a real situation for weight gain and pre-disposition for disease.

When you eat a high-fat meal, you increase the fat in the bloodstream, called triglycerides, the metabolism of LDL (bad cholesterol) is negatively affected and for three to five hours after the meal your blood vessel function is abnormal. This means during those post-meal hours, your arteries look and respond like the arteries of someone with heart disease, even if you are young and healthy.

The affect of one meal usually lasts about four to six hours, generally just in time for the next meal. One meal in itself is not the problem but multiple meals like this on a regular basis or within an extended period of time are cause for concern because your body spends a great deal of time in this damaging state.

Exercise can shorten the time of these post-meal effects and essentially help protect you from the damage. Aerobic training promotes the rapid removal of triglycerides from your bloodstream after a fat-rich meal and significantly reduces the amount of time your body is in a higher risk state. It seems the best results occur when the exercise session is before the meal, is of moderate intensity and occurs an hour or more in duration. However, positive affects also have been found when exercising an hour or more after the meal.

If you include aerobic exercise on a daily basis, then you have your bases covered, as each session can positively affect your future as well as your recent eating past.

Challenge yourself to make it to January without gaining a pound. If you can accomplish that, then you will have done more than most. Not only will you look good on the outside but, more importantly, your inside will be healthier and happier because of it. So plan now to keep your exercise regular and consistent over the next five weeks, allow yourself to indulge a little, keep stress levels in check and enjoy starting out the New Year as your current self and not an unhealthier version.