WATERTOWN, N.Y. -- It's that time of year when many people have a hard time staying on track. When the holidays come around, so do all the extra goodies.

Dawn Berry is the Director of Clinical Nutrition at Carthage Area Hospital. She says there are ways people can enjoy the extra treats and still stay healthy.

"Well portion size is definitely the key! One of the things we recommend for a buffet or something where you're going to have a lot of different things is to pick things that you don't normally have and have small portions of those things. So don't restrict yourself, but make sure that you don't have large portions of it either," said Berry.

Berry also recommends filling up on vegetables and staying hydrated. She says a lot of times when people are hungry, they're really just thirsty. And simply don't go overboard with the goodies.

To maintain that waistline, nutritionists say it's also important to keep up with your regular exercise regimen. If you don't have time to get to the gym every day, don't worry. There are still things you can do to stay active and still get in that recommended 30 minutes of exercise a day.

Watertown YMCA Wellness Manager, Barry Eyestone, offers some tips.

"Climbing the stairs is a big one. A lot of people who have stairs in the house, up and down the stairs. As much as you might hate to do this over again from the family being in town. But you can always do a lot of house cleaning as well. Moving that vacuum cleaner will actually work your obliques and your abs a little bit. But at the same time, it's still gives you a little bit of a work out," said Eyestone.

Both Berry and Eyestone say it’s important to stay healthy during the holidays so that come the first of the year, you won't have to make your new year's resolution to get back into shape.

When preparing foods for the holidays, try using skim milk instead of whole and choose healthier oils, like olive oil and canola oil. Nutritionists say a few simple steps can really add up.