Are you dreading what "The Big Game" could mean for your diet?

Afraid you won’t be able to resist the wings, the chips and the pizza? Relax. Before you park yourself in front of the big screen, we can help you lay down the strategy that will take you through the fourth quarter without any weight-loss penalties.

If you’re not a football fan, don’t stop reading just yet. We’ve got tips for Super Bowl boycotters, too!

FIRST HALF

Make a good call. Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. If the party is happening around dinnertime, offer a well-rounded meal, plus the snacks and hors d’oeuvres. If you just nibble all afternoon, you may feel like you never really ate despite having taken in more than your fair share of calories. As a result, you may end up eating again later. Serve dinner early so you and your guests don’t go overboard on snacks while you’re waiting. (For a sample of healthy alternatives, click here.)

Pass the smart snacks. If you want to keep some more "traditional" Super Bowl party fare, opt for low-fat versions. Some ideas from your plan include low-fat nachos, snack pizzas, picante potato wedges, hummus dip with crackers, crackers and cheese, sour cream dip with carrots, tortilla chips with salsa, baby carrots, popcorn, pretzels and cheesy pita chips. Just don’t forget to pay attention to portion sizes.

Jump into the pool. If you’re bored by the game or can’t get excited about the competing teams, you might be tempted to turn your attention to food. Instead, create a pool that will take everyone’s mind off the snacks. Ask questions like, “How long will the National Anthem last?” “How many different entertainers will take the stage at half time?” “Which company will have the first advertising spot during the game?” “How long will the game last?” That way, everyone feels involved. Have guests turn in their answers before the game starts and you can all keep track of the score. Let the winner take home the centerpiece.

Keep score. When you eat party mix or chips directly out of a large serving bowl, it’s easy to lose track of how much you’ve consumed, especially when your eyes are on the game. To intercept distracted eating, give each guest his or her own little “super bowl" (in festive team colors, of course) and make scooping out a specific amount and keeping track of quantities effortless.

Never touch down. Instead of sitting close to the munchies where you’ll be tempted to reach for another plate, busy yourself refilling drinks, heating up hors d’oeuvres, chatting with other guests or playing with the kids. The less time you spend sacked out in front of the food, the fewer calories you’ll let pass your lips.

HALFTIME

Go long. Does anyone really watch the half-time show? Instead of using this break as a time to attack the buffet table, head outside for some fresh air. Take a walk with guests or toss a football around with the kids. Use their timely enthusiasm for the sport to instill some healthy exercise habits (and work off some of the calories you downed during the first half).

SECOND HALF

Tackle the kitchen. You don’t have to put everything away, but get a head start on wrapping up or throwing away some of the leftovers. If you wait until everyone is gone, you might be tempted to snack as you clean, especially if you tend to eat more when you’re alone. Instead of keeping the extra food, which will only serve to tempt you, pack doggy bags for each of your guests. Simply put, if it isn’t there, you can’t eat it.

Call a time-out from alcohol. If you’ve been drinking alcoholic beverages, alternate with something non-alcoholic, like sparkling water with lime or diet iced tea. This will cut back on calories and prevent the loss of inhibition that can lead to overeating. Better yet, reach for water to keep you hydrated and aid in weight loss.

Take a commercial break. Avoid being enticed by those ads for beer, soda and chips and use this time to be your own cheerleader. Tell your friends you’ve started a new weight-loss program and fill them in on your progress. Letting others know about your goals can be just the motivation you need to stop reaching for more munchies.

Not a football fan? If you’re not planning on joining in on the fanfare this weekend, consider this: Most of America is camped out around the television, so your local gyms, malls, and just about everyplace else will be empty. Instead of trying to find something less sports-oriented on the tube, take advantage of the lack of crowds. Head to the gym, book an appointment with a personal trainer, get a massage, or throw on some sneakers and walk the mall. Enjoy the opportunity to do something good for yourself while it’s quiet. It won’t last long, trust us!

Trendy diets are fleeting; they come just as fast as they go. But last year, some of the craziest diets came to light and won't soon be forgotten, thanks to their celebrity supporters. There were so many bad diets, but we searched high and low to find candidates for our "worst celebrity diet hall of fame" for 2007. Here are the winners.

Kirstie Alley's "Shortcut" Diet
Remember when Kirstie Alley shed a whopping 75 pounds on the Jenny Craig diet? Her weight-loss success was so widely publicized that the actress even appeared on Oprah in a bikini. That was a year ago, and this is now. We think Kirstie might need to call Jenny again, collect. It's rumored the actress has gained back the weight she so famously lost. Over the summer, Kirstie was spotted looking heavier and more like her pre-Jenny days. And it didn't help that in one of her Jenny Craig commercials she's seen sitting down (and nicely camouflaged) behind the wheel of the car.

Beyonce's Maple Syrup Diet
It's hard to imagine that one of the sexiest women in Hollywood went on a crash diet, but that's what singer/actor Beyonce did to prepare for her role as a supreme diva in the movie, Dreamgirls. Beyonce dropped an unbelievable (and dangerous) 20 pounds in two weeks on the "Master Cleanse Diet," (a.k.a. The Lemonade Diet). On the Master Cleanse Diet, you drink a beverage (no food) made from lemons, maple syrup and cayenne pepper for 10 days. You'll see a dramatic weight loss… if you don't drop dead first. Plus, too much crash dieting will trick your body into storing fat instead of burning it.

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Anna Nicole Smith's Alleged TrimSpa Diet
Even those of us who live under a rock now know that the late bombshell, Anna Nicole Smith, lost about 70 pounds by using the TrimSpa supplement pills. If you remember how heavy Anna appeared on her reality show, you know something worked. But was it really the TrimSpa pills? Or did she secretly undergo liposuction before she endorsed TrimSpa? Fast forward to Anna's tragic death and investigators searching the blonde star's hotel room and finding a refrigerator full of – ahem – another company's weight-loss shakes. Oops!

Britney Spears' Junk Food Diet
Your mother wasn't kidding when she said, "Don't eat junk food -- it'll make you fat." Enter exhibit A, Britney Spears. Sure, she's had two kids, but our favorite pop-tart is looking heavier, sloppier and more unkempt than we've ever seen her. It seems that the fallen starlet's well-documented diet of In-N-Out burgers, Starbucks frappucinos and Red Bull drinks have all caught up with her. Britney is far from overweight by normal standards, but she's definitely not the toned Britster we once knew with to-die-for, six-pack abs. Remember that embarrassing performance she did at the Video Music Awards sporting a belly in an ill-fitting bikini? No more, Britney. Give us less, much less, of you altogether.

Jennifer Hudson's American Idol-Dreamgirls Diets
While her Dreamgirls co-star Beyonc was starving herself to slim down for her diva character, Jennifer Hudson had the opposite challenge; she had to gain weight to play the character of Effie. The Oscar-winning actress gained 20 pounds in two weeks and said she did so by eating "all the cookies, cakes and pies I could." And believe it or not, Jennifer says she lost a whopping 60 pounds during American Idol because of all the stress. The good news is Jennifer's back to eating well-balanced meals. Look for her as Carrie Bradshaw's assistant in the upcoming and highly anticipated Sex and the City movie.

Nicole Richie's "Skin-and-Bones" Diet
When The Simple Life star got busted under the influence driving the wrong way down an L.A. highway, she weighed in at a mere 85 pounds. In pictures and on the red carpet, Nicole's arms and legs looked like tiny twigs that might snap off and break with just the right amount of wind. Her head and those famous oversized glasses were the biggest thing on her whole body. She never admitted to having an eating disorder, but clearly, something was awry. Thank goodness for divine intervention this year. Only the arrival of a baby could cause Nicole to gain lots of desperately needed weight. A mere two weeks after the birth of her daughter, the new mom looks great. Keep it up, Nicole – and by that, we mean the weight.

Remember, fad diets may work in the short run, but depriving yourself of certain food groups for quick weight loss is a recipe for disaster in the long run. Sensible eating and regular exercise are the cornerstones of any good diet plan.

The best way to lose weight is with a healthy diet, one that can help you lose and keep the weight off for good. eDiets nutritionists and fitness experts can help you create the perfect diet for you. Start here with a FREE diet profile.

Joy Davis is a freelance writer who specializes in holistic wellness, fitness and travel. Several of her articles have also appeared in City Smart Magazine.

I read recently that foods labeled "healthy" are not always good for you. This got me thinking about the dried fruit I eat. It helps my sweet tooth, and I always thought it better than candy. But then I heard that it is hydrogenated. What is a good and bad hydrogenation? Looking at my dried cranberries the ingredients read: sucrose (I think that might be bad), cranberry juice from concentrate (is concentrate good or bad because they still look like cranberries?), partially-hydrogenated sunflower oil (sunflower oil sounds good).

Thank you for taking the time. Keep up the great work!
-- Danielle

Consumers are so disadvantaged because reading ingredient labels often require a PhD in biochemistry! Here’s one tip: The fewer the ingredients listed, the less processed the food is. If you’re buying dried fruit, the first ingredient should be fruit, such as raisins, dates, apricots or figs, and -- that’s about it. It sounds as if you chose a dried fruit that's been processed with hydrogenated fat. Dried fruit is a healthy food, a good choice for energy (calories) and fiber, and naturally fat-free. Dried fruit, by weight, is higher in calories than the fresh counterpart, and although concentrated in calories, it’s also more concentrated in other nutrients, for example, although fresh grapes are not a particularly good source of iron; raisins, which are dried grapes, are rich in iron. One cup of sliced fresh plums has only 91 calories; only 1 percent of the Daily Value for iron, a cup of prunes has 406 calories and 23 percent of the DV for iron. You don’t want to eat an entire cup of prunes if you’re watching your weight, but a couple of prunes diced into your cereal is tasty and nutritious, too.

So natural dried fruit is good for you, but you need to watch the portion size -- especially when you're watching your calories. Getting back to your food item, adding sugar and fat to dried fruit changes the item's healthy nature. There's no reason to add sugar (sucrose) to dried or fresh fruit, because it's naturally sweet. And adding trans fat (partially hydrogenated sunflower oil) to dried fruit makes it higher in calories, and bad for your heart. You may choose organic dried fruit without added sulfites or preservatives or you can buy conventional dried fruit, which may be treated with sulfites or ascorbic acid to prevent browning. Bottom line: Always choose dried fruit without added sugar or fats.

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For many non-athletes, the very thought of running a marathon conjures up images of self-torture and unbearable suffering -- a grueling task best left to the Kenyans and other run-aholics. Even reasonably fit gym members liken the idea of running a marathon to some incomprehensible, superhuman feat. Just try asking anybody at your job if they’d like to run a marathon, and watch their eyes grow wide and their jaws drop open.

Despite the apparent fear factor, marathons and even triathlons are growing in popularity and are steadily becoming the hot new fitness trend among us mere "ordinary" women. In fact, according to a recent news article, endurance sports like long-distance running and triathlons are enjoying a big boost in female participation as more women opt for a lifestyle approach to fitness.

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Marathons haven't gotten any shorter -- they're still precisely 26.2 miles -- but event organizers are making these running events more user-friendly and fun for beginners and non-athletes alike. And unlike the popular Boston Marathon, there are many marathon events in which qualifying times are not required. Often after a running event ends, there's a big party, free T-shirts, plenty of beer (ahem... for the carbs, of course) and a medal for bragging rights (everyone gets one, but your non-running friends won’t be hip to this tidbit).

Additionally, there are running clubs around the country that cater to first-time marathon runners. And for those of you unable to conceive of running anywhere without being chased, there are run-walk events for marathons, half marathons (13.1 miles) and even 5Ks and 3Ks to suit your every whim.

Running Clubs
For the newbie, there are local running clubs and associations in most major cities that offer group training and proper run-walk techniques to help you slowly get up to speed. A nice perk about the running clubs is the socialization aspect. You can find one skewed to your age group and run with a pack that’s as speed-challenged as you are! It’s easy to make friends this way, and even if you’re an extreme introvert, you’ll find it hard not to bond with your fellow running mates as you push each other on towards the finish line. You can opt for co-ed running clubs or choose one that caters exclusively to women. Click here to find the ideal club for you, nationwide.

Marathons
So you’ve decided the marathon is the event for you. Find a friend, choose a running club and download an online training guide for beginners. If you’re new to running, it’s recommended you give yourself at least nine months to a year to prepare your body for the challenge. Don’t let this discourage you -- I know you can do it -- but your body will need the time to develop the same level of confidence. If you think that’s too long of a period to wait for a payoff, just remember your body will start "paying you off" in as early as two to three weeks.

Just imagine the transformation nine months later when you’re sporting sculpted butt and leg muscles. If you get bit by the marathon bug, there are runs in cool places like Jamaica and Maui. You can round up a few friends and make the marathon the ultimate vacation experience. Click here to find a cross-country guide of upcoming marathons. Also, check out these Web sites for free marathon training regimens tailored just for beginners:
www.jeffgalloway.com
www.serpentine.org

Half Marathons
If you can’t quite go the distance for a 26.2-mile run-walk, go for half. Many marathons now offer both marathon and half-marathon events simultaneously. The advantage here is that you can team up and train with a buddy who might be running the full marathon. For example, the city of Miami puts on a full and half-marathon event that’s run concurrently along the same course right up to the 12-mile marker. At that point, the full marathoners loop the course again while the half-ers head to the finish line. If you’ve been bamboozled into a run by a well-meaning run-aholic pal, this might be the way to go.

5K Runs
For most beginners, the 5K, which is 5,000 meters or just more than three miles, is your very first run. You can be ready for a 5K with just a few months of training. You can use this run to gear up for a marathon or half marathon, or you can compete solely at this level. Expect your muscles to be sore one to two days after the race, but that’s entirely normal. This race is perfect for those of you who need to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Mini-Triathlons
If you long for a fun endurance adventure, but you’re not exactly Ironman-triathlon material, a mini-triathlon might be more your speed. Unlike a grueling, full triathlon, this swim-bike-run race is much shorter and user-friendly for beginners and non-athletes. It typically consists of a 400-yard swim, a 10-to-12-mile bike ride and a two-to-three mile run. Best of all, with this race, you can run it in legs -- that is, one person can do the swimming, another can bike and the last man runs. Talk about fun competition! If you think the mini-triathlon is for you, you can find tons of great information here.

Whether you like to run, walk, bike or swim, choose an endurance sport to fit your lifestyle, get outdoors, and just do it!

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Joy Davis is a freelance writer who specializes in holistic wellness, fitness and travel. Several of her articles have also appeared in City Smart Magazine.

Dear Dr. Abby,
How weird is it that I’d rather have a hot fudge sundae than sex?
--Sweetie

Dear Sweetie,

Plenty of people would rather have delicious delectable edibles, instead of pseudo-edible pleasures! Isn’t food love? Don’t we love food?

From our first hit off the nipple, food and love become connected. Since breast milk is sweet, and babies need quick energy, an innate preference for sugary treats is born with the baby. Some of us never outgrow it!

Ah, I can almost taste the creamy, sweet ice cream melting in my mouth, sliding down my throat, as I savor the delectable morsels hidden inside for the delightful aftercrunch. I know a few guys cringed at that afterthought, but ice cream is indeed, a sensual indulgence.

And if you eat all natural varieties, it’s nutritious too! Think of ice cream as calcium, protein, and carbs, with sugar to kill the appetite and fat to keep it away. It’s practically a complete meal!

But substituting food for love can be a very fattening proposition. How about having ice cream plus sex? Orgasms burn calories, whether you have a partner or not!

Try confronting your desire for food over sex by evaluating intimacy in your life. Do you have one or more close people in your world? Do you get regular affection, whether it’s from a pet or a person? Do you have difficulty sustaining relationships? Are you afraid of getting close to people, for fear of getting hurt? Is sex boring, and needing some spice? Is ice cream more satisfying than a relationship, since it’s always there, always good, and never mean?

If the answers scared you, it may be time for therapy. I’m not taking your ice cream away, but simply adding a dash of mental health!

Enjoy!

Feel free to submit questions, but remember: the answer you get will probably not be the answer you expect! All you have to do is click here to email me a question. eDiets editors will sift through and forward your most provocative questions to me.

Dr. Abby Aronowitz, Ph.D., psychologist, is the author of Your Final Diet. Be sure to check out DearDrAbby.com for further info.

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