You won’t be surprised, then, to learn a study in the journal Nutrition Reviews showed those infamous six weeks explained 51% of your annual weight gain.

Stop using the holidays to indulge in every dessert and eggnog that comes your way. Follow these 6 easy strategies and despite whatever regrets you have come New Year’s Day, those hated 20 extra pounds won’t be one of them.

1. Journal daily. Writing every bite you eat holds you accountable and ensures you don’t “forget” that brownie you devoured at your kids’ semester-end party.

2. Weigh in and measure yourself weekly. Don’t become a slave to the scale, but it will keep you honest and make you think twice before you pig out. Check in once a week with a scale that measures weight as well as BMI, fat, and lean mass. And record your results in your food journal.

3. Hang with the fit people. Think about the five people you spend the most time with. Guess what? You are a conglomerate of those people. So if your best girlfriend’s idea of a night out involves Cheesecake Factory and oversized margaritas, chances are you’re making a New Year’s resolution about now for fast fat loss. During the holidays, hang out with friends who skip vanilla lattes to sip green tea and prefer manicures instead of ice cream.

4. Employ the 2:1 rule. Stop downing beers at the office party like you’re in an open bar at your old sorority house. For every glass of alcohol you consume, drink two glasses of water. You won’t drink as much, you stay hydrated (no morning-after hangovers), and best of all you won’t rack up a four-digit calorie catastrophe. And avoid the drinks-as-dessert trap: trade the spiked pumpkin eggnog for chardonnay.