Avoiding holiday weight gain

The holiday season is upon us, and that means it's a time of year that's full of food temptations, holiday stress and no motivation to exercise. It's the perfect storm for weight gain. Luckily, Leanna Baucum is sharing her top tips for avoiding weight gain this holiday season.

For more information
LeannaJB.com

Pumpkin Protein Bar Recipe:
1/2 C Xylitol brown sugar
1-4 oz jar baby food applesauce
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground clove
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 large egg whites
1-15 oz can raw pumpkin
2 C oat flower
2 scoops vanilla whey protein
1/2 cup almond milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
Spray 9 x 13 Pyrex dish with non-stick spray
Combine first 11 ingredients and mix well
Add final 3 ingredients
Spread batter into Pyrex dish and bake for 30 min
Makes 24 squares
Nutrition: 1 square = 47 calories .7 g fat, 8 g carbs, 3.7 g protein

Veggie tray:
Assortment of carrots, broccoli, celery, grapes, strawberries,cucumber
Low carb Cheesecake

Crust:
1 graham cracker crust

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese (low fat)
1/2 c xylitol
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
topping
1 cup sour cream (low fat)
2 tablespoons of xylitol
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. mix softened cream cheese, xylitol, lemon, and vanilla extract together until smooth.
2. Add one egg at a time into the mixture.
3. pour filling into crust
4. bake at 325 for 30 min
5. while this is baking mix together in a separate bowl all the ingredients for topping.
6. once filing is done baking add topping and smooth it out across the top.
7. bake for an additional 10-12 min
8. Let cool
9. once it is cooled, refrigerate for several hours before eating.

Top with fresh strawberries