Do those holiday pounds feel like 36 Big Macs?

If it seems like you woke up 5 pounds heavier the day after Thanksgiving and repeated that feat Dec. 26, take a closer look. Unless you ate the entire buffet, there's probably more to your weight gain than a couple of feasts.

"You have to eat an excess of 3,500 calories per pound," said nurse practitioner Mary Deal, health services officer at Clark College in Vancouver, Wash. That's on top of the average 2,000-calorie daily intake recommended for maintaining body weight.

To gain 5 pounds, you'd need to consume a whopping 19,500 calories — roughly 71 Snickers bars or 36 Big Mac hamburgers.

"Most people, when they gain weight over the holidays, it's a pretty continuous process," Deal said.

So how to get through traditional American feasts like New Year's and the Super Bowl? Don't worry about it.

That's the Zenlike advice of Shannon Rentz, a clinical dietitian at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. Keeping pounds off during the holidays can be as simple as loving what you eat.

"I tell people to be mindful of what they're eating and to enjoy what they're eating," Rentz said. "Take every bite like it's the first."

Especially during holiday parties, people tend to eat while talking, or out of nervousness, and to lose track of what they've consumed.

"A lot of people are multitasking and eating, throwing fudge in their mouth," Rentz said. "They have no idea what they just ate."

Some people facetiously claim their end-of-year weight gain is a way of storing fat for a winter hibernation. That's true for some, but only in a roundabout way, Rentz said.

People with seasonal affective disorder tend to be less active during the winter. They also may crave carbohydrates, which boost levels of serotonin in the brain and lead to a feeling of well-being.

"They crave carbohydrate food and don't feel like doing much of anything," Rentz said. "So they're gaining weight."

Although wintertime parties may offer the widest array of empty calories, healthful foods are usually available. Turkey, Deal said, is a great source of lean protein — without the gravy, of course.

And pumpkin pie provides antioxidants, fiber and vitamins while packing less fat than other desserts.

Many party hosts offer vegetables to munch on. These serve as a healthful, filling snack (if you skip the dip). To gain 5 pounds, you'd need to eat 3,250 celery stalks in a single day, or more than three stalks every waking minute.

To lose weight, take it easy. Eat breakfast every day and avoid drastic dieting.

"Some people's New Year's resolution is 'I'm going to lose 10 pounds by the end of the month,' and they immediately start starving themselves," Deal said. That's counterproductive.

If your body thinks it's starving, it will slow down your metabolism to save calories.

The key to any sensible nutrition plan is moderation, Deal said.

"Nutrition experts tell you that if you want chocolate, eat some chocolate," she said. "Just don't eat that king-size candy bar."