Personal trainer Kathryn Doyle Boulware returned for a second installment of holiday eating guidance — reflecting the genuine demand among readers who found the first piece useful and wanted more practical, non-guilt-laden advice for navigating the season's caloric abundance.

Boulware's philosophy, consistent across all her advice, was to reframe the question. Most holiday eating guidance operated on a scarcity model: how do you restrict consumption in an environment designed for excess? Her approach started from the opposite premise: how do you engage fully with the season's pleasures while maintaining an underlying relationship with food that serves you year-round?

A few specific additions to her earlier guidance:

Don't "bank" calories for events. Skipping breakfast to save room for a dinner party reliably backfires — arriving hungry to a buffet is a setup for eating without attention. Eat normally through the day and arrive with a healthy appetite rather than a ravenous one.

Distinguish between celebratory foods and ambient foods. The special dessert at a family gathering is a celebratory food worth savoring. The bowl of mixed nuts that appears at every party is ambient food — present everywhere, not special anywhere. The distinction helps with allocation of genuine enjoyment.

Alcohol and food decisions interact. A glass of wine with dinner is civilized; three glasses at a cocktail party before dinner significantly impairs the food judgment that follows. This is documented physiology, not moralizing.

Build in movement. A family walk after Thanksgiving dinner is a tradition in many households for good reason. Gentle movement after meals improves how you feel and provides a natural cadence to the day.

The season is finite. Enjoying it without spending January in remorse is an achievable goal.