The Calorie Bomb: The cheese plate, weighing in at approximately 100 calories per one-ounce serving (and seriously, who eats just one piece of cheese?)

The Bomb Buster: To burn off that single slice of gouda or gruyere, hit the gym for 35 minutes on the StairMaster.

Why: "Because cheese is high in fat, one of the best ways to burn those calories is by doing a workout that utilizes fat as a primary source of energy," says Lauderdale. During exercise, your body burns easy forms of energy — sugar and carbohydrates — first. Only after your body has used up those fuel sources does it begin to burn fat. Doing sustained activities for long periods of time — like going for a run or sweating it out on the elliptical machine — helps push your body into the fat-burning zone sooner, so you can blast away the brie before it makes a permanent home on your thighs.

Reality Check: Cheese plates are a staple at holiday parties. And since food scales don't usually fit in holiday clutches, you might be enjoying quite a bit more than you think. A good point of reference to judge your portion size: One ounce of cheese is about the size of a pair of dice. It's okay to overindulge a little, but anything more than a few servings could push you into an endless stair-stepping marathon.

The Calorie Bomb: Spinach and artichoke dip (plus tortilla chips), weighing in at 695 calories per 2.5-ounce serving

The Bomb Buster: Believe it or not, it is possible to burn off that many calories without spending all day at the gym. But it won't be easy. Lauderdale's prescription -- 52 minutes of jump squats. Do as many as you can in 30 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and repeat over a 15-minute period. If you can complete three and a half sets (that's 52 minutes total), you'll have burned off those 695 calories. Piece of cake, right?

Why: "Doing these at max effort can burn over 200 calories in only 15 minutes," says Lauderdale.

Reality Check: We love the idea of torching 700 calories in just under an hour, but we're pretty sure no one other than Lou Ferrigno could do this workout. Fifty-two minutes doesn't seem that bad, but my thighs turn to gelatin after about five minutes of jump squatting. If you're not familiar with the workout, it involves jumping straight up into the air and landing in a squat position, on repeat. A fruit plate suddenly seems way more appetizing than this deceptive dip.

The Calorie Bomb: Pecan pie, weighing in at 500 calories per slice

The Bomb Buster: Sixty minutes of jumping rope. Break it up with two to three minutes of activity followed by 20-30 seconds of rest.

Why: You can burn 860 calories if you jump rope for an hour straight with no breaks. By following Lauderdale's suggestion of breaking it up into two- to three-minute increments, you should burn off that 500 calorie pie piece in about an hour.

Reality Check: Jumping rope sounds really fun and easy in theory -- but it's actually hella hard (which is probably why professional athletes incorporate it into their training so often). Unlike the leisurely skipping you did in grade school, there's no resting bounce between jumps. But just like in grade school, it's made easier when you have some tunes to skip to. Instead of "Cinderella, dressed in yella'," try one of these five playlists that'll actually make you want to workout.

The Calorie Bomb: Cheesecake, weighing in at 707 calories per slice

The Bomb Buster: Fifty-seven minutes of mixed martial arts -- time to sign up for that kickboxing class!

Why: An hour of mixed martial arts burns 750 calories — just enough to burn off that slice of crumbly goodness — and a little extra to boot.

Reality Check: We're not gonna lie, the term "martial arts" is intimidating. For those of us who want to say yes, please, to cheesecake, but are more tae-kwon-don't than do, consider another high-intensity fitness class like spinning. A pedal-to-the-metal type class can also torch away your cheesecake in about an hour. Since we love a good Flywheel class almost as much as we love cream cheese and ricotta, we're not going to pass up the dense, creamy dessert.

The Calorie Bomb: Mashed potatoes and gravy, weighing in at 244 calories per one cup serving

The Bomb Buster: Battling ropes. Lauderdale's instructions: "Get a 30-50 foot rope and anchor it to either a wall or a heavy enough weight. Stand back leaving only a little slack in the rope. Create a strong base by squatting down. Have one end of the rope in each hand, and move your hands up and down in an opposite fashion as if you are playing the drums. Repeat the movement for 30 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest, for 10 minutes total." Complete two and a half sets total to burn off one serving of mashed potatoes and gravy.

Why: According to Lauderdale, the dual wave action of the ropes "will have you feeling like you ran a 100-meter sprint after only 30 seconds of work." At high intensity, these ropes burn 300 to 500 calories per half hour.

Reality Check: Battling ropes are the stuff of "The Biggest Loser" workouts, which means they must be serious calorie crunchers — and pretty difficult. I wouldn't balk at giving this workout a shot, but I'd definitely try it with one of my more fitness-inclined friends in tow, so I don't feel as self-conscious asking my gym where they keep the giant ropes.