The Friends of Rach Thanksgiving Countdown continues with fitness expert Bob Greene, who has a surprising opinion on holiday sweets. "I love pie, I love dessert," he admits. "People are amazed when they see me eating dessert but I love it. It's my favorite thing, pie, no matter what kind of pie." But that doesn't mean Bob is giving the greenlight to putting your healthy eating habits on hold. He shows Rachael his recipe for Pumpkin Pie, made with a low-fat graham cracker crust. "When you buy an already prepared crust," he says, "loaded with transfats, loaded with extra saturated fat -- sure, it saves you a bit of time, but it's really easy to make your own crust."

In order to help you get through the holidays without packing on the pounds, Bob has a few tips:

• Don't ever go to a holiday event on an empty stomach. "Think ahead. You can do a meal replacement -- have a Slimfast prior to going to an event. It cuts your hunger right at that point."

• Drink lots of water before holiday parties. "A lot of times when you're dehydrated you'll go to an event and it's one of the worst things you can do. You have five or six drinks and then load up on food."

• Focus on friends and family, not food. "It's really about enjoying the people you're with. In the end, if you overindulge it takes away from the food experience. Food is supposed to be really pleasurable. If you do it in moderation you'll leave that event and have very good feelings about it. But if you overindulge, nobody wants that 'It's-Thanksgiving-and-I'm-rolling-over-on-the-sofa feeling.'"

Finally, Bob explains why it's OK to indulge your sweet tooth every once in a while. "People who don't treat themselves really quickly fall off their program," he says. "So it's really an important part of the whole process. Treat yourself!"

One holiday beverage Bob likes to treat himself to is a Vanilla Caramel Truffle Latte. "It's a warm drink, and people who consume warm drinks eat about 100-150 calories less than those who don't."

Check out more of the Friends of Rach Thanksgiving Countdown:

Monday 11/12: Bobby Flay

Tuesday 11/13: Paula Deen

Wednesday 11/14: Nigella Lawson

Thursday 11/15: Guy Fieri

Friday 11/16: Teri Hatcher

Monday 11/19: Bob Greene