There's nothing like the holidays to remind us of our own struggles with our weight. Holidays last a day. Halloween has come and gone and most people are still munching on the candy sitting around the house. (I won't even talk about those who were snacking on the candy the week before Halloween.) Thanksgiving has turned from a 1 meal celebration to a multi-day feast. And Christmas....well we all know that is a month of celebratory eating.

So if you are trying to fit in that dress for the Christmas parties, you need to do everything you can to avoid the typical weight loss pitfalls.

1) Celebrating beyond the holiday - As simple as it sounds, it's one of the biggest problems. Keep your events to what they are. If you have Halloween candy, it's time to let it go. A party is not an excuse to eat bad all day. Focus on eating healthy the rest of the day to minimize the amount of damage the food has on you.

2) Avoiding your exercise routine - Many of us have an all or nothing attitude about exercise. Even 15 minutes a day can make a huge difference in how you look and feel. Even if you have to go Christmas shopping, take a few minutes to work in a little exercise before you go. Unfortunately, Christmas shopping doesn't count as formal exercise.

3) Not wanting attention - This will seem odd to many of you, but many people do not want the attention that comes with weight loss. If you've lost some weight recently, the extra attention you are going to recieve at the parties and from family members may bother you. Secretly you begin adding weight back to your body frame just so no one can make a big deal about you. In this situation, you really need to take a deep look into why you are afraid of the attention. Are you afraid that you won't be able to keep the weight off in the future? Begin to work through the positives and negatives of losing weight, and consult with someone to help you through your struggles. Every individual has their own struggles to overcome, but there are solutions for even the most complex obstacles.

I've had several clients over the years who have been able to lose weight over the holidays, and you can do the same. Start getting focused and follow a structured nutrition and exercise plan. You can make great progress in 2 months with a little planning. Make every day count.