'TIS THE SEASON - the holiday weight-gain season. That's right, next week is the official kickoff, and I'm not talking about football.

I'm talking about Halloween, which typically marks the start of our holiday eating marathon. I bet you already have candy corn or miniature Snickers on your desk. And if you don't, somebody in the office does.

Temptations abound!

For almost five straight months during the winter season, annual holiday traditions help us pack on the pounds. First there's Halloween, followed by Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year's and, finally, Valentine's Day.

This year, I'm offering a holiday season pre-emptive strike. That's right, get those New Year's resolutions out of the closet right now, along with your skinny jeans, so you can avoid those unwanted gifts of extra pounds!

Here are six tips to help you stay focused and hit the ground running come Jan. 1, 2010.

Lick those bad habits

Lick your old bad eating habits right now.

Don't fool yourself into thinking miniature candy won't hurt. Bite-size candies may be small in stature, but oh, do they pack a wallop of calories. The average "fun size" Snickers, Heath bar or Butterfinger has about 80 calories. I could put away three fun sizes in about three minutes. That's close to 300 calories, or, to put it another way, about an hour of vigorous walking or 45 minutes of vigorous running.

And, we haven't even sliced the pumpkin pie yet.

Yikes!!!!!

Write it down

Most people hate keeping a food journal because it makes them accountable. No one wants to record their consumption of half a bag of the candy they had intended for the trick-or-treaters, even if nobody else is going to know.

Facing the truth can be the toughest opponent of all.

But if you keep a food journal, I guarantee you will eat healthier, and less. So get a 2-by-3-inch spiral notepad and write down everything you eat. You'll be surprised. You may shed a few pounds, too.

Work it out

In or out of the gym, it doesn't matter. Just do it. Make getting exercise a priority most days of the week, even if you only have 30 minutes.

Be sure to mix it up with strength, cardiovascular, balance and flexibility exercises. The gym, the park, your living room, your bedroom - it's not the location that matters. Fitness is cumulative, and it all adds up.

Small steps - big success

Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither were you. Whether your goal is to put on 5 to 10 pounds of muscle or shed 5 or 50 pounds of fat, take your time. Don't expect to lose 50 pounds in five weeks. With expectations like that,

you'll surely lose the battle and end up frustrated and tired.

What you want to do is take small, manageable steps. Commit to walking daily for 30 minutes or more. Weight-train two to three times a week. Meditate. Do yoga a couple a times a week. And if weight loss is your goal, lose one to two pounds a week.

Embrace the scale

If you don't own a body-weight scale, get one. It doesn't have to be high-tech and expensive. A simple, $25 scale will do just fine.

Every morning when you get up, jump on that scale before you step foot in the shower to see if you are trending upward, staying the same or shedding a few pounds.

While the scale is just one measure of your health, it's a good one. Weighing in daily, you'll see how quickly those fun-size snacks add up.

Also, keep in mind that one day of cheating sets you back about three days. In other words, it will take you about three days of clean eating to get back to where you were.

A three-day weekend of overindulging will set you back about nine days. How do you like them apples?

Celebrate relationships

Instead of putting so much energy into the food, let's make this holiday season more about celebrating our relationships. Let's create environments with family, friends, foods and activities that support a healthy lifestyle.

Offer more vegetables and fruits at the celebratory table. Provide more water and fewer high-calorie sugary drinks; lay low on the alcohol.

Beginning today, try these seven tips on for size. I promise you'll thank me when you put on your New Year's tux or little black party dress.

Kimberly Garrison is a certified personal trainer and owner of One on One Ultimate Fitness in Philadelphia (www.1on1ultimatefitness.com). E-mail her at

kimberly@1on1ultimatefitness.com. Her column appears each Thursday in Yo!