Today I met with a wonderful woman who has been slowly losing weight. We meet periodically as she is trying to lose weight and keep it off. Overall, her weight has been going down, and she is very pleased.

This visit she didn't lost any weight, but she felt that her clothes were becoming "easier" to put on. We talked about how, with activity, she may be increasing her muscles. I explained that while muscles take increase weight, they take up less space than fat. So it is possible that while she isn't see a change of weight on the scale, it is because she is gaining muscle. I explained this is referred to as "changing her body composition" and that's why her clothes are feeling looser. She may weigh the same…but she is taking up less space!

I asked her what her secret was, and she told me: she was now salsa dancing, and she loved it. This was a new activity for her, it was social, fun, and, as a side benefit, it burned a lot of calories.

We continued to talk about her strategies for the holidays. Too many people are overly worried about gaining weight during the holidays and they cannot let themselves enjoy the season. They are afraid of losing control of their diets, and just can't allow themselves the comfort of being with friends and family. So it is especially important to me to talk with my clients to make sure they can enjoy themselves during the holidays. We work to put together ideas to help them feel in control during these few months.

"My goal is to dance through the holidays-and that's how I'm going to make it!". She said this with a big grin on her face and then she laughed. Isn't that wonderful? She is now involved in a new, exciting activity, and believes that if she continues dancing, watching what she eats and doesn't gain any weight during this holiday season, she will have met her personal goals. Even though she does pay attention to food, she knows she doesn't want to be obsessed about it. And she also knows that if she keeps on dancing, she will be able to burn some of those extra calories and, more importantly, continue to enjoy herself.

I think we all need to find out how to dance through the holidays. We all need to find our strategies during these times when we are surrounded by food and drink. My concern is that too many people think they should be losing weight during the holidays, and this is a recipe for failure. What happens? You decide to deprive yourself of the foods you love, you are afraid to go to the parties so you become anxious around people you haven’t socialized with (not to mention the food), and the holidays become so stressful you aren't able to enjoy yourself.

My suggestion to my clients, and to everyone who is concerned about their weight? Find yourself an activity you enjoy (walking, running, jumping up and down-anything that involves moving), and try to do it as often as you can, without setting yourself an impossible goal. So remember-take a deep breath, look at EVERYTHING being offered (and I don't just mean food! I mean special friends, music, cooking, everything). And taste it all.

So this person is going to dance through the holidays. What about you?