As the holiday season approaches, many people are concerned about the extra calories that come with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas goodies. It is so easy to indulge, but many people haven't figured out how to avoid the extra ten or fifteen pounds those extra calories bring with them.

During my lifetime, I have never been more than ten pounds overweight. For the longest time, I assumed that it was my great genetics that made it possible for me to indulge without packing on the pounds. I knew this wasn't true when my older brother, who shares my genes, started putting on weight. I also knew that it wasn't entirely due to an atheletic lifestyle, because I had abandoned competitive swimming as a teenager. I don't go to the gym most days and frequently pass on walking the dog.

Often celebrities like Oprah Winfrey attain a great body only to get sidetracked and gain it all back. However, the reason Oprah can't keep the weight off is that she doesn't adjust her eating habits when her exercising habits change. Oprah is not very in tune with her body and her eating habits don't change when her exercise habits change. Keeping weight off is more about knowing yourself and how you react to stimuli than it is about only exercise or food.

I am not going to simply recommend one product or type of exercise for everyone because not everyone likes running or walking. Some people need structure to their workout, while others want to have freedom and variety. Oprah does well with structure and a trainer, but when she gets busy, she hasn't learned how to be flexible and squeeze in a few extra sets or a walk, choose the stairs over the elevator, or say no to calorie laiden sweets. In the majority of cases, losing weight is a matter of burning the same amount of calories that you consume.

There was a time in my life when I would eat everything, but I swam for an hour everyday. I burned off what I ate in the pool when I was competing. I quit competing when I got to college and put on about ten extra pounds because the cafeteria served dessert every single day and I ate it everyday.  When my clothes started feeling tight, I cut back on the desserts. If you are looking to maintain your weight during the holidays, dessert needs to be saved for special occasions with friends. I also never buy sweets, but that gives me to freedom to indulge when I am at a party. I don't feel like I'm missing out because the junk isn't sitting in my house tempting me.

While avoiding some foods is essential in keeping the weight off, there are some food choices that are effective at improving your metabolism. One of my favorites is almonds. There are a definate go to snack for me. Not only are they full of vitamins, but they are a great source of protein as well, so they fill you up. You can actually lose more weight simply by eating the right metabolism burning foods.

Often weight gain during the holidays is the result of too much social eating.Learn to recognize when your body is full and when you are eating for social or emotional reasons. Many people are overweight because they chose to eat for pleasure or because it is the social activity. 

If you are already overweight, it is a good idea to track the foods that you are eating to have a better understanding of just how many calories you consume. This action will help you realize what foods are the problem. Many people don't realize that the snack foods that they consume in the break room add up. While one Halloween cookie is great, if you can't stop at one, it is better not to start at all.

Switch your beverage choice to water as frequently as you can. A more hydrated body has a higher metabolism. You also won't be consuming the empty calories that are in soda and juice.

You can enjoy all your favorite holiday treats as much as you want without packing on the pounds if you are willing to work them off for hours in the gym. Or you can avoid as much unhealthy foods when you are in complete control over the meals and indulge occasionally. When you indulge occasionally, it is best to pick up your walking pace and increase the distances that you must walk or take the stairs when you have a choice between an escalator and the stairs. Small changes like these will allow you to make it through the holidays happily without weigh gain.

If you are unsure about what healthy alternatives you would enjoy, check out Strip That Fat in the resource section. It will help you identify which foods boost your metabolism and aid you in your weight loss process. It teaches you the exercises that burn the most fat to manipulate your body into losing weight.