How to drop a dress size before the holidays?

The holiday season is here, which means many of us will indulge in our favorite holiday foods. Unfortunately that also means many of us will be forced to make resolutions to drop some unwanted pounds in the new year.

Here are my strategies for dropping a dress size before the holidays, so you can enjoy a happy (and healthy!) new year.

1. Mentally prepare yourself: Avoid the dreaded holiday weight gain and change your lifestyle now. A habit takes about 2-3 weeks to make a daily part of your life, so if you are a mindful eater now it will carry over to the holidays. You'll be cutting calories no matter where you are.

2. Eat less often and stop grazing: Limit your eating to 3 meals and 1 snack per day. You don't want to go longer than 4 hours without eating in order to keep those normal hunger/fullness signals in place. Too many people are grazing, and the "snacks" become mini-meals. It's too hard to keep track of calories when you're eating every 2 hours or so. The problem here is that healthy foods still have calories.

3. Limit processed foods: They are loaded with hidden calories, fat, and salt. Avoid "convenience", processed foods like things in a box or can, that "add" extras like fatty sauces, salt, and extra fat. Choose foods that are in nature's recognized form, like fresh or frozen fruits/veggies (no sauces); a rotisserie chicken (without the skin). Extra salt makes you feel bloated—and is not real weight—but is mental baggage. It's a big tip off of foods to limit (think processed deli meats, canned soups). There are many options from frozen dinners, to fresh packaged items that are both calorie controlled and low in salt. Look for them.

4. Bulk up on calorie "diluters": Select foods with high fiber, high water, and high air content. These "dilute" the calories in foods—they are less dense—meaning fewer calories with the same volume of food. It's a no brainer! Eat fruits and veggies (high fiber, high water), and use your blender with ice and air to stretch your beverage calories.

5. Become a calorie counter: That's the easiest way to limit your portion size. We all just eyeball servings (and studies show we're always wrong), and underestimate calories by up to 50%. Get a calorie book or go online, but know the calories for your portions. Smaller portions of high fat foods (like nuts!) are workable with this mindset.

6. Cut out liquid calories: Liquid calories are not perceived by the body as well as those in solid food. So, 300 extra calories in a drink are not "counted" by your body as having had some fuel. Skip 100% juices, juice drinks, smoothies, whole milk. When it comes to alcohol calories, limit yourself to one. Use low-calorie mixers—like seltzer, water, diet soda. Make a wine "spritzer" and cut those wine calories in half. It also allows you to have a two-for-one.

7. Increase your daily activity: This means move more in everything you do. There's nothing special to do, or to buy. Stand instead of sit. Walk around instead of standing. Jog a bit—intermittently—when you're walking. Pick up the pace and be active like this for 60 minutes daily (okay to divide it up), for weight loss. (30 minutes daily if you're just trying to not gain). While this is tip #7, it's a must-do for weight loss. It's not an afterthought!

Hopefully with these simple strategies you can drop a few preventative pounds before the holiday feasts begin! Do you have a tip of your own? Leave comment!

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