Are you being honest with yourself about your body? I admit that I have not been honest lately. I had an injury and really fell off the workout wagon. A friend of mine suggested that it’s a good idea to look at myself naked for a minute or two each day. YIKES? REALLY? But, she has a point.

Think about it. Do you take the time to look at yourself naked in the mirror? Do you know what your body truly looks like? Are there changes that you’d like to make? Try making a habit of spending at least 2 minutes each day looking at yourself naked in the mirror to truly monitor changes that might be taking place. Getting to know how your body looks naked is critical in how you treat it in the future.

With the holiday season fast approaching your busy schedule is sure to get even busier. There will be parties, shopping, decorating, cooking and family gatherings. It’s no wonder that exercise quickly takes a backseat to holiday activities.

You don’t have to succumb to weight gain this holiday season. Escape the time crunch excuse by following these tips:

Although the scale may inch up during or after a holiday, keep in mind that weight fluctuations are perfectly normal. To gain an actual pound of body fat, you’d have to consume a lot of calories: 3,500 to be exact—and this is on top of what you normally eat in a given day. And even if the number on the scale does climb, that doesn’t always mean that you’ve gained actual body fat. When you step on a scale, you’re weighing muscle, bone, body fat, water (one gallon weighs eight pounds), undigested food, and waste that your body hasn’t eliminated yet.