For the next several months, the holidays will descend upon us. Starting with Thanksgiving and really not ending until Valentine’s Day, there will be plenty of times to bring out your little black dress to look your very best. But, maybe you’ve gained a few pounds over the past year and your little black dress may be fitting a little bit snug. Beginning today, here are 7 easy ways to shed a few pounds and inches to make your little black dress a smashing hit. Or to keep up your motivation, consider investing in a new little black dress showing off your best features at all the holiday parties. Let’s get started:

1. Exercise off a dress size

Any serious attempt at losing some weight must involve becoming more physically active. If you’ve neglected exercise for a while, commit yourself to getting in shape – you’ve got some time. Exercise not only burns off calories and unwanted fat but also revs up your metabolism while boosting your energy level. Make a pledge to get a minimum of 30 minutes at least 5 days a week but preferably up to 60 minutes. Choose an exercise you enjoy doing – walking is probably the easiest for most of us. But also consider lifting weights. When we build muscle mass, the more calories we burn even at rest.

2. After dinner, close down the kitchen

Once you’ve had dinner and cleaned up the kitchen, it’s time to close it down. As in, no more eating until tomorrow morning at breakfast. It’s not that there is anything particularly special about avoiding nighttime eating but for some of us, it is a time of mindless munching while watching TV or being on the computer, in which calories add up quickly. Many of us use it as a way to relax without realizing all that snacking only is contributing to weight gain. To keep your mind off of food, write down a list of other things to do instead – take a bubble bath, read a good book, or have a cup of soothing tea.

3. No more calorie-laden beverages

Downing sugary sodas or high-calorie coffee concoctions do you no favor in being able to slip on that little black dress. Most of us have no perception of how quickly calories add up when we drink them instead of eating them. If you cut out just one (20-ounce) regular soda every day for the next month, you’ll save yourself 7,500 calories. That is two pounds right there you can eliminate! Instead, make it a point to ditch sugary drinks and opt for water. You’ll feel and look better and you’re little black dress will fit so much better too.

4. Cut back on eating out

Sure, it’s fun to eat out but if it becomes too frequent (more than twice a week) it will be that much harder to lose some weight. Restaurant meals are notoriously high in calories thanks to their large portion sizes and liberal use of high-fat ingredients such as oil, butter, and cheese. Start taking your lunch to work and cooking dinner at home each night. Avoid drive-thru windows and other temptations such as vending machines. Easy, portable lunch ideas could be nonfat Greek yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit, chicken or tuna salad, lots of veggies or a turkey sandwich on whole-wheat bread. Plus think of the money you’ll save to buy a new little black dress!

5. Slash sodium

Be extra cautious of too much sodium. All that salt can make us retain water resulting in bloating. Slash sodium sources by cutting out packaged and processed foods high in sodium - read the nutrition facts label and choose foods with no more than 250 milligrams of sodium per serving.

6. Make time for breakfast

A tried and true weight loss strategy is to always eat breakfast. Breakfast doesn’t have to be big but at least eat a good source of protein such as eggs or Greek yogurt to get the day going and for keeping your satisfied during the morning. Eating breakfast jumps starts your metabolism while stabilizing your blood sugar levels keeping you from overeating at lunch. Skipping breakfast tends to spell trouble as it slows metabolism while setting you up for seeking out high-calorie foods slowing down weight loss.

7. Smart snacking

Snacks are important but when wanting to easily slip on your little black dress, limit snacks to more than twice a day. It doesn’t matter what time (except after dinner) but generally choose a time when you are your hungriest. The magic number of calories to limit your snack to is around 200. To get the most power from that snack, choose snacks high in protein and a high-quality carb. Examples could include 15 pistachios or 20 almonds with apple slices, 2 tablespoons of peanut with fruit slices, a cheese stick and an orange, cut up veggies such as baby carrots or bell pepper strips with hummus, or nonfat Greek yogurt with topped with frozen blueberries or tart cherries.