Take any leftovers from candy or party to office, or (heaven forbid!) throw them out!

If your kids do go out to collect treats, have them hide those treats where you won’t find them. And suggest they ration treats out over several days so candy doesn’t fill them up and prevent them from eating healthier fare.

If you don’t have children, consider leaving your lights off (the signal in most communities that you’re not inviting trick-or-treaters) and go out for evening. Go see a movie, or wear a costume to a zany restaurant where it would be appreciated!

Rake leaves by hand to burn calories (be sure to wear work gloves to avoid blisters!) It will help undo some candy munching. You might also chop and stack firewood, trim back shrubs, or do other yard work in crisp autumn air.

When Halloween is over, start planning your healthy Thanksgiving meal. Look at cookbooks, magazines, newspapers and web sites for lower fat, lower sugar versions of some of your holiday favorites and get ready to enjoy a day of relaxation, or at least a day with family and friends even if you’re working hard in kitchen (at least you’re not working at office!) Focus on warmth of relationships and fireside, and stuff turkey only!

Strive for your personal best. A friend e-mailed to tell me he was gearing up for another 5K relay race. I wasn’t surprised. When he was 50, never having run before and not having “runners genetics” as he puts it, he decided at 15 pounds overweight and asthmatic, he was going to run. He made up his mind. For a year he trained, dropped weight and signed up. His first goal was simply to finish. Did he do it: you bet. Did he work through an asthma attack to get across finish line? He did, but he kept going. Now, he continues to train and improve his time with each race. His secret, he tells me: enjoy journey, live in moment, and focus on your personal best.

“So, Laura, what’s take home message?” you ask. Never mind what everyone else is doing. Stay focused on you, doing what you enjoy and what is fun and exciting for you. Learn everything you can about health and fitness. Then, do best you can. In so doing, you will be an inspiration for others. To summarize: A quote from one of my favorite inspirational writers Dr. Wayne Dyer, who says: “I don’t want to be better than anybody, I just want to be better than I was yesterday.”