Potential Disaster: I always wind up eating whole bag of snacks - but my family will riot if I stop buying them.

Solution: You don't have to eat whole bag. But chances are you will - or you will eat more than you planned on - if you eat out of that big bag. Even if it's a low fat, low carb or otherwise healthy snack, calories will add up. The solution, however, is easy. As soon as you get home with that bag of chips, puffs or other snack, look at Nutrition Facts to see how many servings are in that bag. Then take same number of sealable sandwich baggies and divide snacks evenly into each one. So next time you want something to munch on, just grab one of those single serving baggies!

Potential Disaster: I've just got to have a piece of cake/ pie/ pastry/ other high caloric indulgence.

Solution: Okay, so you can't get your mind off that yummy looking apple pie or double chocolate layer cake - so have it. We all need a treat now and again. But be smart about it. Don't go to market and get a whole cake or a package containing a half dozen pastries. Go to a coffee shop or bakery, order one piece to go and take it home. And don't eat it out of Styrofoam container - set it on a plate and eat it with a real fork, not plastic one they stuffed in bag. In fact, if you've got good china, use that. An indulgence should be a special occasion, something you do rarely, and it should be treated in a special way. Really enjoy that piece of cake or pastry - savor it. Eat lightly for rest of day to make up for extra load of calories. Enjoy moment and go back to your usual, healthy way of eating as soon as you're done.

Potential Disaster: I'm on road a lot and don't have much time, so I'm always grabbing fast food on go.

If you know you should be exercising more and just can’t drag yourself out of bed an hour earlier in morning to go jogging in freezing cold, or can’t find tennis and racquetball partners, dancing’s an option you need to consider. It requires no partner, no special equipment, costs little, happens after work hours, and you probably have something appropriate to wear already in your closet.

Many dance halls now offer free or nearly-free group dance lessons and there are dancing studios cropping up all over country where you can get individual and group lessons.

Typically dance teacher in private school tries to balance ratio of men to women (arguably hardest part of job), and encourages changing partners, partly to increase your leading and following skills, and partly so you can develop social skills of dancing – where to look, what to say, how to invite someone to dance with you, and how to decline politely.

They also may fill in with dance assistants who are learning how to teach and want practice. “You don’t need to have a partner,” they advertise. Singles are welcome, often outnumbering partnered, and there’s likely to be a wide age range, skewed slightly on older side. How sweet it that?

The private dance studio may also offer social outings and field trips to other dance halls which will extend your knowledge of what’s available and also bring you new acquaintances and dance partners.

And a nod to future? Many schools offer training for your first wedding dance. It’s a big moment when bride and groom take floor, and they will teach you how to make it look and feel good.

If you’re a man, you can also use this training to allow you to become a Gentleman Dance Host on cruise ships, including coveted Cunard line. These gentleman, who are older and have good social and dance skills, are on duty every night in various lounges of ship dancing with women in need of dancing partners, as part of their working vacation. For more information on this, see my ebook, “Presenting on a Cruise.”

Country and Western dance halls, Salsa Clubs and Big Band Ballrooms are filling empty nights (weeknights and Sundays) by offering group lessons you can take advantage of. They usually have a male and a female teacher, so you can see what it looks like when you actually dance with someone.

You can learn Triple Two Step, Salsa, Merengue, West Coast Swing and new line dances, as well as traditional ballroom dances like waltz and polka. My dance school is having a Polka Party this Sunday afternoon. 2 hours of instruction followed by open dancing. Can you imagine exercise?