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MARQUETTE -- Exercising in the heart of the holiday season may not always be a top priority.  But staying motivated and making sure you are in the right mindset could make all the difference in getting toned for the holidays.

It's normal to encounter bumps in the road if you're trying to get into shape.

Monday morning, I continued my 12-week weight loss program with my personal trainer, Jenna Robinson.

Robinson said it all comes down to your level of motivation.

"If you go a week without losing a pound, it's not a big deal," said Robinson.  "You're on the right track, you just need to keep setting those little goals for yourself; week by week, what are you looking to accomplish?"

And it's important to remember that it's not healthy or realistic to drop a lot of weight at one time.

"I usually tell people that it's OK to work toward perfection, but not OK to demand it," said Dr. Heather Dermyer, a health psychologist.

Dr. Dermyer also said not to get frustrated when you feel like you've hit a wall.

"There are incredible amounts of research supporting the fact that exercise not only affects physical fitness, but mental health as well, and it's incredible for stress relief and incredible for releasing endorphins within the body and to become better mentally, physically, spiritually.  It's just getting all of those things in tune and then working from there," Dermyer said.

So where do I stand after exercising with Jenna for two weeks?

I started out at 184 pounds two weeks ago, and last week weighed in at 182 pounds.

This week I lost another pound and am now at 181 pounds.

"I think you are on the right track," Robinson told me on Monday.  "We also want to remember that it's not all about weight loss--it's about being healthy and making these lifestyle changes and being able to stick with it."

My goals for the next two weeks are to get comfortable with going into the gym on my own and learning more about nutrition, making sure that I'm eating every three hours.