Set yourself up for success. Fitness experts recommend eating smaller, more frequent meals to keep your metabolism revving throughout the day. Often, diet disasters occur in between meals at snack time. If you head to the gym straight from work, you may start feeling some hunger pangs before you get there. Plan ahead so that you don’t find yourself staring hungry-eyed into a vending machine full of unhealthy, over-processed foods. Before you leave for work, baggie up some carrots, almonds, or apple slices and pack them into your gym bag. So, when you need a pre-workout energy boost, you’ll have a healthy, ready-to-eat snack at your fingertips!

#2 Lighten Up Cocktail Hour

If you like to occasionally socialize over drinks, but don’t want to blow your diet, you should know which cocktails make better friends than others. Beware of margaritas! Sweet and sour mix plus a couple shots of liquor, no matter how delicious, yields a calorie disaster. Avoid cocktails made with dark liquors, sour mix, cream, and high quantities of liquor. Ask for clear or light-colored liquors, such as vodka or rum (about 65 calories per ounce), with low to no calorie mixers. Try a light beer or white wine spritzer. Squeeze in a wedge of lime and you'll forget all about those margaritas.