The health clubs are packed in January and empty by February. What happens between being motivated to get in shape after the holidays and being out of shape and lazy one month later? Actually, the problem isn't so much a lack of motivation so much as a lack of planning. Here are some strategies to help keep you fit well into the new century:

Self-discovery: Okay. You know what you want. For instance, you want to be skinny or you want to be stronger or you want better endurance. Now, quantify those statements. Get a fitness test at your health club or do a little do-it-on-yourself testing at home. Weigh yourself. Measure your waist, hips and thighs. Run your fastest mile. You get the idea. Now put the measurements away for one month exactly.

Keep a food and fitness diary for a few days including a weekend day. Write down everything, including milk in your coffee and food taken off of other people's plates. Start looking for opportunities to get activity and make healthier, lower-calorie substitutions.

Break up your larger goals into stepping-stone goals -- small goals that take you through the month. For instance, you'll do some sort of exercise five or six days a week for a month, or you'll cut desserts down to two times a week for a month. Leaving things open-ended sets you up for failure.

Just as you schedule everything else in your life, schedule exercise into your day. If you keep a calendar, write it down. Don't try to work out in your spur-of-the-moment spare time. Spare time has a way of disappearing.