If your latest diet/fitness attempt seems like déejà vu, it's time to analyze what went wrong. Let's go back to "the first day" (without really going back). Notice that everything here looks a little extreme? I'm not just talking about the ambitious exercise schedule. From the top-of-the-line sneakers to the bottom-of-the-food-chain meal, what we have here is an overcaffeinated approach to fitness. It's simply a matter of time before that gung ho, coffee-achiever intensity crashes and burns. I understand the mentality that creates this problem: "Hey, I've got weight to lose and I want it gone! Now!" There's something about that urgency that seems to call for extreme measures. When it comes right down to it, we'd rather make big sacrifices than small changes. Somehow, it's easier to get up a head of steam about a three-day juice fast than it is about skipping dessert. But once that urgency evaporates, the excuses pile up, and you've gotten off track.

Here's how to stay focused:

Reality-proof your diet. Does your diet make it impossible to eat out? Take part in holiday meals and celebrations? Indulge in a planned treat or favorite food? If you can't stick to it at all times, for life, it's not a plan ‑- it's wishful thinking.

Don't innovate, renovate. Been inactive for a spell? Instead of plunging into an entirely new fitness regimen ("I usually run but I've heard Pilates is the ticket to flat abs!"), expand what you're already doing. You can always add novelty and variety once you've reestablished your basic routine.