CROWD OUT BAD HABITS

Those rock hard abs won’t be built in a day—they’ll be built in staggered days. Julie Odato, certified personal trainer and Program Director at Jump Start Retreats in the Catskills, says staying on the diet is the hardest part, and has a trick for sticking to the program: "Alternate days of your new diet plan with your normal eating habits,” she advises. “For example, do the new plan Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, and observe your regular habits Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.” You can also apply the same principle when it comes to adopting a healthier exercise routine. “At the end of the first seven days,” she says, “you will have improved your eating habits over half of the days of the week and will feel ready to launch into week two!" The high you get from keeping it going for several weeks—not to mention the better body image—will eventually help you crowd out the bad eating patterns with even more good ones.