Tip: Don't reward yourself with food

Do you allow yourself to have that extra piece of pizza or order that dessert when dining out because you "went to the gym" earlier? While rewards are a good motivator, rewarding yourself with food isn't the right way to reach your goals. Your food rewards may be undoing all of that good calorie-burning that you accomplish in the gym.

Educate yourself on the calorie content of your food (and your treats) as well as how many calories you burn at the gym. You don't want to undo all of your hard work in the gym by enjoying that brownie, do you?

Tip: Get your Rest

You won't be able to train properly or have an effective workout if your body is burnt out. Depriving your body of sleep can hinder your weight-loss, as sleep triggers a number of hormones that influence cravings and a tendency for weight gain.

In addition, too many sleepless nights will leave you tired and unfocused for your workouts, which means that you won't get much from your efforts. Since a lot of recovery and muscle repair happens while you rest each night, sleep is an important component of an effective workout routine.

So don't skimp on your sleep.