One motivator to losing weight is to find a good fitness club somewhere between your work and home. That makes it easier to stop and work out on the way to or from work, and you have less of an excuse not to, since the fitness club is so convenient.

Most fitness clubs won't tell you that if you join in January, they count on you dropping out by April. Many clubs base their business plan on taking advantage of people who've made New Year Resolutions to lose weight, and they often tie January joiners to year-long contracts.

Always bring a towel with you when you work out in a fitness club. Needless to say, the exercise equipment will have been used by many people before you, and it's unlikely to have been cleaned recently. Consider it a haven for bacteria, including staph.