Instead of thinking of your commute to work as a drag, get your commute working for you - working for your weight loss that is! Rather than driving to work, try walking, riding your bike, rollerblading, or simply park the car a few blocks away.

A brisk 15-minute walk to work and back each day means you'll accumulate 2.5 hours of walking each week. Over a year, this adds up to an extra 130 hours of exercise, which burns around 30,000 - 35,000 calories! Simply swapping your car for your walking shoes could mean the difference between maintaining your weight and gaining a few extra pounds over the year.

Make sure you're wearing comfortable shoes. If you have to wear dress shoes at work, carry them in your bag or leave them at work to change into when you get there.

Rather than jockeying for the parking place closest to the shopping center entrance or restaurant door, park the car farther away and enjoy a bit of calorie-burning leg-stretching. Bonus points for not taking the car at all, and walking or cycling there instead.