This means exposure not only to the suns rays--and I hope you use sunscreen--but to our own body scrutiny. We may be carrying around five or 10 extra pounds that don't succumb to our diet and exercise program. Or we may have packed on those pounds during vacation and want to pare down quickly.

"It's sometimes easier to lose a lot of weight than those last few pounds," explains Michael Papamichael, co-owner of MBS. "Those are the stubborn ones and it may take extra effort for you to lose them."

Just about every fitness expert polled said that nutrition may be the most important key to reaching your goal.

"When I've gained a few pounds I tighten up my eating habits," says Sue Rue. "When you change your food, you change the way you look. When you eat clean, nutritious foods it shows. When you get sloppy with your eating pattern, your backside reflects the backslide."

"Peanut butter and white flour," she says matter-of-factly. "I do a check point of my eating habits and evaluate where I've been cheating. I also increase my weight training because that seems to boost my metabolism."

Andrea says that on the other end of the scale, a common error is eating too little.

"Sometimes women cut back so drastically, there bodies go into a starvation mode and you work against yourself. Your body stores every calorie it gets because it knows you're not giving it enough food to function," she says.

Chuck Wong Chong has an even simpler approach.

"Instead of two bagels, I'll have one," he laughs, adding that cutting portions, not food groups works for him.

Fotis Papamichael, however, says that cutting back on carbohydrates helps him slim down fast.

"I'll also add more cardiovascular exercise to my workout and cross train more often," he says.

Leslie Glickman, another co-owner of MBS and our Power Yoga teacher, says that she adds another day of exercise to her program and becomes more mindful of her eating habits.

"I try to eat 'clean' foods," she says, adding that her vegetarian regime is naturally low in fat.

Michael P. adds that proper nutrition is crucial in maintaining body function.

"You can't use exercise as an excuse to abuse your food plan," he says. "Eat healthfully, eat in moderation and aim for a variety of foods to make sure that you are getting all the vitamins and minerals you need.

"You may want to add a multivitamin and mineral supplement daily to make sure that your body gets optimum nutrition," he adds. "Our soil has been depleted of many natural ingredients so our food doesn't have quite the same nutritional bang for the buck as it did decades ago.