What's the key to losing weight and keeping it off for good? I get asked this question all the time, and the answer is simple: Make it fun! If you like what you do, you're more likely to do it. Exercise about five times a week, or less during the week but add a longer session on weekends. With a healthy diet, you're practically guaranteed to lose 2 pounds a week (that's a whole dress size by this time next month--yowzers!).

We all know that the clock can sometimes seem as if it's moving in slo-mo during a sweat session. Add new activities to your firm-ups, and they'll fly by. To beat boredom, I mix it up--running one day, a bike ride the next and then a swim the third. Variety is the spice of life, in and out of the gym! Also, I'll do a long, slow workout one morning and a short and sprinty one the next.

Another boredom buster: Meet up with a pal (find a workout buddy at Self.com). Chatting while you jog or walk makes each session feel like fun. If you'd like your workouts  just as fast and enjoyable, try these easy tactics.
 
Play with your pace

In addition to making the minutes tick, varying your effort or speed helps you burn major calories in less time. Try these undulating wonder workouts to make monotony (not to mention any mushy spots) a distant memory. Or exercise with a pal and take turns choosing challenges for each other, Simon Says...

Pick your favorites

Time flies when you're having fun--the old adage applies to exercise. Choose an activity that puts a smile on your face as opposed to one that's solely a means to scorching calories. Women who exercise to have fun, make friends, get pep or feel a sense of well-being spend 40 percent more time moving than those who work out just to fit in their skinny jeans. ID an exercise you enjoy (dancing? rock climbing?) and remember your non-weight-related motivations for staying in motion. You'll make fat blasting a blast! (Dance your way slim with these calorie-torching moves!)

Stay pumped with a playlist

While those gym TVs can be enticing, listening to music while you work out tends to lift your spirits more than tuning into a show, according to a study from Elon University in North Carolina. Plus, tunes can better your coordination and distract you from feelings of fatigue. Pick a featherweight MP3 player (I adore my iPod shuffle) and fortify it with fast new songs every week. An ever-changing sweat soundtrack will help you stay pumped. Need inspiration? I have a playlist I love.

Go clubbing

You wouldn't want to eat every meal alone (no matter how delicious the food), so why only exercise solo? Try a class or a team sport that allows you to socialize as you sculpt--members of the SELF staff play volleyball or basketball in friendly leagues after work--which will let you get in great shape by mixing it up. I like to bike or run with teammates before work in the mornings. Why not put a group exercise session on your schedule once a week, like Spinning? Or sign up for a relay or your first triathlon. Do it with a buddy and work out together, so you catch up as you slim down. Bonus: When every workout brings you closer to a measurable goal with a deadline (race day!), sweat sessions feel more purposeful and interesting.

Find more ways to make every firm-up a funfest with the Fresh Fitness Tips blog at Self.com.

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