Give yourself a break once and a while

Rocking a body like a cover model is no easy task. If it was, everyone would look that way. It requires an enormous amount of hard work and discipline. But not everyone wants to look like a cover model; some people would be quite content with just looking and being healthy. Still, even this involves a certain amount of dedication to a healthy lifestyle.

That being said, one of the biggest mistakes people make -- especially those who are attempting to diet and exercise for the first time -- is that they don't give themselves the occasional break. They try to be on point 100 percent of the time, which is an extremely lofty goal to set. And, more often than not, these same people eventually reach a breaking point and throw in the towel.

To prevent this from happening to you, allow yourself a "reward" meal every now and again and a day off from the gym. These temporary departures from your healthy schedule will have a negligible effect on your fitness progress, but may be the mental respite you need to keep you from becoming burnt out.