(BPT) - Winter can stretch for a very long time in many areas of the country, and with the extensive cold often comes the temptation to let weight loss goals fall by the wayside.

If you’ve set out to lose weight and get healthy in 2013, but are not sure how to keep going another month, much less the rest of the year, take advice from Registered Dietitian Anika DeCoster, program manager of the 90-Day Challenge for Life Time Fitness, The Healthy Way of Life Company. In its third year the national weight loss contest has helped a total of 58,000 people lose a cumulative 145,000 pounds.

“A great weight loss program provides a combination of the right exercise, nutrition and lifestyle factors, including stress management and good sleep,” DeCoster says. “In addition, I’ve noticed that those who succeed in losing the most weight take their efforts further in order to win the competition.”