If you've given up on your New Year's resolution to lose weight or exercise more, it's not too late to get back in the game.

In fact, you'll have plenty of company if you start a diet now. One survey finds that the biggest month for dieting is March, not January.

Why March? Because it's closer to June — and swimsuit season, the researcher says.

So if you want to get back on track to shape up before summer, here are some tips that can help:

BE FASHION FORWARD

If you have a favorite summer outfit that you look forward to fitting into, hang it in the front of your closet so you'll see it every day. Little reminders like this can help you stay motivated to eat healthy and exercise.

START SMALL

You don't have to completely overhaul your eating habits to see results. Maybe on Jan. 1, you were gung-ho about losing weight, so you swore off all your favorite foods and traded them for vegetables and broiled chicken. You probably lost a few pounds, but you may have gained them back by now because most people can only stick with a regimen like that for a short time.

Find some small changes that you can live with, such as eating five servings of fruit and vegetables a day or having dessert three times a week instead of every night.

Once those changes become new habits, your weight-loss efforts will gain momentum, which can give you incentive to make a few more healthy changes.

GO SLOW BUT STEADY

If you weren't working out much before, but you showed up at the gym in January determined to run five miles the first day, your muscles were probably screaming for mercy the next morning.

Establishing an exercise routine isn't always fun at first, but if it's literally a pain, you're doing too much too fast.

Aim to get some exercise almost every day and get your heart rate up, but don't push yourself too hard at first. If you start slowly and gradually increase the length and intensity of your workouts, you'll build a solid foundation that will keep you active in the long run.

SET DOABLE GOALS

You may want to lose two pounds each week or drop a dress size every month, but even if you're doing everything right, sometimes your body might not keep up with that pace. When that happens, many people get discouraged and give up.

To avoid that, set some other goals that you have complete control over and focus on those.

FOCUS ON BIG PICTURE

When you'd rather hit the snooze button than work out, remind yourself how good it will feel to wear a smaller size in June. When you're tempted to raid the refrigerator after dinner, think about your next trip to the beach or shopping for your next swimsuit.

SAVE CALORIES, CENTS

Whenever you skip a trip to the vending machine, keep track of those coins. If you pass up that pint of Ben & Jerry's at the store, pay yourself the few dollars that the ice cream would have cost. At the end of every day, put the money you would have spent on extra snacks, soda or junk food into a jar. Before long, those dollars and cents could add up to buy something new for the smaller you.