Aging at Tufts University and author of the best-selling book Strong Women Stay Slim. Take advantage of the interest you have in losing weight today, she says. Don’t say, “I’ll start after the holidays,” or “One of these days I’ll be ready.” Buy new exercise shoes and weights, take a walk, plan this week’s meals and make a shopping list today.
2. Set realistic goals.
Losing one pound a week — and keeping it off — with sensible eating and exercise is probably a sensible goal. Dropping three dress or suit sizes in eight weeks isn’t. One way to figure out how many calories you can eat and still lose weight is to keep a food diary for a week and figure out how many calories you’re consuming now. Then create a food plan that provides about 250 calories per day less than you’re eating now.
As long as you’re also exercising and burning an additional 250 calories a day, you’ll lose about one to two pounds a week — the maximum you should shoot for. Quick weight-loss programs actually make it more difficult to lose weight, says Nelson, because they slow your metabolism.
Instead of focusing on the scale, some people find that it helps to set a more tangible goal — like fitting
