I was talking with my sister yesterday and she and her fiancee are starting a new diet.  It is a calorie counting diet.  While we were talking, I realized how many tips I have for dieters.  Let me point out that I am still overweight myself but I have the knowledge how to lose weight.  Just not the desire or the initiative, I guess.

So a couple of tips that you might or might not know:

First, put a time line for your dieting.  Anyone can diet for two weeks but when you say I am going to diet until I lose 10 pounds, it is too indefinite.

Second, if I wanted to lose 20 pounds or more, I found dieting Monday thru Friday and then giving myself a break on the weekend encouraged me to be better during the week.  So on the weekend, I might decide to have a slice of toast with my breakfast.  Maybe I would have a baked potato with a small amount of butter at dinner.   Or maybe you crave chocolate.   Have a piece or two only.  Feeling deprived only makes you want to quit the diet sooner.

Thirdly, I have found if I am craving something, I will eat all kinds of other foods trying to get rid of the craving and end up eating way too much.  So if I am craving potato chips, I just eat a couple.  Or if it is chocolate, I eat two Hershey kisses.  That will take care of the craving and I will stop eating everything I see that I think will satisfy my craving.  I also heard on Dr. Oz that niacin helps with cravings.  I haven’t tried that though.   I bought some but haven’t tried it.  I have awful sugar cravings.  My husband says I am a sugar addict.  I am sure I am.

Fourth, I think the buddy system definitely helps.  If you don’t have someone to diet with, at least have someone who is willing to be your shoulder to cry on or someone to confide in.  Look for a cheerleader type personality, not a critical person.

Fifth, before starting your diet, jump start your diet by cutting out or reducing your bread or pastries or sodas or sugars.   If you are needing to lose a few pounds, you can do it with this step alone.  My nephew lost 10 lbs in a month by just cutting out sodas.

Sixth, if you don’t have the crap in your house, you won’t eat it.  So be a good shopper and don’t bring things into the house that will tempt you.

Seventh, take a walk when you feel like you are starving and need to eat something.  Take a bottle of water with you and just get your mind on something other than eating.   A lot of time, you are just thirsty instead of hungry.

Weight Watchers helped me lose twenty pounds in about 3 months.  I used the point system and I could eat anything I wanted as long as I didn’t go over the  points I was allowed each day.  The points are figured based on fiber and fat, if I remember correctly.  It is a math equation so you can figure it out at the grocery store or they have a hand held chart that is small and can be cared in your purse.

Of course, the problem with any diet is that you have to continue your diet in order to keep the weight off.  That’s why eating really healthy during the week and then giving yourself some leeway on the weekend could help you keep the weight off.

And of course, your age really makes a difference in trying to lose weight.  Your metabolism has slowed down but so has your activity level.  And for me, food tastes better than ever.  I would rather eat my cooking than eating out.

Well, I hope some of this helps you if you are starting the new year off with a weight loss resolution.