Hi Kathleen,
I'm glad to hear you are eating right and exercising. That's a good healthy start. Some things to consider:
1. If it took many years to put on the weight, it will take many years to take it off. So often, we expect and want quick results when we begin healthy life-style changes. We need to remember that patience pays off.
Good, healthy, sustainable weight loss only equals 1-2 pounds per week.
That's pretty slow when we want to look good now! However, if you are losing that much, than cheer yourself on. You are making progress.
2. Consider journaling your actual food intake. There are many websites out there that will help you calculate your calorie intake. This will help you to see if you are eating the amount recommended for your age. You can go to https://myplate.gov/ for lots of healthy tips, charting tools, and caloric charts for helping you learn your needs and track your goals.
3. Counsel with a personal trainer, a registered dietitian, or other professional weight loss consultant to mentor you along the weight loss road.
4. Many web sites offer peer help/blogs to support you in your weight loss mission. Friends to walk with or set goals with can also come in handy when attempting long-term success.
5. Make sure you set realistic goals for your weight loss. Just because you were a size 8 in high school, for instance, doesn't mean that is realistic in your 50s. Throw the scale away. Muscle mass weighs more than fat. You might be weighing more, but feeling leaner. Go with how your clothes fit, not with what the scale says.
These, of course, are just a few tips to encourage you to keep on walkin'! You'll find a lot more as you search the web or books. Here are a few links to get you started:
Cook'n Lowfat
Cook'n Lite & Healthy
The Diet Channel
Calories Per Hour
Personal Dietitian
Health Castle
Hope this helps,
Desi
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