ATD: How Can I Lose Weight?

I am wondering how a person can lose weight and keep it off!  I weigh 150 pounds and I want to be 125 pounds.  Its hard for me to lose weight because I am on the pill too!   I am wondering if you could please help me because I am not happy with myself!  Thanks–Andrea P.

Dear Andrea,

Well, of course that’s the thousand dollar question everyone wants the answer for: “How can I lose weight?”

The obvious answer is “Eat Less and Move More”. But each person will have to assess how to do this on their own.  Take a look at your diet. Are there times during the day when you are eating foods that are high in calories? What could you substitute? For example, do you have a donut or a sausage biscuit for breakfast? Could you have cereal instead or an English muffin with egg whites and skim-milk mozzarella? Are there times you snack on a 250 calorie candy bar when you aren’t really hungry, but just need a break from your desk? Would going for a short walk or having a glass of water accomplish the same end result? Where could you cut out 300 or 400 calories from your intake without cutting out healthy foods? (Because I’m certainly not suggesting you skip a meal or stop drinking a glass of milk to save on calories).

Next, how can you work more activity into your day to start burning more calories? This doesn’t have to mean spending an hour at the gym or trying to jog 5 miles a day. Can you take stairs instead of the elevator, walk some places instead of drive, or fit in a 20 minute walk in the morning or the evening?

Keep in mind, weight loss that you want to last will be gradual, so don’t get frustrated when the scale is coming down two or three pounds a month–in the long run your 25 pounds will be gone for next New Year’s Eve, and the end result is really what you’re looking for!

As far as the pill goes, there are plenty of women on the pill who are at a healthy and happy weight, so this is not something that will keep you from your goals!