Want To Lose Weight? Start Now!

Experts Say Now Is The Time To Start Dieting

NEW YORK -- Do you want to lose weight in the New Year? Experts say now is the time to start.

Shannon Fraizer made a New Year's resolution last year to lose weight, and so far she's lost 86 pounds.

It's been a tough 11 months, but even she admits that the toughest, and most tempting time of the year is coming up, when homes and offices are filled with food and holiday parties.

"Of course, everybody brings something that you haven't had all year, so you're eating a little bit of everything, then a lot of everything, and you eat it three or four times a day," Frazier said.

Then, before you know it, the pounds add up. So to avoid those problems this year, experts say you might want to make your resolution to lose weight in November, not January.

Dr. Shirley Kindrick is a nutritionist at the Ohio State University Medical Center, and she has some tips for controlling your weight during the holidays.

"[Start your diet now] -- even if you just hold your own, you'll feel much better about that new year," Kindrick said.

Here's some tips for holiday weight control:

• Don't deprive yourself -- you'll only crave the food more and then you're more likely to overindulge. Eat sweets, but eat small portions.

• Also, drink plenty of water. When water intake is low, that's when you crave salty snacks.

• To get in at least a little exercise, try this: When shopping, park as far away from the mall as you can. After every gift you buy, walk a lap around the entire inside of the mall. Those steps add up.

And when it comes to holiday parties, it may be healthier to be the party-giver -- not the party attendee.

"When you do have those party situations, maybe you can be the party-giver," she said. "You plan the food, so then there are things you can eat and enjoy and not have to worry about it."

Also, remember there is strength in numbers, so enlist the help of a friend. Encourage each other every day, and weigh in once a week.

"You don't necessarily have to share your weight, but share that you have weighed in, that you know what you are doing, that it was either up or down and you know why," Kindrick said.

Knowing why your weight is up or down means that you're keeping track of everything you eat, and that makes it much easier to keep the pounds off.

Also, join a gym now. In January, the gyms are mobbed with new enrollees. You can get a workout in much faster so you're more likely to exercise to keep those pounds off.

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