Measuring and Weighing

1. Measure your progress by dress size or pants size instead of pounds. Use a tape measure instead of bathroom scales. Why? One of by-products of eating healthy and exercising daily is converting fat to muscle. Muscle is denser, and weighs more than fat - but you're still getting smaller, and your clothing will tell you truth.

2. Measure your day in steps - steps walked, that is. Counting steps you walk each day and aiming to increase them to 10,000 steps daily is a great way to add exercise to your diet. By walking 10,000 steps a day, you can burn as many calories as you do when you do any of following:

- Swim for 90 minutes - Ride a bike for 70 minutes - Play 10 holes of golf (without cart) - Walk 50 blocks - Play soccer for 90 minutes - Work for two hours in your garden

How do you fit in 10,000 steps? You can count every step you take during day - clip on a pedometer first thing in morning and take it off last thing at night. (Hint: Invest in a pedometer!)

3. Measure your food for first month. Our concept of portion size has been greatly distorted by restaurants, magazine ads and our own eating habits. Invest a month in learning what a real portion looks like - weigh or measure everything. Stay away from buffets until you have reached your goals or for a special treat.

Attitude

1. Treat yourself well! Losing weight is something you're doing because you love yourself. Remember to reinforce yourself regularly for your hard work. You can do it! "If one man (or woman) can do it, another can!" (Anthony Hopkins in "The Edge")

2. Focus on your health, not your weight. Eat healthy, exercise sensibly, and focus on how you will feel when you reach your goal. See yourself way you want to be, but be realistic.

3. If you slip, forgive yourself and start again. After all, just one banana split never made anyone fat. Every day is a new day, and every day brings you closer to new you.