A cookie or latte may have no fat, but that doesn't mean they don't have any calories. Once you start exercising regularly and gaining muscle, you can ignore the bathroom scale. The scale may not budge as your inches start to dwindle. And, not all the benefits are visual, Foreyt says. You'll be walking up stairs without losing breath, being able to play on the floor with your kids or grandkids.
Many people try to use old age as an excuse to be complacent, but it's a bad defense.
You're never too old to get fit and trim. Of the 208 people that registered dietitian Anne M. Fletcher studied for her book, Eating Thin for Life, many began their successful slim-down after age 40 and seven of 10 people had been overweight since childhood. The average weight loss was 64 pounds, and the majority of people had kept it off 11 years later. The more you cultivate pleasures outside the kitchen, the easier you'll find it to eat only when you're hungry, Fletcher says. Walk the dog around the block, phone your sister, or spend a few minutes sitting quietly scanning catalogs.