You probably know someone who’s always on a diet. I used to be that person myself. In fact, I was born fat, was a fat child, a fat teen and yo-yoed as a young adult. I became a lifetime member of Weight Watchers at age 13. I was Dr. Atkins’ model in all his print advertising a number of years ago. I’m a NutriSystem expert and also a lifetime member of Jenny Craig…

One thing I’ve noticed in my experience as a yo-yo dieter is that when I had a few extra pounds on me, it made me look “matronly.” And that’s not just my opinion. The reactions I’d get from strangers confirmed my “theory.” As a size eight at only 5′3,” people tended to guess my age as older than I really was. Now, at a size 4, I’m 50 and I still get asked for I.D. to buy wine.

If you have some extra weight you’ve been trying to lose, try my “easiest eating plan” to get started. Super-size your veggies and half-size everything else. It’s that easy!

Now, keep in mind that if you’re already eating an unhealthy diet, this is not the plan you’ll want to stay on, but it will get you started. If you usually eat a sandwich at lunch, eat half the sandwich and double the veggies on it or pair the half sandwich with a salad (dressing on the side or just a squeeze of lemon).

If you eat a candy bar at your desk every day at 3:00, eat only half the candy bar. I’m not advocating eating candy bars — excess sugar ages your skin — but I am helping you to gradually make changes toward better eating and nutrition.

Years ago, I knew a girl in school named Frederica. When school ended for the summer, she was very overweight, but when we resumed classes in the Fall, she had lost 50 pounds!! After gushing about how fantastic Frederica looked, I asked her how she did it. She told me that she simply ate half of everything she usually ate. That is the only change she made the entire summer! She also told me that once she had lost the weight, it motivated her to actually make healthier choices, not just stick to the smaller portions.

If you’re trying to get motivated to lose weight but you just don’t think another diet program will work for you, why not try my “easiest eating plan?” Remember, just super-size your veggies and half-size everything else. That will get you started on your way to losing weight and eventually making the switch to an overall healthier diet. It’s so easy, you can start right now!

[Ed. note: Jackie Silver is aging backwards. She shares her secrets, tips, and shortcuts on her web site, AgingBackwards.com, in her new book, Aging Backwards: Secrets to Staying Young, on the syndicated TV show, Daytime, on Clear Channel radio's Mix 100.7, in The Tampa Tribune and as a sought-after speaker. For more information, click here.]

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