Tip #1 Nobody can tell you when to start

When I weighed 175 or so, I knew I was overweight, but I also didn't want to hear about it. Sure, my clothes were tight and, yes, there were lots of things I couldn't wear any more—but they weren't really in style anyway. I avoided mirrors, of course. And we didn't have a scale in the house. My husband kept saying kind things in a gentle voice, and it just enraged me.

But what really got me started was that picture, that picture that my BFF sent me after I'd been to see her. She wasn't trying to be hurtful, in fact I'd asked her to take the picture and send it to me. Yikes!

Here's my theory: You can't lose weight if you feel bad about yourself. If somebody brings it up to you, no matter how kindly or well-meant it's said, it makes you feel like a failure. Oh god, on top of everything else, I'm fat.

But—if you decide, for whatever reason, to lose a bit of weight, that's a good thing—in fact that's an amazing thing. Yay you! You've decided on your own.

Now you can design yourself a plan that has reasonable goals and limited demands on your lifestyle and pocketbook and will reward you in the long term.

Yay us!