Your Perfect Weight Week 49-52

Exercise goal: Walk seven days, three miles
per day in 45 minutes (or less)

One of the main lessons we have been trying to teach is that it's possible to lose weight and still live in the real world. That means taking vacations, celebrating birthdays, going on picnics, dining in restaurants--you name it. Yes, by Week 49 you're well aware that enjoyable events and eating your way are not mutually exclusive.

But maybe parties still throw you a bit. After all, there you are surrounded by friends, high spirits, and all that fabulous finger food! The potential for overeating is there, no question. But skip a party because you fear you might overdo it? We wouldn't hear of it! Spend a little time this week planning how you'll get through your next party without putting back on a couple of pounds. Here are some tips to help you party hearty without becoming heavy.

Eat before you greet. Have a light snack or a couple of glasses of water before you leave the house. That way you won't be tempted to dive into the first trayful of canapés you see at the shindig.

Take the cake. If you're planning to bring the hostess a gift, why not make it something you'd like, too? Whether it's a small basket of fruit or an assortment of fat-free cookies, you'll be assured of something you can eat guiltlessly.

Wait it out. Don't dash to the buffet (or bar) the moment your hostess takes your coat. Look at your watch and delay your eating and drinking for 15 minutes. If someone tries to ply you with food during that time, just smile and politely answer, "Not right this minute, thanks."

Check it out. What's on the menu? Don't grab the first thing that you see, or assume that there's "nothing I can eat" because you haven't bothered to really look. Case the place: You just might discover a platter of crudités and yogurt dip in the kitchen or some sliced roast turkey and veggies on a sideboard.

Don't sit near the fattening food. Need we say more?

Skip the intro. Invited to a sit-down dinner party? Then go easy on, or avoid completely, the hors d'oeuvres. That way you can save your appetite (and calories) for the main meal.

Bottoms up. Keep a glass filled with diet soda, mineral water or tomato juice nearby at all times. If your host sees you drinking, he won't push liquor or other high-calorie beverages on you.

Mix it up. Remember, parties aren't just about eating--they're also about schmoozing and socializing. Eat less and talk more. (If you spend more time mingling, you're also likely to hear more compliments about your weight loss!)

Be sure to record your party eating in your success diary when you get home, or first thing the next morning. Your notes may reveal that you had a bit more than you'd planned, but as you learned in previous weeks, you can always compensate by eating a smidgen less at your next meal and exercising a smidgen more.

Date:

Weight:

Week 50: Dance off the pounds

Exercise goal: Walk seven days, three miles
per day in 45 minutes (or less)

Whoever thought up the expression "No pain, no gain" was full of hot air! It's official: Working out can be fun. And there are few calorie-burning techniques that are more fun and more effective than dancing.

This week you should make arrangements to give this marvelous form of exercise a try. (And if you're already a regular, make sure you get out on the dance floor at least once.)

"Today we know that exercising at a lower intensity, like walking for fitness, produces better long-range fat-burning benefits than running or other excessive exercise. And what is social dancing but walking to music?" says Cal Pozo, an exercise physiologist, former professional dancer and instructor on Parade Videos' Learn to Dance video series.

In fact, depending on the kind of dancing you do, you can get an even better aerobic workout than you would just walking. "The music dictates the speed and intensity at which you're moving," Pozo points out, adding that while dancing you can expend 250 to 300 calories per hour. Even though most dances last just two or three minutes, over the course of an evening you're burning calories like crazy. "And because you're following different patterns of movement," says Pozo, "you're using your whole body, which adds to your caloric output."

Not the least of dancing's pluses is that it's pleasant and relaxing. "With social dancing, there's the mind/body connection," says Pozo. "While you're dancing your mind is engaged--you're listening to the music and coordinating your movements with your partner--so it actually helps reduce stress. It's a very complete exercise."

Most folks who like to dance socially tend to focus on four basic dances.

* Swing, which has become very popular again

* Latin, including the cha-cha--dances that take some practice to perfect

* Country/western, especially line dancing, where you don't need a partner and so you're freer to interpret the music your way

* Low-impact dance/exercise, such as Jazzercise

Another plus: Unlike other forms of exercise, no real warm-up is needed with dancing. As Pozo says: "A warm-up should be specific to the movement you're going to do. For example, if you're going to jog, you should do some slow running first for two or three minutes. But with social dancing, as you get into the dance, your body automatically starts warming up, so you don't really have to do any stretching exercise. Just get up and dance!"

You can find dance classes listed in your Yellow Pages, as part of adult education programs or at your local Y. You can also rent a dance video and practice in the privacy of your living room until you're ready to sweep onto a dance floor with your partner.

Music, maestro!

Date:

Weight:

Week 51: Get ready
for maintenance!

Exercise goal: Walk seven days, three miles
per day in 45 minutes (or less)

What can we say? You're one week from the finale of the 52-week plan, and you've become your own finest role model! You're not just slimmer but, better still, wiser. You've learned so much about making your body stronger, leaner, healthier. You've discovered firsthand how crucial exercise is to being trim and fit. And you've also become an expert at dealing with your moods and setbacks foodlessly.

You've reached your goal weight, or else you're well on the way. And now you're at a crossroads. Yes, this is the time when either you will mentally turn a corner for good, leaving your overweight lifestyle behind you forever, or you might find yourself lured by external influences to waver from the good habits you've been honing over the past year.

We understand the temptations, and we also realize that weight maintenance is tough. The glory and gratification that come with seeing an ever-shrinking number on the scale just aren't there anymore once you reach your goal.

The weight-loss experts agree it's all very challenging. But the good news: It's all very doable.

This is the week to get psyched for maintenance. Start by rereading "Keeping It Off Forever," on page 168. Really study it and take its message to heart.

You truly want this to be the last time you ever have to lose weight--you've worked too hard for it not to be. Continue to weigh yourself weekly so you can keep a watchful (but not fanatical) eye on your situation. And be ready to sound the "three-pound alarm" whenever your weight goes
up by that much. Taking off a little weight is so much easier than taking off a lot.

Let this also be the week to renew your vow to continue for life the exercise program you've been following so impressively. The experts have said it time and time again: The successful weight maintainers keep exercising, the yo-yo dieters stop.

Vow, too, to vary your menus, so food boredom doesn't become an excuse to binge. Keep recording what you eat and how you exercise in your success diary--it's even more vital to weight maintenance, when habits often start getting sloppy.

Keep up your reward system throughout your maintenance just as you did during weight loss. Give yourself a gift, say, for every month you maintain your weight within your three- to five-pound range. And promise yourself that no matter how tough things might get sometimes, you'll be kind to yourself and not try to stuff your problems with food, as you might've done a year ago.

Weight maintenance isn't easy. But if anyone can do it, you can.

Date:

Weight:

Week 52: Take a final inventory . . . and take a bow!

Exercise goal: Walk seven days, three miles
per day in 45 minutes (or less)

Hooray!

Yippee!

Great job!

Mazel tov!

Right on!

Congrats!

A year full of achievement! We're proud of you but, most of all, you should feel extremely proud of yourself. We're hoping that you're not only enjoying your slim new body but also the realization that a slim way of life can actually be fun. After all, as you now know, being thin also means:

* Eating delicious foods in nonstarvation quantities

* Having snacks and alcohol in moderation

* Exercising in ways you find enjoyable

* Looking good and feeling comfortable in your clothes

* Participating in all life has to offer, without worrying about how you look or feel

Take this final inventory, on page 274, and if you have 18 or more "Yes!" or "Usually" answers, take a bow--a deep bow! Just think: You've successfully completed the 52-week plan with barely a hitch! This is the time for a major reward: Whatever you choose for yourself, make it extra special. And if you're wondering what lies ahead for you in Week 53, Week 54 and beyond, it's this: You can look forward to a better, happier life than you could ever have imagined. And, frankly, we can't think of anyone who deserves it more.