After the champagne is popped, kisses exchanged, and Auld Lang Syne crooned, most of America stops to think about all the damage they did during the holiday season. Resolving to lose weight or get in better health tops the list of New Year’s resolutions year in and year out.

If you’re one of the millions of Americans making such a promise to yourself, and want a little help to get you there, then take a look at some of the most popular diets of 2011.

Each year we examine the diets our readers were most interested in, and in 2011 there were 20 diets put on that list.

17 Day Diet, Weight Watchers, and Jillian Michaels held top positions, and classics like Medifast and Nutrisystem were included. Celebrity-endorsed programs from Kristie Alley and Suzanne Somers joined the list for the first time. And of course, several supplement and fad-inspired methods like hCG, acai and baby food also made the cut.

Of all of these there are a few that are ideal for older women looking to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.

Weight Watchers
2011 Ranking: #2

The great thing with Weight Watchers PointsPlus, and the improvements made to the PointsPlus 2012 program, is that you can eat whatever you want, almost. With a daily allotment of “points,” based on the nutritional value of each food, you simply have to stay within those points to realize weight loss. Healthier foods, like grilled fish and fresh fruits and vegetables, have low points, while fast food burgers and fries are much higher. Age doesn’t matter, and neither really does gender. It’s a no-fuss plan that you can do online or through meetings, depending on your schedule and the level of support you’re seeking. While not ideal for diabetics, if you work with your doctor, you can make adjustments to work for you.

NutriSystem
2011 Ranking: #11

If counting points or even having to prepare your own food isn’t part of your new year’s plans, then consider NutriSystem, a meal-delivery service that takes care of practically all of the counting and cooking. There are a variety of programs available under the NutriSystem label that offer foods that are shelf-stable, fresh-frozen, or a combination of both. Monthly or weekly shipments will provide prepared meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even snacks, you simply supplement with fresh fruits and vegetables. There’s also NutriSystem-D, with meals created specifically for diabetics, and NutriSystem Silver, which suits the dietary and nutritional needs of older adults.

Sexy Forever
2011 Ranking: #18

Created by Suzanne Somers, this 2011 book was created specifically for women 40 and older who want to conquer any barrier that age may present in weight loss. Somers coaches you on working with your hormones, rather than they against you, in order to burn fat to get in excellent shape. You can use the book and/or the online subscription service, which comes with more robust tools and offerings. In December 2011 Somers will release the Sexy Forever Recipe Bible with 400 complementary recipes that are tasty and good for you.

Visit DietsInReview.com to see all of the Most Popular Diets of 2011 and find the one that’s right for you.

July is always a busy month for me. Along with the usual fun family holiday of July 4th, I celebrate my birthday and my wedding anniversary. As you can imagine, all of this partying involves lots of food – the kind that represents summer.

You know, those hot weather favorites like potato salad, corn on the cob (with butter, of course), baked beans with brown sugar, hot dogs (I love them) and yummy desserts like cakes, pies and ice cream.

While all of these foods taste fabulous going into my stomach, the results have not looked so wonderful on my body. Everything I listed above is filled with fat, sugar and loads of calories.

When July 1st rolled around, I stepped on my bathroom scale and discovered I had reached my goal weight of 130 pounds. At 5’6” I have reached a weight that is not only in the healthy range, I also like how I look. This milestone represents a total loss of 32 pounds in five months.

After I patted myself on the back, let out a whoop of delight and generally spent the day basking in the glow of a job well done, I got busy talking to myself about what needed to happen next.

You see, maintaining my weight loss after I have worked so hard to reach this goal is a critical step in my process. I just spent five months working hard at something and I don’t want it to disappear into larger sized jeans because of over-indulging or becoming lazy. The answer to my challenge is simple yet complex. To maintain, I must remain focused on my success without getting overconfident and eating the wrong things in the wrong quantities. This sounds easy but can be difficult when you are lunching with a group of friends eating banana splits!

I have enjoyed all of the foods I listed above this month, and, so far, I am holding steady. I now weigh myself every other day, and if I see the scale creep up even one-half pound, I back off of my food intake for a day or so. It really is all about portion control and discipline when choosing our food. Now I have the cookie, I just limit it to one instead of three or four.

As I move into this new journey of weight maintenance, I know I will have challenges. But I have the tools and know what to do. Most importantly, I have God’s help to keep me focused on my new goal of staying at 130 pounds. My motto is: With God, ALL things are possible. That applies to every area of my life, including keeping my weight down.

I have enjoyed sharing my story with you over the past several months. Thank you for joining me in this adventure.

With more than three decades of home interior design and international travel experience, Prudence Lay has developed a sharp eye for how to create inviting living environments and adventurous travel experiences. She is an award winning quilter and resides in Sisters, Oregon with her family. In addition the above, Prudence is enjoying her latest adventure as Home and Garden Feature Editor of LivingBetterat50+.

I love turning my calendar to June and realizing all that it represents. The entire summer is still stretched out before us and the rainy and cold spring weather is (hopefully) mostly behind us.  I can’t go to a graduation or wedding without feeling hopeful that the cycle of life continues even in the midst of tough times.   June is, for me, the month of hopeful beginnings.    

As April and May unfolded, I recognized that stress is not this particular dieter’s friend.  Both of these months brought me many challenges and on many occasions, I was tempted to throw in the towel and just eat a bowl of ice cream.  I am happy to say that I was able to overcome that temptation because I know that I would only be unhappy with myself for giving in, and that food was not going to help me fix my problems.

I recognize that many people lose weight when they are stressed, because they feel unable to eat,  but my body seems to want to hold on to every ounce it has, while at the same time ramping up my appetite for cake, candy and potato chips.  Even though I was tempted, this is the first time I can remember that I did not buy one piece of Easter candy. I will admit though that I thought about malted milk eggs frequently!  As the picture of those delectable treats came to mind, I would remember my goal and realize that the price of eating candy would not be worth the cost of gaining (or not losing) any weight.

As of this writing, I have lost 24 pounds, and as my goal is a 30 pound loss, I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I have been faithful to track my points on the Weight Watchers site and make sure I measure my portions.  I have actually dined out a few times and have made good choices and taken half of my entrée home for someone else to enjoy.

I also spent time looking for treats that are low in “points” and discovered two products that I absolutely love.  The first is Fiber One Brownies.  These sweet treats are individually wrapped so I can carry one in my purse and at only 2 points each they are a great solution when I feel a chocolate craving.  Next, I discovered individually packaged cookie crisps by Nabisco.  The box has an assortment of favorite Nabisco cookies in little 3 point bags.  Amazing!  The portion size is good and they satisfy my sweet tooth.

In addition, I have been walking 3 – 4 miles each day as many days as I can.  Now that the warmer weather is here, it is much more pleasant to get outside and exercise.  Walking is fabulous for your overall health and is also a wonderful way for me to talk with the Lord. 

When we meet up next month, I hope that summer has truly arrived for all of us and that I can report to you that I am almost to my goal.  Until then, be sure to enjoy all that June has in store for you!

 With more than three decades of home interior design and international travel experience, Prudence Lay has developed a sharp eye for how to create inviting living environments and adventurous travel experiences.  Currently Prudence and her family reside in Sisters, Oregon where she is enjoying her latest adventure as Home and Travel Feature Editor of LivingBetterat50+.

Picture this if you can.  It is the year 2000 and we have just begun a new century.  In that particular year, I was going to be turning 41 years old.  As I began to take a look at my life, I realized that I was entering uncharted territory as a woman .  I was not a “young girl” anymore who could “get away” with a few extra pounds on my body because that body was young and firm!  Oh, no – this body was beginning to sag and move in places it never had before.

I made a decision to loose the 35 pounds that I had slowly gained since 1981 and the birth of my first child, and my second child in 1987, where I held on to a few more.  Granted, it had been 19 years, but that translates to about a pound and a half a year of extra fat.  I did some research and joined Weight Watchers online in July of that year.  Over the next  7 months, I walked 2 miles almost  every day.  I counted my “points” and Glory Hallelujah, I lost the weight. I felt and looked amazing!  I loved wearing my clothes and I had loads of energy. I would walk past a mirror and think “Wow, Prudence, you are looking good.”

Well, as I am sure you have guessed, my story doesn’t end there.  In early 2001 my beloved Mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  In January 2002, my husband of 16 years announced he was filing for divorce.  In April of that year, I found myself single again and having to leave the home and acreage I loved and move to a new home on my own.  In July 2003, I remarried.   In March of 2004, my Mom passed away.  In 2005, my new husband and I moved to a new town to begin a new life in our dream home. In 2006, I had a complete hysterectomy.  In 2007 my husband lost his very well-paying corporate job and was unemployed for 3 years.  Due to this fact, in January 2009, we lost our dream home to foreclosure.  In September of 2009, my beloved brother passed away from skin cancer.

I tell you all of this, not for sympathy, but because this is LIFE.  It is not always easy, pretty or what we are hoping and praying for.  It has been a roller coaster ride of happiness and heartbreak for the past 10 years.  Like me, many of you probably reach for a snack when you are unhappy or stressed.  I reached for a lot of snacks during that time period.   It is interesting that I really didn’t change my meals very much, I just didn’t pay attention to how often and how MUCH I was eating.

When I first stopped doing the WW program, I managed to maintain my goal weight of 130 pounds weight until 2004 when I lost my Mom.  That event really hit me hard and I began to get sloppy with my eating habits.  It just didn’t seem very important to me any more.

I knew, fairly soon of course, that 130 was a thing of the past. At 5’ 6” this was a healthy weight for me.  As the years went by I avoided the scale at all costs. When I would buy new clothes in a larger size, I tried not to think about all that work I had done to lose all that weight.  Ignorance was not bliss in this particular case.

Now fast forward to January 2011.  This year I will turn 52, and I realize that I need to pay more attention to my health.  I stepped on the scale (with great trepidation) and I weighed 160 pounds. I felt like sitting down on the bathroom floor and crying my eyes out but something inside me shifted.  Instead I said, “OK girl, this is not acceptable.  You know what you need to do, so just bite the bullet and DO it!”  So, there I was once again with 30 pounds to lose.  On February 1, I signed up for Weight Watchers online again.  The program has changed since 2000 but the basic concept is the same.  Since I embarked on this weight loss journey I have lost 8 of those 30 pounds.

I am not going to kid you ladies – losing weight is not the easiest thing I have ever done.  When I see that scale moving in a downward direction, though, I know that I am doing something wonderful for my body and my mind.  It is an “in my face” reminder that I still have a lot of living to do.  I know that with the Lord’s help I am more than capable of this or any other challenge that life may throw my way.

Stay tuned as I keep you posted on my progress.  Until then, here’s to living better at 50!

With more than three decades of home interior design and international travel experience, Prudence Lay has developed a sharp eye for how to create inviting living environments and adventurous travel experiences.  Currently Prudence and her family reside in Sisters, Oregon where she is enjoying her latest adventure as Home and Travel Feature Editor of LivingBetterat50+.