First Time Dieter

Hi, everybody! I am 55, 5'2 and 126-128 lbs. My normal weight for most of my adult life was 115-117.  So I have gained about 10-15 lbs over this last year. I have never had to limit what/how much I eat. And I do have somewhat of a sweet tooth! Enter hysterectomy/menopause, and whatever being over 50 does, and ta da! I am now gaining weight, steadily. I exercise 3-4 evenings a week. I work at a desk job, though.

Many people say things like "oh, you don't need to lose weight. You're so small"  Well, first of all, clothing hides a lot. Thank goodness! And, second, it doesn't matter how many pounds you need to lose. If I am growing out of my clothes and don't like what I see in the mirror(and I do not have an image problem) then I need to lose weight.  So, here I am. I purchased an eating plan, and was considering another one, but I decided that first I should just try to do it on my own, by cutting back and limiting my sugar. I hope I can do this. I have scoliosis, and a small boned frame. I really do not need to carry around extra weight. My problem is, I absolutely adore sweet tea! I gave up Pepsi. I hate to drink water. I do really well with food until after dinner. Before I go to bed. I love to have a small glass of chocolate milk. I used to always leave food on my plate, but I've noticed that I usually eat all or most of it, now. And I seem to get hungrier more often. I don't have any willpower. If I want a lemon filled donut, or a brownie, I eat it. Only now it has consequences! 

I am looking forward to making this journey with all of you and I hope that together we can meet our goals.