START SMALL
You're not going on a diet. Rather, you're changing the way you eat for the rest of your life. So there's no need to cut out dietary fat all at once. You might start by switching to milk instead of cream in your coffee, then switching to low-fat mayonnaise on your sandwiches and so on.

EAT WHAT YOU LIKE
If you already enjoy certain low-fat foods, make them staples of your diet. Make a list of your favorite high-fat foods, then find a way to substitute low-fat versions for some of them.

KEEP TRACK OF YOUR FAT INTAKE
Buy a nutritional guide that lists the fat content of each food. Use it to calculate how many grams of fat you consume each day. The maximum number of grams of fat you can eat each day and still lose weight is determined by a variety of factors. A woman over 30 should probably consume no more than 20 percent of her calories in the form of fat, while a man over 30 can probably get away with up to 25 percent.
(One gram of fat equals about nine calories.)

MAKE SURE THAT THE WHOLE FAMILY ADOPTS HEALTHFUL EATING HABITS
If your spouse has an ice cream sundae for dessert, you probably won't feel satisfied with a pear. But if everyone in the family starts eating healthfully, there's less temptation.