If calories were money, most people would be overspending during the holiday season. When it's time to get serious again about losing weight, try a calorie budget.

That’s the advice from Dr Karen Brewton, from The Methodist Hospital Wellness Services in Houston, Texas.

“Many of us eat so much during the holiday season, we probably never consider the cost of all those calories on the waistline until our clothes start getting tight,” Dr Brewton says. “Budgeting calories like money can really help people think about how much they eat.” Her weight loss advice was given in a newsletter from The Methodist Hospital Wellness Services

Count Calories Like Pennies

Dr Brewton suggests thinking of calories as pennies, and working out your daily budget of how many "dollars" you can afford to spend to lose unwanted pounds, or maintain your desired weight.

Like any good budget, the aim is not to spend more than you can afford.

To work out how many calorie "dollars" you have in your budget each day, take your ideal weight and add a zero to it. For example, if you want to weigh 140 pounds, you would have 1,400 calories, or $14 to spend per day, to reach and maintain your ideal weight.

Once you know how many ‘dollars’ are in your daily budget, the trick is to be firm with yourself, and not to overspend. If you do happen to overspend one day, try to restrict your "spending" the next day.

A Realistic Idea of How Much You Eat

Counting the calories this way can give a more realistic idea of how much we consume, or over-consume on a regular basis, Dr Brewton said.

“Many of us will hit the drive-thru at lunch and order a double-meat cheeseburger, large fries and a large regular drink, which is somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,560 calories, or $15.60 on this plan,” she said.

“Eating that much for lunch would leave you with no food for the rest of the day. This plan will teach you not only how to eat less, but it will also help you make healthier food choices.”

Don’t Forget Your Drink

Many of us forget to figure drinks into our daily calorie budget. For example, that large regular soft drink or gourmet cup of coffee on the way to work is probably loaded with calories, and should be included in your daily budget.

Exercise Earns ‘Calorie Dollars’

Of course, like any sensible weight loss plan, you need to exercise as well as keeping those calories in check. Working on a calorie budget means you can save "dollars" by exercising regularly.

The more you exercise, the more "calorie dollars" you can earn, either for your daily dietary budget or for a "savings account" you can use later in the week. Every 15 minutes of exercise can earn you 100 calories, or one "dollar".

New Year’s Resolution

Planning to lose weight is a very common New Year’s Resolution for both women and men. But like most resolutions, it’s often hard to keep.

“The vast majority of us have a New Year’s resolution of losing weight, but few of us stick to any diet plan past the month of January,” Brewton said.

“This is a refreshing new way to look at eating healthy and staying healthy in the new year.”

See also: Portion Control Key to Weight Loss

See also: Be Positive About Your Body Size