Women lose about five pounds of muscle every decade (and gain an average of 15 pounds of fat), says Wayne Westcott, PhD, coauthor of Get Stronger, Feel Younger.

Protein helps you build lean muscle, so make sure you’re getting enough: if you’re in your 30s, aim for 50 to 56 grams daily; in your 40s, you need 56 to 62 grams daily.

Good sources include tuna and chicken breast (six oz of either will give you 45 grams of protein).

Want to burn calories and fat even when you’re sitting still? Then you need to increase your resting metabolic rate, and strength training (such as with light weights or resistance bands) is the key.

Strength-train three times a week and you’ll reduce your body fat percentage in about 10 weeks, says Dr. Westcott.

Women tend to underestimate their daily intake by about 800 calories, says Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of 10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman’s Diet.

And a University of Florida study found that 47 percent of exercisers claimed they were working out at a moderate intensity, yet only 15 percent of them actually were.

Keep a food and exercise journal so you can track your eating and exercise habits precisely.

Whether it’s grabbing chocolate off a colleague’s desk or finishing your kid’s crisps, every bite averages about 25 calories.

Have four extra bites a day and you’ll gain a pound a month, Somer says. Stop mindless munching by only eating when full.

Yes, cutting calories is crucial to weight loss, but go too low and your body goes into starvation mode, which slows your metabolism, says Kathy McManus, RD, director of the department of nutrition at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Just saying you’re going to watch what you eat or start exercising more isn’t going to work unless you think about how those changes are going to fit into your day, says Libby Mills, RD, a lifestyle coach in Philadelphia.

To really torch fat and calories, you need to step up the intensity of your exercise. Turn your stroll into a power walk two to three times a week by alternating between 30 to 90 seconds of fast walking and 90 to 120 seconds of slower walking.

Mixing up your routine is key to burning the most fat and calories, says Brad Schoenfeld, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and author of Sculpting Her Body Perfect. Otherwise, your body adapts to the workout and begins to plateau.

When the line between physical and emotional hunger gets blurred, you can end up inhaling hundreds of extra calories. Think before you bite. Ask yourself, ‘Am I really hungry? Or am I just bored or upset?’ If you’re not sure, have a glass of water and see if you’re still hungry after.

No pill, drink or fad diet is going to magically peel off the pounds. To lose weight (and keep it off), you need to make changes to your overall diet and exercise habits – and be patient.