How many millions (billions?) of words so you suppose have been written on weight loss? How many billions of dollars do you think will be spent this year by people trying to regain that slim, taught body that they used to have? And, most importantly, are you one of them?

If so, then I may have some depressing news...

There is only one way to lose weight! Every diet book you've ever read, or, every diet pill you have ever taken, and, yes, even that latest "miracle diet formula" that you're thinking of buying will do nothing more than help you to accomplish that one way.

The simple truth is, though...you don't need that diet or that diet pill. You can even do without that "miracle weight loss" product that all of your friends are wasting their money on.

What you do need is a complete understanding of how (& why) you gained your excess weight in the first place, and then you can use that knowledge to teach yourself to reverse the process.

_{NOTE: The balance of this article assumes that your excess weight is not due to some medical condition. If you suffer from a medical problem, please stop reading and go see your Doctor!}

I fear that I'm going to have to use a word here that you probably face with fear and loathing. That word is calories. I know that you're sick of hearing about them, but, they really are both the cause of your problem, and the solution.

Mother Nature is brilliant! She designed your body to protect itself from virtually any condition, including hunger and starvation. Any time you consume more calories than you burn, your body converts this extra energy into fat cells and stores them for a time when you may need more calories than you are getting. Think of it as your body's pantry, just like the one that you may have at home. A storage place for the extra groceries the you may need in the future.

But...What if that need never comes? Eventually the pantry will become full, and you'll stop putting groceries in there.

Unfortunately, however, you can't turn off your body's natural functions. So long as you continue to consume more calories than you burn, your body will continue to store the excess calories as fat, and...well, I guess you can see what that got you!

It is an unfortunate fact of nature that, in order to lose this excess weight, you must reverse this process!

Health professionals will tell you that, to lose one pound of body weight, you must burn about 3500 calories. But, while this may very well be true, it doesn't paint a complete picture. It would be far more accurate to say that to lose one pound of body weight, you must burn about 3500 more calories than you consume! To accomplish that, there are only really three ways that you can go:

1. Consume Fewer Calories, or,
2. Burn More Calories, or,
3. Both (the best option!)

Every diet! Every pill! Every effective weight loss program on the market is designed to help you to do these very things. (Note that I said effective weight loss programs, not the "colon cleanse" or "water weight" scams that offer only temporary results.)

But, you really don't need all that stuff. You can do it yourself. Just re-adjust your mindset a bit. Decide in your heart and mind that you are going to lose the weight the same way you gained it...a little at a time.

You don't have to starve! Nor, do you have to live on "low cal", "no cal" diets that make you eat leaves and twigs. Simply use what I call "the push-away diet". Just "push away" from the dinner table (breakfast table, etc) sooner than you do now. In other words, eat smaller portions of the foods that you enjoy, and leave the grass to the cattle. Also, never forget that you want to lower your intake of calories, not vitamins and essential minerals. Try for a few more veggies and a bit less pot roast.

By the same token, you don't need to join a gym or health club to burn calories. Simply add to the activities that make up your normal day. For instance, you may

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator at work.
• Park on the far side of the parking lot when you go shopping.
• If you're making a short trip within your own neighborhood, leave the car in the garage and walk.
• Perhaps start taking a morning or afternoon walk. Or, better yet, both.

I'm quite sure that, if you give it a bit of thought, you can find a hundred ways to burn a few more calories without any major lifestyle changes.

The key to all of this is that you must make these small changes a part of your everyday life. It may take a bit of effort at first, but, if you get the proper mindset, these things will become habits, and you'll find yourself doing them without thinking.

Now, for a closing word about weight loss pills and programs. They are not evil, and some work very well to help curb your appetite or raise your metabolism. Never forget, though, that they are weight loss aids, not a weight loss answer. They can help you to lose weight, but they cannot make you lose weight. That you must do yourself!