[apillar]

There are actually two ways to lose weight -- decrease calorie consumption (eat less) or increase the amount of calories your body burns (excercise more).

I worked in at a real labor intensive, outdoor job for six years while I was going to college. Just about every meal I would eat as much as I wanted usually something like a couple Quarter pounders or a large pizza with coke or beer. I actually weighed less when I graduated from college than when I started (170lbs).

Well once I graduated I got a desk job for 8-10 hours aday, of course I was use to eating the way I had in college and within 2 years had gone from 170 to 260.

I finally decided to lose some weight this summer when I started to realize that I had to stop and rest after going up a flight of stairs. After trying the typical "rabbit" diet I just about gave up.

What I finally found that works for me is to eat moderately the things I like (instead of a supersize meal at McDonalds now I get a cheesburger, small fry and diet coke) and to excercise more -- I'm up to 1 hour a day. So far I've lost 20LBS since mid-summer and I have yet to feel deprived.

[Numbers Guy]

What I finally found that works for me is to eat moderately the things I like (instead of a supersize meal at McDonalds now I get a cheesburger, small fry and diet coke) and to excercise more -- I'm up to 1 hour a day

That's what worked for me too. I just ate similar things, but smaller portions, and exercised more.

That's the dirty little secret, that others have pointed out here. There's only two ways to lose weight: EAT LESS and EXERCISE MORE. Both of those are under people's own control. Yes, genetics may mean some have healthy base weights that are higher than others, but that doesn't justify being greatly obese.

It's also the eat on the run mentality and the greater difficulty families have in sitting down to dinner at one time. And I don't understand why parents let their kids drink anything other than water or regular milk (not chocolate) at meals. Other beverages should be a treat, not a regular staple of the diet.