I went back to using a measurement tool, in my case FitDay, to track nutritional and caloric intake throughout the day. Amazingly four days later my weight was back to where I want it to be. In my case I dropped my total calories to around 1,250 per day. I am now back up to my maintenance level of 1,500. At my age, that seems to be the ideal level to maintain my weight given the exercise and activity I get weekly.

In retrospect I had simply grown a little lax in the area of snacks. My meals were all the same and well under control. But the in between snacking had added a few calories, mostly empty calories. Enough so that over the period of a few weeks the tendency toward weight gain had returned. It is amazing how just a few extra snacks can impact the total daily balance of calories and activity.

I cannot say enough for the discipline of simply managing calories and limiting bad carbs. It simply works!

I found that 1,800 to 2,000 calories a day seemed to be the balance for me. Given my lifestyle (too much sitting at a desk), age (a spry 62) and exercise routine (tennis 3-4 times a week; kayaking two additional days, a little light weight work out and sit ups nightly), this is where I need to be to hold my weight down but not lose more. If I need to trim a little, 1,500 does it over a three day period.

My diet? Basically it is a balance of calories between protein (35%), fat (35%), and carbs (30%). But the carbs are good carbs (grains, fruit and green veggies) as is the fat (nuts, olive oil). Based on volume it is 70% grains, fruit and veggies, 25% protein and 5% fat.

I have replaced white bread, potatoes, and other "bad" carbs with large, interesting salads, a little more fruit, very lean, grass-fed meat or fish. In all, I still enjoy a varied and interesting diet including a moderate (medicinal mind you) dose of gin or scotch. I can deviate from the routine when out with a group and pizza is the only option knowing that one meal won't matter and, if it does, a slight adjustment over the next 24-48 hours gets me back to my norm.

The key, other than knowing the calories I am eating, is to weigh daily with a scale that shows tenths of a pound and observe weight trends. Managing the trends and knowing the calorie intake will soon give you the information (AKA power) to be in control of your weight.

At this point I am feeling like my life long struggle (mini-struggle in the grand scheme of things) is over. I feel great. My tennis is better than ever. And I am looking forward to a very active and youthful decade or two barring large trucks, errant bullets and other unavoidable obstacles.

To attain this mental has required a concerted effort as today we have to ignore the commercials for super-sized bargains and carb or sugar rich promotions. The media is bombarding us with enticements to gain weight. Everywhere we go we are exposed, sometimes subliminally, to marketing that is designed to attract us to some of the worse foods we can ingest.

Our will power needs to be focused on these ads and the false claims of healthy foods. Usually they are not all that good for you. Read the labels and see what they have added to make them addictive to your palate. Either it is chemicals to preserve it, sugars to sweeten it, or salt to make you want more of it.

Once you learn the impact of your food choices, eating wisely is easier to do, at home. But when you are on the run, finding a place where you can make good choices is difficult. That is why I am really glad I am living in the 21st Century when a man can be a man and still have a salad!

We are also living in an era when we get it our way. Most restaurants will let you mix and match so you can build you own meal. Be bold. Have it your way!

I just chose not to eat certain things and consumed less of others. It did help that the crew, that was us by the way, prepared really great salads to go with the steak, fish, crab and shrimp entrees.

The one thing I noticed is that I drank a lot less alcohol than they did. I found I would stretch my drinks out by adding ice or shifting to water (it was pleasantly warm in Baja and water was a real treat). Now that I know the calorie count of each ounce of gin or bottle of beer, I am more apt to be moderate in my drinking habits. That is a small price to pay for a waist size that is literally seven inches smaller than my friend's and a body that is much healthier!

I hit my ideal weight goal in January of 2006. That was one year ago. Since then I have been able to easily maintain that weight using a sane approach. That means I have been able to eat, drink and be merry without serious repercussions. The key is balancing total caloric intake and not making a habit of over indulging.

Having a computer program to help me track my weight, nutrition and calorie intake has been an excellent way for me to stay on track. Others will find tools they can use. The key is daily monitoring and intake adjustment. As weight starts to climb, drop a few calories, as it declines (yes, I have to watch both sides of the ledger for a change) add a few. Working within a pound of your ideal weight makes it easy to get results within a day or two.

I have developed a new way of eating. It does not exclude any food or drink. It only moderates the amount of total calories I consume. So I can go out and enjoy any restaurant, celebrate with any group, or dine in with take out. One word of caution, I don't do fast food any more. Way too many calories in each entree. For example, a Big Mac or Whopper with cheese represents half of one day's calories (about 750). Why expend them on that when I could have had an omelet for breakfast and a large turkey sandwich for lunch or had a large interesting salad and 8 oz of lamb steak for dinner. There is not much of a choice to me any more. But, if I did want one, all I need to do is adjust my breakfast slightly and pass on the fries!

It is all in the choices we make. I am enjoying being in control for a change. It is great positive reinforcement to continue to simply watch what I am doing and make smart choices.

The key, to me, was not just being able to lose the weight. It was if it would remain at bay without seriously hampering my lifestyle.

I admit I like to have a drink or two. I also enjoy the periodic morning muffin with a cup of coffee or snack of chips and dip. I also like a large portion of red meat from time to time. The key to FitDay or any other calorie-awareness program is that these divergencies need to be just that; divergencies. When they become the norm is when the pounds creep back.

I also found my ideal caloric intake level. It was not what the 'standard' guides recommend but about 25% less. My metabolism is such that I tend to add on pounds even when eating 'normally'. So I had to work a bit to find what level of calories kept me in balance. Also FitDay enabled me to go back and check to see how nutritious my daily diet was. At 1,500 calories I was balancing my weight well but short on some nutrition. I corrected that by adding a green drink daily,--either a powder drink or by juicing vegetables. The drink along with my daily vitamins filled in the nutritional gaps.

This approach has worked dramatically for me. I hope everyone else finds one that works for them. If I am forced to live an extended life, I intend to do so actively! Controlling my weight was necessary to enable me to stay active, and hopefully healthy for decades to come.

The key remains simple. Track weight changes daily and adjust daily the caloric intake. This keeps weight change from creeping up (or down) over a period of time. No fad diet, no hard to apply rules or point system.

I have learned to intuitively calculate meals when eating out or on the road and make adjustments on the fly. For the first time I really do feel like I am in control of my weight and am not, in the process, depriving myself of the joy of eating. Eating and drinking is a social activity and we should not be burdened with feeling guilty about having a good time with friends and family.

Recently a group of us met for lunch. The menu was the standard fare of burgers, salads and entrees found in any popular casual dining restaurant.

One friend, an Atkins advocate, opted for the tri-tip salad complete with extra blue cheese dressing. The meal conformed nicely to his regimen. Not exactly my choice for healthy eating, but he enjoyed the meal and has been maintaining his weight for years. There are more and more salads being offered that make nice and convenient entree alternatives.

Another in the group, who is on the Sears Zone diet, indulged in a Montecristo sandwich with fries. Pretty funny...his wife would have killed him! He obviously looks at meals out as a chance to cheat and enjoy himself. Needless to say, he has been on his diet for years will little real progress.

The third of our group ordered broiled chicken tenders with sliced tomatoes and onions. I am not sure what his regimen is, but obviously it is linked to low carbs and proper preparation. He was specific in what he ordered and has found that he can easily get something prepared in most restaurants, as long as the basic ingredients are offered for other entrees.

I ordered three broiled fish tacos without cheese on non-fried corn tortillas with avocado slices and salsa. As the tacos came wrapped in two shells, I simply discarded the extra shells. This fit my needs nicely, was enjoyable and very satisfying.

We all enjoyed lunch. We have found that restaurants have become very accommodating for individual tastes or diets. All you have to do is ask. Interestingly enough, we were all men and no one snickered at the special requests. It is a sign of the times.

I am not alone in this realization.

There is an Excite News article by Malcom Ritter that demonstrates how our society has lost perspective on portion sizes. Retail and restaurant companies have deployed marketing campaigns to sell "more for less", and as a result, we are eating more.

The article purports that people who used to be satisfied by a 12-ounce can of soda may now feel that a 20-ounce bottle is just right because of the packaging. "It's "unit bias," the tendency to think that a single unit of food - a bottle, a can, a plateful, or some more subtle measure - is the right amount to eat or drink, researchers propose."

Learning how much I can or should eat was the key to my getting control over my weight. I don't have to worry about carbs, fat, sugar or the like. I don't have to be an advocate of a specifc plan. I can choose what to eat. Only now I have the knowledge base to choose wisely. Knowledge can set you free!

I can say that it really has worked for me. I have maintained my targeted weight for the last six months almost effortlessly. I do control the calories I eat but do so by selecting what to eat and when. Making these choices has become habit and I do not find it restrictive. As an example, I just came back from a short sailing vacation where we ate well, very well! But I also increased my physical activity to include daily swims, hikes and other exercise activities. The two changes in my routine offset each other as planned and I actually maintained my weight without having to forego the drink and food that comes with vacationing. And I felt no guilt! That said, I did not over indulge in sweets or breads. I now know that their impact is simply too great to try to offset.

I seem to have found a comfortable, long-term approach to choosing what I eat. This allows me to eat anything I want in a given circumstance provided I compensate for it in other ways. I am free to enjoy myself on vacations and not have to come back and worry about taking off any weight gained.

More and more people are noticing the weight I have lost. This is good reinforcement for my continuing the changes I have made to how and what I am eating. It is secondary to how I feel. I am more energetic, more active and have a more positive attitude. Rather than dreading the next two decades (sixties and seventies) I am actually looking forward to enjoying them. I am finding that tennis need not be a young man's sport!

Everyone has to find their own way.

For me, it was grasping the knowledge of what my dietary choices were doing to me. The 20 ounce steaks and large baked potatoes were great but today an 8 ounce portion with veggies and a salad is just as satisfying. I just chew slower!

After 20 minutes your stomach registers that it has had its fill. I have learned to finish my meal then wait for twenty minutes. Any lingering hunger drops off then almost regardless how much I have eaten. We do tend to eat until we feel full without realizing that we have overeaten. Our fast-paced dining habits may well be one of the causes of our obesity problems.

This month an old friend has been placed on Phase I of the South Beach Diet by his wife (again). We had lunch the day before he started and he celebrated the pending deprivation period by ordering a cheeseburger with onion rings accompanied by two martinis. That is the attitude I aim to leave behind by an aggressive maintenance mode. Why have to go through the ups and downs of dieting when a few simple changes to eating habits and exercise can actually give you control.

There has been another benefit. Besides running (treadmill) and kayaking (pedal or paddle driven) I have added tennis back into my exercise program. I was very surprised after the first match. After 20+ years I found by lightening my "load" I have more "bounce" in my step and the wind to play three consecutive sets with the energy for more. The typical post-play general muscle aches and joint pains are gone. Yes, my arm and shoulders are a bit tender but that is from lack of use of specific muscles rather than from carrying too much weight around the court. I am excited to have a new, less boring way to get my morning's exercise. This, of course, makes maintenance that much easier!

The first 90 days of what I did to gain control over my weight were the toughest. I had to learn the impact of food selections and portion sizes. Once I had a basic grasp of the foods I was partial to, I found I could intuitively make good choices with ease. Now I can mentally calculate a days menu impact and on the fly adjust for a heavier than usual meal. No charts, lists or scales needed. No points or other contrived gadgets. Just the facts and the awareness that you are choosing your weight each time you have a meal. Looking back it seems so logical that I wonder why I never realized it before. For me it was the ability to log and track food choices on a laptop for that first 90 days. The information led to self-assumed control and then personal responsibility.

I lost the weight for me, not because I was told to do so or because others expected it of me. I still enjoy martinis, carbs and hamburgers. But I enjoy them in balance with other meals so that I can enjoy them without guilt or remorse. Life is for living not dieting!

Knowing the calories eaten, calories burned, activities that impact calories burned, and the nutritional value of my food selection decisions suddenly opened my eyes. For years I had been trying ineffectively to balance my dietary wants by periodic deprivation. That is, I would notice my weight creeping up, most often by having to buy a size larger pant. Confronted with the evidence I would avoid the good things in life until either I had lost the weight or grown accustomed to the new pant size.

I was trying. I was on a diet plan more often than not and feeling guilty. I viewed the diets as an intermission from living. This is not a good way to change one’s life. Frankly, that was not my plan. I simply wanted to shed the weight then get back to living!

One year ago this all changed. With the aid of one of many computer nutritional planning programs I became aware of the nutritional impact of my food decisions. This simple information made it easier for me to make meal decisions that got me on a path of losing weight. Granted, during the weight loss period I had to set aggressive goals concerning food selection and daily calorie intake. But, when I had a reason to slip, such as a party or night out, I found it easy to get back on track. I lost 20 pounds in 9 months.

Now I am at my optimal weight of 155. I have enjoyed being there for ninety days. I say enjoyed because it has not been a struggle to remain within the 154 to 156 range I allow myself. I enjoy alcohol, fun foods and the occasional sinful food. I also plan for those occasions and when my weight slides up a pound, I know that it will come back off again in a few days as long as I maintain my plan. And, for the first time in my life, I actually have to watch losing too much. I work to keep my weight on as much as I do keeping it off. This even has my wife laughing at me!

Why is this working for me? Because I have no excuse for it not to work.

There is no one but myself to blame because I decide what to eat and when. There is no sneaking around hiding the bag of chips from my wife. No stolen ice cream cone on the road. If I want one, I am man enough to say so and have it. And then I am also man enough to compensate for it and balance out my weekly plan.

Am I advocating calorie restriction? No. I am advocating selecting foods based on their nutritional values, including calories, and making choices that will achieve my goal. Without really focusing on it, I have maintained a balance of 33% protein, 33% fat and 33% good carbohydrates. That balance and watching caloric intake (we each need a differing amount of calories to maintain, gain or lose weight) has proven far easier than I thought.

I can walk into any restaurant and order a meal that conforms to my needs. I could, after two months, estimate the impact of any meal on the menu. It is a function of the foods selected and portion size. A twenty ounce piece of prime rib is nice, but it does not take a rocket scientist to know that is too much food for one meal. So why eat it? In the past I would eat it all. Today I enjoy a much smaller portion, and because I made the decision not to eat more, I don’t miss it. It was when that little voice in my head said I shouldn’t eat it that I really, really wanted it. That little voice, when it speaks up now, is drowned out by me. I can choose to eat it or not. Now I choose not to do so. I am responsible.

PS I also exercise and lift weights. But this is not for the calories burned. It is to stay limber and fit so I can enjoy the best years of my life which are yet to come. The past is history. The future is to be lived fully.