Now I know when I over do it that I might slip up a notch. I also know I will easily adjust my calorie intake over the next 48-72 hours to drop back too my target weight. Controlling my weight is literally in my hands. It is what I choose to eat.

I find it empowering to know the right amount of calories I need to maintain or regain my targeted weight. This is especially refreshing when approaching the Holiday Season

Rather than simply give in to the fact that so many of us add a few pounds over the holidays I now embrace the good times knowing I will manage my way through them to enjoy a few special events but not lose control by splurging every day. And, if I slip, so what. I know that I can readily shed the added weight quickly and decisively.

If you are fighting a weight problem and have not tried calorie restriction I highly recommend it. Forget the fad diets and supplements. Gain control of your weight and your life by taking personal responsibility for what you eat.

Learn the caloric value of foods and you will start intuitively to select satisfying meals that do not add inches to your waste; just years to your life.

To me the benefit of learning calorie calculating techniques is that I am finding maintenance of my target weight almost effortless.

Calorie restriction has been the answer for me. My current weight is exactly the weight I targeted initially and has been stable for a long time. 41 months to be precise. I have been known to enjoy a little bread and butter with dinner, a plate of pasta now and then, even some pizza or a dishof ice cream. Occassionally; not regularly.

I have learned to mentally calculate the caloric values of a multitude of foods and portions making staying within my daily allocation of calories relatively easy. So easy in fact that I hardly realize I am doing it. It has become a healthy habit.

I also have learned the value of regular exercise and the simple rewards it reaps. Exercising makes you feel better, keeps you limber and healthy, and allows you to add a few extra calories, the pizza or ice cream, when you want (again, occassionally!).

So I have effectively adopted a balance of regular exercise and calorie containment to stave off the propensity of adding weight as one ages (I am approaching 65).

Having tried many other fad diets over the past 4 decades I have concluded the reality is that our bodies are like an engine. We provide fuel in the form of food and beverage. Depending on the fuel (quality and quantity), our bodies convert to needed energy or convert it to fat and store it until we may need it. Our bodies are programmed preserve excess fuel for when we need it as food is a rare commodity not always readily available.

If we convert too much fuel to fat we gain weight. Simple concept. Eat what you need; not to excess.

So a balance is required. Finding that balance is the secret to weight control through calorie restriction and exercise.

For me it was the answer. It may be for some of you as well.

Good luck!

A by-product is that I am exercising more and regularly not because I have to but because I am now enjoying it more. More stamina, more strength, more speed and more agility now mean that strenous activity is a pleasure and reward.

As the New Year approaches I encourage those of you who will make the typical promise to lose weight to do more than that. Change how you manage your body and your food-based decisions.

2009 can become a healthier, happier year for you. All you need to do is take control.

Today's post is about Chia Seeds. These little marvels, when added to my normal diet, seem to add stamina on the tennis court, clarity of focus on the court or in the business environment, and a general feeling of well being throughout the day. Chores in the yard or on the boat I once dreaded are now embraced and actually seem enjoyable.

So what is a Chia Seed?

The purpose of this post is to simply say that this approach to weight loss is one that can be permanent and easy. It need not be a ping pong effect of weight loss and gain and forced deprivation to get back on track.

Free of the struggle to maintain or regain my weight goal, I am now able to enjoy living without the angst of feeling guilty about that special piece of cake. The reason is simple. The piece of cake is special and not a normal part of my daily diet.

1,500 calories is fairly easy calorie level to maintain once you learn which foods are filled with empty calories. White bread, starches and the like simply provide the wrong fuel for our bodies. Vegetables, fruits and protien, on the otherhand, fuel the body without overloading it with sugars and carbs.

I am always playing with menus and new foods to see what I can add for enjoyment or to refine what I am doing. The latest item in this personal quest is chia seeds. This is an excellent food easily added to salads, omlettes or anything. Tasteless, it acts like a thickener or simply disappears.Chia seeds are touted to give you energy, mental clarity, help you sleep better, and maintain proper sugar levels in the body (and much more according to other posts on this site and the Internet).

I am always willing to give something a try and have found Chia seeds to be easy to add to my routine and, so far, it seems beneficial. What I have noticed most is my tennis game. When others are wheezing and sitting down and I ready for the next set. This is part being at a good weight, reasonably fit and possibly part chia seeds!

Travel much? Take your chia seeds with you pre-portioned. Last week I was at a Courtyard and went to the buffet for breakfast. I could have had the buffet and been tempted to sample too much of everything. Instead they had a cook-to-order omelette station. I ordered a cheeseless veggie version and, as the chef placed the veggies in the pan I asked him to sprinkle my pre-packaged chia seeds onto the vegetables. He smiled weakly but did as asked. The omolette was fabulous. The chia seeds had added volume to the eggs and it was a great presentation; almost as good as how it tasted!

Did we inbibe over the holidays? Yes! Did we eat a little more and enjoy a few special dishes? Of course. Did I worry that I would pay in January? No. Why? Because I was adjusting my meals and snacks around the festive occassions to keep a balance in my overall caloric consumption. While I was tracking calories relatively intuitively I did track weight daily through the six week period to make sure things stayed within reasonable tolerances.

I now find myself a happier person in January. Raher than berating myself for the extra poundage accummulated and seeking the latest and greatest fad diet I am enjoying being fleet of foot on the tennis court and able to continue to live and eat normally. No deprivation January for me!

In retrospect I am glad that I was able to find a way to control this aspect of my life. It has opened other doors for me and given me the expectation of a rich and vigorous life when those around me are slowing down. I may not have extended my life much but I have certainly improved the quality of much of my remaining time!

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.

Most important is that for the last three months I have hardly thought about what I was doing. I now intuitively make food selections (items and portions) that keep the total daily intake at my desired level. This approach to calories rather than foods has made my maintenance routine very flexible. Whether it is alcohol or cake, fish or fowl, whatever I decide to eat, I can easily counter balance it at the next meal or two to keep the total calories in check; or, as sometimes has been the case, up to necessary maintenance levels.

After a year I am celebrating my new found freedom. Freedom from the guilt of over eating, from falling off the proverbial wagon, from letting myself down. I am looking forward to the next year enthused that I no longer have the 'weight monkey' on my back!

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 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.

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.