There are so many "miracle" weight-loss formulas, pills, solutions, rubs, diets, and plans out there today that it's hard to make sense of it all. The best advice is to go back to the basics.

Weight loss is based on a simple formula of calories in and calories burned. It takes 3,500 calories to produce one pound of body weight. We think of it in terms of fat, but it's not always fat that is being gained. Our body weight increases when we consume more calories than we burn. Thus, our body weight decreases when we burn more calories than we consume. It's that simple.

So, if you want to lose weight, all you have to do is consume fewer calories or burn more. For example, say you want to loose 10 pounds. If you consume 100 calories less every day or if you burn 100 calories more every day, your weight loss for the year will be 10 pounds. Do the math: 100 calories less × 365 days or 1 year = a 36,500 calorie deficit = 10.4 pounds. If you think about it, 100 calories is not much; eat just half of that donut, or drink only half of your can of soda (Fig. 1) and you have eliminated 100 calories from your diet. You can switch to low fat salad dressing or cut it out completely, or you can jog for 15 minutes to burn the calories. You can drink a diet soft drink or walk your dog for 30 minutes. You either reduce the intake or burn it off. If you slip and consume more calories one day, then make up for it the next day by either cutting the calories or burning more.

If you do nothing more than eliminate this small amount from your diet, and nothing else changes in your calorie balance, you will lose 10 pounds in one year.

Most people who gain weight are doing just the opposite. They are slowly consuming more and more calories each day. Remember, when you reduce the 100 calories from one source be sure not to add it with another. Weight loss doesn't take a miracle-just good sense.

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Bruce Getz, ATC
Columbus, Georgia