Posted: May 7, 08 5:08pm

I have been a calorie counter for what seems like forever and it is the ONLY way I have ever lost weight and kept it off. I treat it like a checkbook. I get $1600 or 1600 calories a day and I use one or two sources (a good calorie book or one source on the Internet) and I spend the calories I need to maintain the weight I want to be. If I slip up (holidays), then I go back to 1200 calories and get the blubber off, takes a week or so. Then I creep back up to a liveable calorie count, like for me, 1600 calories. I'm 5' 9" and about 140 lbs. This is where I like to be.

For all the days of the Stillman or Atkins diets in the 1970's when they first told us high protein was the answer, or low carb was the cure -- it never was long lasting and never worked out completely in real life!

I would rather choose from ALL the foods available to me and not just a few protein or veggie or low carb sources. That truly sucked.

So, my blubber reducer is to keep a food journal with a calorie "checkbook." It costs the price of a food scale and a calorie reference book, or use the Internet "CalorieKing.com" and a pen and paper. And it works if you use it.

I welcome any response to my great solution! ~)