Preventing Weight Gain: My 2009 New Year's Resolution

I'm not going to bore you with the history of my weight . After all, it's not as interesting as Oprah's, but it's along the same lines. I was heavy, lost a ton of weight (although I didn't push a wagon filled with 67 pounds of fat), gained some back, and it's been a battle ever since. Throughout those years I've read tons of books and magazines on the subject, and I'm going to fill you in on my plan so you can learn. Hey, it's nothing you haven't heard before, but sometimes those are the things you need to be reminded of most.

(1) More vegetables: Whether you think that fats or carbs are what make you gain weight, you can't go wrong with many vegetables. Obviously potatoes could be problematic, but otherwise, you can eat a lot of them and not worry about the waist. For instance, one of my favorite side dishes is grilled zucchini. I do this even indoors. I slice up a nice big zucchini, season the pieces, and place them on a grill pan. After about five minutes I flip them, leave them for another five, and they're absolutely delicious. Another favorite dish is steamed carrots. I know, I know, carrots are starchy, but you know what? I've never met a guy who said that he got fat from eating too many carrots.

(2) More stairs, less elevator: When I get to work I habitually walk over to the elevator, press the button, and wait. There's really no reason I shouldn't take the stairs. Besides, by the time the elevator comes, stops on the all the floors before the one I need to get to, I could have been at my office already.

(3) Establish one cheat meal a week: My brother has been doing this for three years and it works like a charm. He devotes one meal each week to eating whatever he wants without feeling guilty. He is careful the other six-and-a-half days, and for that one meal it's all the fattening stuff his heart desires, including a rich dessert. This way he doesn't feel deprived when he's eating his healthful fare, and he's less prone to cheating by sneaking a mouthful of candies here and a sliver of cake here. I have to do the same because one fatty meal won't make or break me.

(4) No fruit juices: Little known fact - a cup of orange juice has more calories than a cup of Pepsi. I'm better off sticking to water or diet soda. And if I crave the juice so badly I'll have an orange.

(5) Go to bed earlier: My experience has been that I eat more when I'm dead tired and I need a boost of energy. Now that Jay Leno will be on at 10, I see this being one of my easier problems to solve.