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One book says that low carb is the way to lose weight, another article says that low fat is way to reach your goal and yet another book says that eating raw foods is the ticket. With all these opposing views which advice should one choose?

Well maybe all this information overload has gotten us all off track, making us focus on all the trees so that we are missing the forest. Could it be possible that we have taken a fairly simple equation and turned it into something so complicated that it takes some kind of rocket scientist to figure this whole thing out?

Can losing weight really be this hard to figure out...?; and yes I am overweight myself, thank you very much (but that is changing even as this article is being written). You don't even need to be told what this simple equation is for losing weight...do you?

We all know that less calories will result in a calorie deficit that will in turn lead to weight loss. The only proven method for significant weight loss at this time is reducing your calorie intake. Although if you had the money and could stand the pain then liposuction could be an avenue to weight loss (but not for this guy).

If you can reduce your calories through diets such as low carb, low fat, raw or zone then that's great because the calorie restriction will produce weight loss. The question that needs to be asked at this point is this: Can you maintain one of these diets in a long term manner such as a year or longer?

If you have a significant amount of weight that you desire to lose, such as myself, then you need a way of reducing your calorie intake that will fit your lifestyle. Do you really want to carry all your "special foods" in eight different plastic bowels or baggies everywhere you go every day for the next year?

If you love living your life by a formula that is rigid and inflexible, not to mention unforgiving, then you have many choices available as plenty of these "miracle diets" have their own unique madness that needs to be followed with a healthy dose of obsession.

There is a way to cut calories while eating the foods that like without having to obsess about "bad or wrong" foods. The minute you put any kind of food on the naughty list, this is the food you will crave night and day until you cave in and eat it. Then you will feel guilty and throw in the towel because you are a failure and then you will go and drown your sorrows at the fast food joint of your choice (been there, done that...repeatedly).

So how about this weight loss advice:

Reduce your calories only one to two days a week instead of trying to eat like a bird seven days a week. Let me explain. If you were to implement one or two short term (24 hour) fasting periods a week then you just created a calorie deficit for your week.

By fasting from, say 6pm after supper to 6pm the next day you just cut out the calories of two meals (you also just received some amazing health benefits by giving your digestive system a break). If you incorporated two 24 hour short term fasts in your week you would probably cutting out around 2000 or more calories from your week...that means weight loss.

Now you can relax and eat fairly regular the rest of the week. No more resisting restaurants or forgoing the bread and salad dressing. With that being said, you do realize that if you cut out 2000 calories using short term fasting that it is self defeating to go and celebrate your accomplishment by stuffing down 8000 calories at the nearest Olive Garden...right?

The point here is that we can cut calories while eating real foods that we enjoy, we just need to exercise a little common sense and self control. This is a simple method to cut calories that we can implement into your lifestyle anytime we choose. For some the optimum time may be from 8am to 8am the next day for others it may be 2pm to 2pm.

Also if there is a special occasion that comes up you can shift your non-eating day from Monday to Tuesday...see, no bowels or baggies or special portions. Now let us ask the previous question again: Could you maintain this method on a long term basis? Well..could you?