I began thinking about my weight problem when a couple of my colleagues told me that they are going to start Weight Watchers next week. Although I’ve never tried this diet, I’ve heard all about the weekly public “weigh-ins” and the point system. Like them, I’ve struggled with my weight all my life. One thing I’ve learned is that diets don’t work because once you stop dieting, you resume your normal lifestyle and all of its indulgences. Many people (myself included) not only regain the weight that they had struggled to lose, but gain extra pounds. That’s why I refuse to go on any of these diets. They don’t work.

What does work? Good old-fashioned common sense says that well-balanced meals and plenty of exercise will keep you healthy and fit. You’ll find plenty of books on nutrition on the market and a slew of cookbooks for the weight-conscious. If your shelf space and budget are limited, you might consider using an electronic calorie counter, such as the CalorieSmart.

CalorieSmart is a device that allows you to maximize your diet, track your exercise, and stay on your weight-loss plan through goal setting and regular monitoring. Track calories, carbs, fiber, fat, sodium and protein in each of the 35,000 food items listed in the database. Add up to 1,000 new food items from your favorite recipes, create favorite food lists, and combine foods into meals for easy recording and calorie calculation. International users can set their CalorieSmart to display in metrics. If that weren’t enough, you can upload your data onto your PC to get more extensive reports on your diet and fitness progress.

The only drawback I’ve read about is that the device doesn’t list your inputted items in alphabetical order, but by the date of entry. Right now you can get CalorieSmart at the Sharper Image website for $45, almost 50% off the normal $80.