I joined Weight Watchers
http://www.weightwatchers.com

back in August 2001, and it worked (and continues) to work for me. Lost 28 lbs in 4-1/2 months, and proud to claim that I've maintained my (more/less) optimal weight (for my height & frame) for over a year and 5 months now. In addition to regular aerobic exercise (treadmill/biking) and eating a lot healthier (more veggies & fruit, complex carbs vs refined, lean meat and reduced fat, especially the trans fat), I've discovered that overly large portion sizes were a big contributing factor to my earlier weight gain. Weight Watchers is based on assigning points to all food eaten per day, and the Weight Watchers 'points' system makes it so easy to keep track of this. The cool thing about Weight Watchers is that you are even allowed to bank (save up) points which then allows you to every so often (but not too often) indulge in a rich dessert or even 'pig out' on an entire meal.

The fact is, once you reach your 30's, your body metabolism slows down and your body just won't burn off those extra calories anymore like it did when you were younger and could eat all you want of anything, and still remain slim. The key to both healthy & permanent weight loss success is 'lifestyle change' and Weight Watchers provides the tools to achieve this. Having attained Weight Watchers lifetime membership status myself, I highly recommend the Weight Watchers system as a healthy 'non fad' diet approach to achieving and permanently maintaining optimal weight & health as well.

Scott