The formula for weight loss is very simple: calories in minus calories out.

Your body burns a certain number of calories per day through metabolic processes simply maintaining body temperature and operating involuntary muscles, such as your heart and lungs. Some people seem to burn more calories than others simply through base metabolism. We all know people who don't seem especially active at exercise, eat anything they want, and never gain weight. Unfortunately, I'm not one of those people.

You can lose weight without ever getting out of your Lazy Boy recliner if you are willing and able to restrict your calories enough. No sane person is willing to do it that way, so that's where the exercise comes into play. Michael Phelps was eating 6500 calories/day while he was training for the Olympics without gaining any weight. The formula is the formula: calories in minus calories out.

You've seen at least 25 people here offer at least 25 pieces of advice on how to lose weight. My advice is to find a system that works for you over the long term.

Take the long view of weight loss. You didn't get fat in 30 days. You're not going to get skinny in 30 days, either. At least not in a way that you can sustain for the rest of your life. Make changes in your diet and exercise program that you are willing to adopt for life. When the inevitable day comes where you cave in to cravings and eat like convicted death row inmate, put it behind you and continue the diet and exercise program as if it never occurred. In the big picture, occasional failures are not weight loss killers as long as they are truly occasional and the background program of reasonable eating and good exercise is continued.

At 50 years old, I've lost about 90 lbs. since the first of the year. I eat pretty much the same foods I always have with some modifications I can live with for life (lots of simple substitutions, such as mustard for mayo on sandwiches, leave off the cheese and add extra pickles and tomato, etc.). I eat much less than I did before, but I'm still eating about 1500 to 1800 calories/day.

Most importantly to me, I committed to at least one hour of cardio exercise per day at 80% of my maximum heart rate, seven days a week, no exceptions. I exercise with a heart rate monitor to gauge the level of exertion. It also allows me to utilize different modes of exercise as needed while maintaining an 80% heart rate cardio workout. My strong first preference is to ride my bike outside. When I can't do that, I get on my treadmill, elliptical trainer, or rowing machine for an hour.

In the beginning, I could reach 80% of my max heart rate quite easily. After 10 months of daily training, I have to work quite vigorously to maintain the target heart rate. My heart rate recovery time is much, much faster. My resting heart rate has dropped from the mid-70s to the low 50s.

I still weigh 225 lbs. and I have a ways more to go, but I'm no longer focused on a particular goal, just the process. The rate of weight loss has slowed considerably, but it's still going the the right direction. I feel great and if it takes another year to lose the next 25 lbs., so be it.