Okay, straight up, no beating around the bush. Drum roll for the secret…

Eat fewer calories than your body burns.

That’s it. There’s nothing else to it. Except for health issues that may affect your weight, losing weight is pure mathematics. Your body burns calories all the time. Just by reading this blog you are burning some. Okay, not many, but you are.

If you are overweight and want to lose a few pounds, eat fewer calories or increase your physical activity to “burn” more calories — ideally both. If you eat fewer calories than your body burns, you will lose weight. Guaranteed. You will drop sizes like hot potatoes. Oops … Sorry for the food metaphor! (By the way: 1 baked potato, medium size: 170 calories)

(Incidentally, here’s a calorie calculator to find out how many calories your body needs daily.)

You may be wondering, “What, will this blog now give tips on nutrition and diet?” No. Sorry to disappoint you.

The reason why I am revealing this “secret” here is to illustrate an interesting truth about people.

What I said above is no secret, of course. The thing is that people don’t want to do what must be done to lose weight. They don’t want to eat less or exercise. They want magic: a miracle diet, a pill to make all their body fat disappear, some bitter tasting tea that makes them lose 4 pounds a week without doing anything different.

There lies the big problem in human beings. They want the result, but they don’t want to pay the price for it.

The weight loss industry shouts “Thank you!”

When you’re well in your spirit, your mind will always master your body. But when you are not spiritually strong, your body, along with its emotions and appetites, will always master your mind.