Okay, skinny young'uns, I am going to share with you the experience that only a 56-year old woman who has seen/read/experienced/paid for it all can.
(1) If you don't want to be overweight, don't allow yourself to get there to begin with. Once created, those fat cells will do anything to survive and even resurrect themselves. They do this at night, even if you sleep in undies.
(2) Exercise on a regular basis is imperative. You have to combine aerobic exercise with free-weights that will keep your muscle mass up there. Muscle burns calories far more efficiently than fat mass will. Don't leave out weights or workouts on the machines. If you lose a lot of weight without tending to your muscle mass, you are damaging vital organs...such as your most important muscle, the heart.
(3) Eat wisely and control portion size regularly. Try eating five small meals each day instead of three squares, substituting some protein (string cheese or tuna is good) for that muffin or cookie as a snack. Eat breakfast. Drink three glasses of skim milk daily, because now we know that women who do this can reduce their mid-body fat considerably. Cut your portion size in half and never eat the entire plate of food when you go out to a restaurant, unless it's an appetizer portion. Forget about the doggie bag being a "no-no," because you paid for it to begin with and you don't want to be paying for it in your jeans tomorrow. Cut back on the sweets intake and limit fried foods. Give up something like French fries, except on very rare occasions. Whine and brag about giving it up so that you feel like Joan of Arc and have declared yourself with all your friends for future outings.
(4) Consider your alcohol intake as calories, too. For example, those two glasses of wine were probably at least four on the calorie charts. This is because a glass on the charts is usually 4 ounces and lots of places are pouring 8 ounces. Every alcoholic I know tells you they have two glasses of wine with dinner. Uh, yeah...two glasses every half hour. What...refills don't count? Don't kid yourself. And don't even get me started on the beer thing.
(5) Keep a food diary. This is amazing, because if you have to write down those two fistsfuls of M&Ms, you're more likely to release them back into that bag or other container. And write down why you wanted to eat each item, too. Be totally irreverent about the last thing, to the point of grossness.
(6) Finally, don't diet. Adopt a sensible eating plan that you can follow for life and cheat on now and again without giving it all up. Life is short. Think of all those poor people on The Titanic who said "no" to dessert. And you don't want to be that lady who loses the same 10 lbs. every year and gains back 15 lbs. She is not a good role model and boring, to boot!
Most importantly, do not read too many fashion magazines or accept the notion that you cannot be beautiful if you're not a size zero to four. These are not natural sizes for grown-up women, and you know it in your heart. Remember...you are not what you weigh. Grow up and improve yourself in ways that will take you through your life. Read, garden, travel, volunteer, paint, play music, write, tell good jokes, teach a child something lovely, etc. Any of these will beat out looking like a chicken wing in Juicies.
I am off to my fav retreat next week, The Canyon Ranch in Tucson. Best food I've ever had, and the healthiest. They always have great up-to-date ideas about healthy foods and weight maintenance (regardless of your size). I will share the info with you when I return.
thanks, dbuck!
...that's because you can't eat Poppycock!!!! 
