Like most Americans, I have vowed to lose weight in 2009. I am not trying any fad diets or really working myself to the bone in the gym. I just have a goal to drop some of the baby weight I gained having my daughter. Since she'll be a year old in less than a month, I don't think its a valid excuse any longer. And, let's be honest. My son is 3 and I still have “baby weight” from that pregnancy that never fully disappeared.

    Now that I've been brutally honest, I will tell you my vast plan for success. I have heard the countless tips. I've read all about the latest and hottest diets. I've seen on tapes of the very best in workouts from around the world. Heck, I even watch the trainers on “The Biggest Loser” for tips of the trade.

    And, to create my own plan, I suppose I have really taken a little bit of everything and found what has worked best for me, for my own body. I suggest the same.

    But, for my ultimate top secret in weight loss, I will now share with you THE big trick. Are you ready for this top secret information?

    I will clue in the parents in the group: I am taking a page from “Kung Fu Panda.” Yes, that is a source of information in my life. Sad, isn't it?

    So now for the great unveiling? The secret is, there is no secret.

    I don't think there is a quick fix. There is no code to this. There is no vast underworld of professionals in the weight-loss industry that have the exact answer for you. I think that, because I don't think anyone can find that answer but you.

    I have tried many fads in my life. I have tried many diets, workouts and plans … nothing has worked better than a combination of all of those plans that I have devised for my own needs. Sure, it took years of trial and error, and no, I am no expert. My bathroom scale will tell you that. But, I think the real trick is to learn how your own body responds to foods, to workouts and combine that to make a schedule that works for you.

    No diet plan in a book or group that has a mass cookie-cutter for all will likely work exactly right for you. Think of it as a prescription drug. To get FDA approval, it only has to work for a very small percentage of the population. The same goes for diet plans and weight-loss programs, and they aren't even approved by the FDA! In other words, what works for some won't work for others.

    My real tips? Try to find a schedule that works with your real life. No one has eight hours to spend at the gym. We have lives, families, jobs and responsibilities. But, a half-hour here and there? That may be doable. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator? Walking a little further from your parking space? Sure, that can work into daily life.

   Find foods that you still like to eat, but that are healthy, too. Sure you will have to cut back here and there (say having one slice of pizza instead of half the pie), but you can do it if you make your goals reasonable. You are far more likely to stick with foods you enjoy.

   Whatever it takes, I am giving it a try. When all else fails, I think chasing two small kids may help me burn a few extra calories. If they help me put the weight there, the least they could do was help me lose some of it!