You've all heard of scores (hundreds?) of methods of dieting - could anyone could keep track of them all (even with computer assist)?

Do this, don't do that. For sure - don't eat such-and-such.

Can anybody here spell, "Atkins"?

So many emphasize one part of the food system - and insist that we ignore others.

I've heard that, when we go on a short-term, usually rather drastic, diet, we are working against ourselves. When food intake reduces, our body gets used to working more efficiently: then, when we go back to eating more, it continues to work more efficiently - and stores even more food as fat than it did before we began the drastic diet.

They say to plan a dietary system that you plan to use on a continuing basis. A balanced system - not faddish. Not just a bunch of one type of food and none of another. Fussing about how to get what one wants and needs within a restrictive framework.

Then start that balanced program - and stay on it throughout your working years. After retirement, working less, you should plan to eat less.

Canadians should ask their Provincial Agricultural office, Department of Health or municipal Health Unit for the Canada Food Guide to help as they plan the system.

Some choose to attend a weight-loss gathering (seldom attendable at no cost). Some join an exercise organization, and they say that those organizations regularly sign up more clients than they can accomodate, as they know that many will be early drop-outs. Others bring home some expensive exercise machines - that often are sold through ads, or garage sales - slightly used.

My idea costs nothing. No costly supplements, no fees to attend meetings (or gas/bus tickets to attend), join exercise establishments or buy equipment.

It will - for most of you - almost certainly result in your eating less. Resulting in cutting the cost of your food purchases.

Remember how we've been advised to drink 8 glasses of water daily?

That hardly any of us do.

Just do it. Eight glasses a day - of water.

Plain old municipally provided - water. It undergoes more tests in most jurisdictions than the (expensive) stuff that comes in a bottle.

Your tummy will be fuller.

More relaxed. Happier. After all - it has less food to grind up and process.

So - it'll send fewer signals to your brain to ask for additional increments of food to be sent down the pipe.

Your tummy'll be more satisfied. You'll be happier. Your heart'll be happier, with less load to service and probably less clogging in the arteries and veins that cause it much harder work.

Your backbone'll be happier - less load to support. Also your knees. Both of which often give us old folks trouble. Less food load to carry in the short term - and less fat, long term.

(Sorry - I misled you there: don't tell your back and knees, but the water'll be just as heavy as the habitually unnecessarily larger load of food. But the long-term smaller load of fat to carry is still true).

So - you don't need those special foods or food supplements. Or fees to a group - though they are a bit of fun. Or those pills that you take before you go to bed - that burn off the fat while you sleep. Yeah, right!

Don't need those fees for exercise clubs, or fancy stuff in your basement.

You wallet'll be happier - it'll be fatter - not your body.

But you do need some exercise, to keep muscles, bones, joints, heart, lungs in shape.

Some of my senior friends go swimming, or walking (which some do at a shopping centre in inclement weather). One group does it there throughout the winter - and goes out for breakfast together, after.

Hey, that's part of my job: to help you get where you want to go, at low cost - which makes me

joyful (as always)

P.S. Eight glasses of water. Plain old water. Every day. Less food. Better health. Fatter wallet. What could be easier? oj

P.P.S. That'll be $30.00 consultation fee - think how soon you'll save it - and a lot more - at the food store! Twould be nice, though, if you sent part of your savings to help feed the millions of refugees and homeless throughout the world. Maybe we should spend alternate months here and there. That'd burn off our surplus fat - in a hurry. oj

P.P.P S. Sorry if I've offended any of you "pleasantly plump" folks - not my intention to do so. oj