MY first exposure to diets started when I was eight. I liked to eat, but my growth hormones weren?t scheduled to kick in for another few years. So I got so pudgy that my mom put me on the Scarsdale diet. For lunch or dinner, I was allowed ? cup rice, 120 grams of meat or fish, a cup of vegetables and a piece of fruit.

I was miserable. Even back then, I already believed that ?diet? meant to ?die? ? with a ?t.? If you?re on a diet and you?re not miserable, there?s something wrong with you. Try the mirror. That might help.

First, you have to understand that dieting is not the problem ? lack of discipline is. Laziness is the problem; putting on weight is merely a symptom. In my mind, dieting tackles only the symptom, not the cause. Ergo, dieting cannot be the solution. But people still diet. It?s as if dieting would atone for the sins of the past and make things right again ? if it works.

Evelynne Acosta doesn?t believe in diets. A nutrition therapist for 30 years who?s based in Baguio (look for Eve?s Garden), she believes that each person has a unique body chemistry that dictates the proportions of fats, proteins and carbs to be taken in a food regimen. Her view is that we all need to choose foods that deliver the nutrients, vitamins and minerals we need while helping balance the work load and enzyme production of the digestive tract, the liver, the pancreas and the kidneys. Makes sense, right?

Now, in English: Have you ever seen that pyramid with the basic food groups? There are grains, vegetables, and fruits at the bottom, milk, meats and beans in the middle, and oils and fats at the top (see www.mypyramid.gov). Simply put, eat the pyramid upside down. More of the bottom, not too much of the middle (lechon, longganisa and tapa do not count as lean protein and the milk in ice cream does not count as a ?portion? of calcium), and just a little bit of fats and oils.

Reverse the food pyramid as a foundation of bad eating habits and no exercise, add a sprinkling of marketing and ? voila! You have a weight loss industry that earns some $40 billion annually on diet books, supplements and equipment in the US alone.

What fuels this spending are the stay-trim-challenged people ? PC enough for ya? ? who have heard that someone has lost a lot of weight in a short time with Diet X. Diets that have become popular include South Beach, Atkins, Weight Watchers, the blood type-based diet and the General Motors diet (GM diet). And then there are those who have also experienced success with just eating raw food, going vegetarian or doing a master cleanse (i.e. liquid diet) for a few days.

There are so many diets out there that it?s confusing to determine which one is really best for you. And when you hear one friend who praises one diet to the heavens, others come along saying the same diet didn?t work for them.

I say none of them does! Let me share my thoughts.

In my 40 years, I?ve had two huge weight swings: one was when I lost 20 pounds ? and gained it all back ? and the other was a 40-pound drop over four years that I?ve kept off. And I remember very distinctly that there was never a frozen brazo or lechon that accidentally fell into my mouth. That third serving at the buffet table? I did that.

Now that we have identified the culprit (i.e. I, me and myself) and the partner (i.e. the mouth), all that remains is to take responsibility and close the mouth. Think Hannibal Lecter at the beginning of ?Silence of the Lambs.? You will save yourself a lot of regret later on. If, however, you are one of those ?but it?s so hard? or ?but it tastes so good? kind of people with the whiny voice, I strongly urge you to chop off your hand. Both, if the situation is dire.

If you can?t handle a U-turn in eating habits, slight modifications in what you eat may work. I used to be a big fan of junk food. At the start of my lose-40-pounds-over-four-years journey, I decided not to buy chips and chocolates anymore. Instead, I bought fruits. When I got hungry and needed to snack, I?d look in the cupboard and the fridge and find? fruits. I wasn?t ecstatic, but I wasn?t destroyed either. Half a year later, I decided to cut my carbs at lunch and dinner. I ate the same amount, just not much pasta or rice.

These two measures combined helped me lose about 10 pounds a year. I would have lost it faster had it not been for my ?I need to be happy with what I eat? credo. That usually meant a slice of cheesecake after my healthy breakfast. I like sweets. So sue me.

Actually, this is an issue that the American Dietetic Association (ADA) has with many diets. Thanks to Liesl Puentespina, a registered dietician with the ADA, I came upon their website, www.eatright.org, and I totally agree with them. Who wants to live a life where you are told to eat only this, or only eat so much of that, or you can?t combine this with that? We already live in a city where I can?t drive my car once a week. I can?t afford to make my life more complicated (or miserable) than it already is!
Besides, diets are not created with long-term weight loss in mind. It?s a temporary solution at best. It will likely not include the broad spectrum and variety of foods that your body needs. The goal should be lifelong health, not a quick-fix.

I can distill the essence of a healthy, happy life into just two habits: eat right and move. Assuming that people still can?t get that right, the mistake I see many people make is that they want to get on a diet and drop a hundred pounds by yesterday (hence the popularity of lipo, lap band, etc.). This just isn?t sustainable, because you?re more likely to put it back on in time. Slowly but surely is the way to go?and it is more likely to stay off.

Understandably, personal lifestyle and preferences will dictate what you eat. The ADA points out that there are still small things you can do that will go a long way toward making a change in your eating habits.

1. Eat smarter from each food group. Your body needs energy, protein, vitamins and minerals. Get it from the pyramid. In preparing food, try roast, grilled, steamed and broiled.

2. Get the most from your calories. Instead of high fat, high sugar snacks, choose nuts, granola or fruit.

3. Smaller portions. It?s about moderation, not elimination. Have your favorite chocolate cake ? just not five slices of it.

4. Substitute. If you?re big on sodas or sugared drinks, choose sparkling water from time to time. The calories saved add up.

Does any of the above sound life-altering? I hope not. Choosing to change your eating habits is already a life changing event akin to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Do it bit by bit so as not to shock your system. Take tiny measures now so you don?t have to take drastic ones like open heart surgery later on.

Lastly, so you don?t have to diet, you have to move. If I had a peso for every time I?ve heard ?it?s just that I?m so busy? and ?I?m so lazy,? I?d have P3,782. I know only too well that when things get busy, exercise is the first to go. My argument is the busier you are, the more you have to exercise. Isn?t it true that the more you use your car, the more you need to maintain it so it will run well? Same concept with your body. You stress it, you feed it junk, you don?t let is sleep enough, and your bright idea is to not exercise it? Don?t let anyone accuse you of being smart, okay?

Find an activity that you like and people you like doing it with. Then mark it down on your calendar as an appointment with your body so you?re sure to do it. Maybe it?s badminton with friends every Thursday night, or running or yoga with family on weekends. Whatever it is, do it on a regular basis, at least three to four times a week.

Start down this road of eating right and exercising regularly and you?ll be saying ?why bother dieting?? in no time. ?

The author is an instructor for Bikram Yoga Manila (www.bikramyogamanila.com; Makati: 8891011; T. Morato: 3764632)