Kevin A. Ranson : ThinkingSkull.com

I have a shocking secret: I’m overweight. And here’s another: I recently decided to fully commit to do something about it. Finally, a third: It’s working.

Other than my age and family history risk factors, I miss having the energy I used to have instead of getting winded carrying my arse up and down a few flights of steps. But a second big factor was getting an iPhone (they’re $99 now, so no more excuses) and a cool free app called “Lose It!” What makes it work is that you can set a goal, track foods by calories (from a huge database or add them yourself), and add exercises to stay within preset targets.

Ever wonder why that USDA nutritional info is always based on a 2000 calorie diet? They’re estimating an ideal weight of 200 pounds. As a simple formula, multiply your desired weight by ten to find out how many calories per day you should be eating. So if that’s what you want to weight AND maintain, that’s what you should be limiting your intake to and be prepared to keep doing to stay that way.

I gained this weight sitting in call centers instead of walking up and down an aircraft carrier for six years, so I figured I could undo the damage safely at the same rate by doing a bit of counting. Like balancing a checkbook for the first time, you’ll be surprised what busts the bank (snack chips are my kryponite), but you can have everything in moderation. Not feeling filled up? Eat more foods like salads, low fat sauces or dressings, and make your own burger without the bun.

I’ve been changing this over for four weeks now, limiting or removing my danger foods and learning to like new ones instead (my personal savior: 60-calorie tropical fruit cups in plastic four-packs from Walmart; pop ’em in the fridge for a quick chilled and sweet reward any time!) But the real reason I’m coming clean with all this now is because I hit a milestone: 5 pounds lost, so I must be something right.

More as I succeed or fail, but any encouragement is always welcome…!