When you first start thinking about losing weight, it's all kind of unreal and, somehow, it never feels as though it's going to be a problem. All you need do is diet and, as if by magic, those pounds are just going to fall away. You may have looked at The Biggest Loser and those other reality shows and thought the participants really were all a bunch of losers. How could they all make something so easy look so difficult? So there you are on your first day. You've vaguely read a few articles and dipped into a book. While that doesn't make you an expert, you feel confident. You feel you know enough. On this first morning, you feel super confident. That hero inside you is going to step out of the telephone booth in a stunning outfit and you will sweep down to the gym for a full workout. As you pass stores offering cupcakes and things covered in chocolate, you look the other way without a second thought. All those temptations are behind you now. Yet, after a lunch of green leaves that would not have kept a rabbit from starvation, you are already on the downward track. A few hours later, you're convinced this is all wrong for you. And then you stop at the cupcake store on the way back.

Rewind! Let's start with the big question. Why do you want to lose weight? Are you worried about your health? Has a doctor warned you of specific risks? You may be looking at your children and thinking you might not be around to see any grandchildren. And before you ask. Yes, the risks of a stroke or heart attack really are that much higher if you are seriously overweight. Or is this more an appearance thing? You look at yourself in the mirror and find what you see depressing. Just feeling you don't want what you have now is never enough. You must be clear in your own mind what you want and why you want it. Whatever the reason, it must be strong enough to keep you driving past that cupcake store. Every time you're tempted, that reason must come between you and a relapse into bad eating habits. Or, if you do have a relapse, the reason must make you feel so guilty, you immediately recommit yourself to weight loss and feel more certain you will succeed.

In all this, you must be clear that, although Merida is an effective "weight-loss" drug, it's not a magic bullet. It does not zap the fat in your body. You have to do that by burning more calories than you eat. That means eating a calorie-reduced diet and exercising more, even if it's only walking up and down the stairs rather than taking the elevator at work. Yes, it's hard. Yes, you're going to feel miserable during the first few weeks. But with the right level of motivation, and a little help from Meridia, there's no reason why you should not lose some of those pounds. Keeping this real, the only thing standing between you and weight loss is you.