Let's face it, there is no "secret" to losing weight. It's simple -- bank less calories than you spend and the weight will come off. You don't need to take pills or buy into the latest diet craze. Common sense is all you need.

I spoke with my oncologist the other day about my own weight loss -- I have lost nearly 14 pounds since the beginning of May, thanks to a no-sweets, low-sugar, low-fat, water-only diet with an emphasis on high fruit and veggie intake. Now this is no temporary diet. This is for life. My goal was never to lose a bunch of weight and then go back to eating junk -- I just wanted to shed a few cancer treatment-induced pounds while embracing a brand new healthy lifestyle.

My doctor was proud of my progress and shared his too -- he's lost eight pounds by cutting 500 calories from his diet each day. It sounds like a lot but this can be accomplished by cutting down on portions, giving up soda, and ditching high-calorie snacks. Observing the physical changes we both had made, he announced to the medical students in the room with us at the time that weight loss is not so hard -- well, maybe mentally hard, but not physically. He talked with his students about how to advise overweight patients -- surely a large percentage of people they see -- and reminded them of this formula: take in less than you spend. They nodded in agreement. And we moved on to other topics. There really was nothing more to say. Simple, I tell you. Give it a try.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is making it easier for consumers to read food labels. With a quick stop at a website called Make Your Calories Count, we can all learn how to better decipher and truly understand the numbers we find printed on the back of food items.

The FDA interactive site, featuring a cartoon character called Labelman, provides consumers with information related to healthful diets and calorie management. There are exercises, quizzes, and a training module available for download and printing.

The program, which presents two nutrients that should be limited (saturated fat and sodium) and two that should be consumed in adequate amounts (fiber and calcium), may be just the resource we need in our pursuits of better health and disease prevention.

You've surely known kids whose parents smoke declare their repulsion for the habit. The health risk, the expense, the filth of smoking seem to deter many youngsters from following in the footsteps of mom and dad. Theoretically, anyway. In practice, these same kids may fall prey to the very act they vowed to reject.

How about kids raised in households filled with sugary snacks and drinks, foods packed with fat, salt, and calories, and parents with expanding waistlines? Seems only natural these children, despite good intentions, end up struggling with healthful eating and weight management.

We are what our parents teach us. It's all we know for a good many years. And by the time we are able to make our own independent decisions, it's often too late. Our parents' actions and values are already programmed within us -- and it takes hard work to switch things up.

So here's my plea for this Sunday morning: do your kids a favor and become a positive role model. Don 't just tell your little ones what is right and healthy and virtuous -- show them. Let your behavior be the gold standard now, so that later, it's likely to be what your sweet babies will fall back on.

Here are seven ways to get started:

Feed 'em well
If kids learn healthy eating habits early, they're likely to stick with them. Offer whole grains options (rice, bread, pasta) and snacks that are not in the junk food group. Don't even buy the stuff you may later wish to clear out of your cupboard. Guests at our house are offered two drink options -- water or milk. Why? Because if we have juice (it's loaded with sugar) or soda (also sugary and calorie-laden), our kids just can't hold back. But if we don't have these beverages, they are never an option. Out of sight, out of mind.

Keep 'em moving
Take your kids to the park, get them running around your backyard, take them swimming, organize a kid-friendly football game, invest in a kite. Quiet activities are also good -- and necessary -- but when in doubt about how to entertain your busy little bees, make them move!

Let 'em see you sweat
You need to keep moving too. Not only for your own well-being -- that's obvious -- but so your kids see your physical activity as a staple of healthy living. Teach your kids to do push-ups and sit-ups and do them together. Jump rope, run laps at a local track, ride bikes, or dance. Just don't expect your kids to stay active if your idea of exercise is flipping through TV channels.

No TV
Turn off that TV. Rid your household of junk-food commercials, mind-numbing content, and addictive inactivity. Let TV be a treat -- a small one -- and not an expectation.

No smoking
Need I explain? It's unhealthy, costly, dirty, and a sure contributor to cancer. Try with every ounce of your being to keep this habit away from your impressionable children.

No stress
Some stress is unavoidable. Some is even healthy. But the kind of stress that hurts our tummies, gives us headaches, and threatens our health should be minimized. We must do our best to control our own stress so its effects don't spill over. And we must teach our kids how to cope too. Fortunately, some of the techniques listed above also work for this category -- physical activity, for example, does wonders for lowering stress. We can become experts at deep breathing -- have your kids practice with you. And we can teach a bit of distraction. If homework is making kids crazy, go with them on a short walk where they can regroup and return to the task with a clear head.

No double standards
We simply cannot say one thing and do another. Smoking while preaching the dangers of the habit just doesn't make sense. Saying "no" to sweets with your hand in the cookie jar is downright unfair. Carrying around extra weight and demanding physical fitness is simply ineffective. So make a commitment to yourself and your kids that you will do as you say. It's the only way.

Here's my problem with health-related advice and wisdom -- it's always changing. And I'm never sure if I'm buying into the right practice. Should I eat low-fat foods, for example, or should I stick with moderate amounts of regular food? Is red meat a good source of protein and other goodies or a direct path to breast cancer recurrence? Will sunscreen save my life or cause malignant lesions to develop on my fair skin?

How about drinking eight glass of water a day? Maybe yes. Maybe no, according to experts who say we get water from sources other than diet alone and while we do need to replace water lost through breathing, urination, and sweating each day, our lost fluids do not total 64 ounces. And it seems we can drink too much water. This can lead to an imbalance of sodium and a condition called hyponatremia.

Vitamin supplements? Eat a good amount of fruits, veggies, whole grains, low-fat dairy, protein, and the right amount of calories and you don't need a multivitamin. But most of us don't eat right. So we probably need one.

OK. Now breathe. Take it all in. Filter it. Use it. Abandon it. As for me -- I'm going with the tactic mentioned above several times -- moderation. Seems to me this approach is the key to both health and happiness.

When you plan to go on a diet or want to start eating healthier, salads seem like the perfect lunch to shed some unwanted pounds. The problem with salads is they can easily deceive the most well meaning dieter.

They say they are salads -- in a way they are -- but not in the eating healthy sense that we associate with it. Just because it has salad in the name on the menu does not mean it is healthy.

Some of you might be saying that you know this already. Believe me when I tell you that some people don't know this or are in some way in denial about the whole salad situation. A taco salad may contain greens and some tomatoes but it also can have ground meat, lots of cheeses, tortilla chips and sour cream.

Salad dressings are another problem, they can sometimes be the same amount of calories as a fast-food meal. Instead of reaching for the ranch dressing which can contain 110 calories and 12 grams of fat per tablespoon, try and make your own salad dressing so you know exactly what your putting in your salad. You can do this when dining out, restaurants usually offer vinegar and oil as a dressing choice.

A few good ideas for a healthier salad:

• Stay away from salads that have meats or cheeses
• Spice up your salad with different greens like arugula or watercress, you won't miss those creamy dressings with all that flavor
• Make your own dressing using a small amount of extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar and some fresh ground pepper.
• If you buy a salad-to-go in a convenience store, compare the calorie content between the light salad dressing to the creamy dressings. I have seen differences of 200 calories or more
• Skip the croutons and put in some crunching veggies instead

If you want that taco salad then go at it but if you are trying to lose weight or eat healthier then thinking about what is going into your salad can make a huge difference.

Once upon a time there were two groups of mice, all genetically engineered to develop prostate cancer. Each group was fed the same amount of calories. One group of mice lived in cages warmed to 80.6 degrees. The other group lived in cages kept at 71.6 degrees. The mice in the cooler quarters burned more calories to keep warm. And after three weeks, they weighed less than the toasty warm mice. They were also less likely to develop prostate cancer.

Then there were two other groups of mice, also genetically engineered to develop prostate cancer. Both groups were kept in cages with temperatures 80.6 degrees and 71.6 degrees -- like above. But these mice got to eat whatever their little hearts desired. The mice in cooler cages ate 30 percent more than the mice in warmer cages. They got just as fat as the warm mice. And they all got prostate cancer at the same rate, despite the extra calories.

The moral of the story is this -- being lean rather than obese has a greater protective effect against cancer. Excess calorie retention, rather than consumption, raises cancer risk. This moral stands in contrast to what most researchers believe -- that a restricted diet cuts the risk of and slows the growth of cancer and this is directly related to calorie intake.

Tim Nagy, Ph.D. and professor of nutrition sciences at the University of Alabama, Birmingham and lead researcher on the mice story says when you eat more calories than you burn, you store the extra calories as fat. It's the fat cells -- not the extra calories themselves -- that affect cancer risk.

It's not a good idea for humans to chill themselves to avoid cancer, Nagy says. But perhaps people could get the same effect by exercising more since that, too, burns calories.

Nagy's study appears in the January 1 issue of the journal Cancer Research.

I'm headed for a Saturday morning workout with my fitness trainer. For one hour, I will physically challenge my body and emotionally charge my spirits. I will sweat and pant and if I am required to do the inner thigh exercise, I will scream. I will also whine -- it's in my nature -- and I will push, pull, bounce, balance, lift, squat, lunge, and run until it's quitting time. I will fall short on some of my exercise expectations. And I will surprise myself and exceed others. In the end, I will feel accomplished, strong, motivated, and ready to tackle the day.

I'm making a comeback. I have come back from the depths of cancer and all of its accompanying treatment, and I have invited this powerhouse of a girl to transform me. She has accepted the challenge -- and she has helped me evolve from a weak, shaky, dizzy cancer patient to a semi-strong, 5K-running breast cancer survivor with biceps that are almost visible at a close distance.

This spunky fitness girl -- also an accomplished kick boxer, wife, and mom of two little ones -- has accepted another one of my challenges. I asked her to share some of her health and fitness expertise so that we all may reap the benefits. And so she kindly extracted some important tidbits from her vast library of knowledge and concisely crafted the responses that follow.

Take it from Fitz Koehler -- exercise and healthy eating habits are key for survival. For all of us. Cancer survivors included.

Why is fitness important for everyone?

100% of the population needs to exercise in some way. For the most part, if you're not working to get stronger, you're going to get weaker. Whether it's tummy time as an infant, gym class as a kid, weight training as an adult, or short walks as a senior, in order to live well and live long, we must eat well and exercise. Plus, a fit lifestyle prevents so many horrible ailments and diseases -- heart disease, some cancers, diabetes, GERD. Who wants any of that?

October is over. Breast Cancer Awareness Month is over. And while the persistent push of pink products is not so strong these days, there still are pink products out there. And for one more week, participating Panera Bread locations will continue offering the October special -- the Pink Ribbon Bagel.

The Pink Ribbon Bagel is not actually pink. But it's in the shape of the breast cancer ribbon. And it contains cherry chips, dried cherries, and cranberries -- yummy -- that give it a pinkish glow. And it benefits breast cancer research, with a quarter from the sale of each Pink Ribbon Bagel designated for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

I give my stamp of approval. This bagel, provided for participants at my local Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, tastes something like a sweet dessert when topped with cream cheese. Although it may not be the healthiest of snacks -- with 390 calories and 22 grams of sugar -- it's still a nice treat. With a nice presentation. For a good cause.

My little boys love candy -- and sometimes I think they eat healthy food only to earn sweets. Their constant badgering about candy has led to a recent ban on artificially-sweetened stuff in our house. If it's not in the house, they can't have it. No arguments. That's it. Fortunately, they also love fruit. So what we lack in candy we now make up for with fruit -- apples and bananas and grapes and peaches and strawberries are favorites. And just today at lunch, three-year-old Danny cleared his plate of strawberries and then proclaimed, "I love strawberries!" And I love that Danny loves strawberries -- especially in light of the news that hit papers today.

It seems that candy lovers are more likely than salt lovers to eat fruit. A study published in the journal Appetite found that people who eat candy, cakes, and other sweet snacks eat more fruit than people who prefer salty snacks like chips and nuts. Maybe that's the reason for my boys' equal affection for both candy and fruit -- and their indifference about salty treats. Apparently, the craving for something sweet is satisfied by both candy and fruit -- which is hopeful for kids whose parents might now steer them in the direction of the more healthy option. And for dieters who might incorporate more fruits into their menus in an effort to cut calories. And for anyone really who is concerned that a diet rich in candy, cookies, and cakes might contribute to illness and disease while fruits and vegetables encourage healthful living.

An apple a day.

It seems like common sense to me -- that lifestyle choices can affect a person's risk for contracting cancer -- but apparently, many people are not aware of this. Or they are aware but are not heeding the advice that might just save them from this life-threatening disease. According to Carolyn "Bo" Aldige, president of the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation, in Alexandria, Va., it's not undiscovered treatments and therapies that are key to fighting off cancer -- it's likely that the toll cancer takes can be reduced by lifestyle changes and routine screenings. Aldige reports that nearly half of all cancer deaths are preventable. And she urges us to consider these facts.

• Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in the United States and causes nearly one in five deaths, killing about 438,000 Americans each year. Yet 45 million adults still smoke -- 23 percent of them men and 19 percent of them women.
• Poor nutrition, inactivity, and obesity account for one in three of the 564,830 deaths from all cancers. Experts say that excess calories cause mutations that start genes traveling down pathways that cause cells to divide out of control -- and that's what cancer is. According to Aldige, if each person could magically acquire the perfect body mass index, there would be a whole lot less colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers.
• It requires little time and not much discomfort for certain screenings that can detect cancer at an early enough stage that it can be successfully treated. There are already screenings for breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, testicular cancer, cervical cancer, and skin cancer. And soon, there may be a simple screening for lung cancer too.
• A diet rich in nutrients and vitamin supplements helps maintain health and prevent cancer.

There are some highly effective defenses against cancer -- but they require some attention and effort on the part of each individual. Not everyone will make health-conscious choices -- some for reasons out of their control (lack of access to screenings, for example) and some for reasons I personally do not understand. But maybe that's because I have already had cancer and I know that I don't ever wish for it to return. So for that reason alone, I plan to adhere to the considerations listed above. It seems like common sense to me.

According to the National Cancer Institute, asparagus is the highest tested food containing glutathione, one of the body's most potent cancer fighters. Additionally, asparagus is high in rutin, which is valuable in strengthening the blood vessels and is great for the heart.

Asparagus is packed with nutrients and easy to prepare ahead for a crowd. One serving of asparagus is low in calories, very low in sodium and is a great source of potassium. Asparagus is an excellent source of folic acid and is a fairly significant source of Vitamin C, Thiamin, and Vitamin B6. It contains no fat or cholesterol of dietary significance.

Vicki's Sesame Ginger Asparagus Salad

2 lb. fresh asparagus cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces.
5 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. honey
2 tsp. sesame seed oil (I prefer toasted sesame oil)
2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
1/2 tsp. ginger powder
1 tbsp. minced garlic

Cover asparagus in salted boiling water (1 tablespoon sea salt). Cook until tender. Rinse immediately in cold water to stop cooking process and pat dry. Mix other ingredients in small mixing bowl and pour over asparagus. Can serve hot or chilled.

I have tried to exercise most of my adult life -- at times because I felt obligated to participate in what I knew was good for me and at times to justify eating my favorite foods while maintaining an appropriate weight and at times because I wanted to actually have a toned, healthy body.

At this exact time in my life, I exercise with all of these motivations in mind -- plus a few more. I like to sweat and know I am accomplishing a physical feat. I like the mental release I get when I push my body to perform. I like the time to myself, the loud music I hear on my MP3 player, and the results I see from a little bit of hard work. And lately -- as a result of a new weight training program -- I know I am benefiting my body more than ever before.

The following are just seven of the many gifts that come from weight training. Gifts that will make me a happier, healthier cancer survivor.

Noticeable physical results -- Mostly, walking and occasional jogging have been my methods of exercise. And I've seen results from this type of workout -- leaner legs, more defined calf muscles, and the knowledge that I am increasing my cardiovascular health, as confirmed by the technician who performed an ultrasound on my heart in preparation for my Herceptin treatment for breast cancer. He told me he could tell I exercised regularly because of my low resting heart rate. But until I started weight training a few months ago, I never witnessed quick results. Yet after a few weeks of resistance exercise -- lifting 20-pound weights for my arms, shoulders, back, and chest -- I could see definition and tone that clearly would not have resulted from my purely cardio workouts.

Improved strength and endurance -- Lunges and squats and jumping with resistance bands have strengthened my legs. Lifting weights has strengthened my arms -- and I can now lift heavier weights than when I first started my new routine. I can do more push-ups now too -- not girl push-ups on my knees but real push-ups -- than I ever could have imagined doing when I could barely lower my own body weight and would crash to the floor on my stomach. My strength has improved. My endurance has improved. I feel more powerful.

Increased energy -- Fatigue (or maybe it's laziness) sometimes prevents me from happily jumping up to begin exercising. But when I push myself and exert myself and get lost in my exercise routine, my energy returns -- and not just during my workout but for some time afterwards too. Some say energy increases from strength training because it contributes to loss of fat which means we have less to lug around each day.

Burning of more calories -- Weight training raises basal metabolism which causes more calorie burning over a 24-hour period of time. Calories even burn during sleep as a result of weight training.  For every additional pound of muscle you gain, your body burns 50 extra calories every day -- 50 more calories than the few hundred that might burn from aerobic exercise. Research shows that regular resistance training can increase your Basal Metabolic Rate by 15%. So for someone who burns 2000 calories per day, that's upwards of 300 extra calories burned every single day. 

Decreased onset of illness -- Weight training can reduce the risk of adult onset diabetes and the risk for developing colon cancer and can improve the functioning of the immune system and the efficiency of the heart. It decreases the risk of low-back injuries, decreases resting blood pressure, increases good cholesterol (HDL), and improves posture. The list goes on -- and so does healthy living if weight training becomes a way of life. As a young person already having experienced a life-threatening illness, this comforts me.

Prevention of osteoporosis -- My recent bone density test revealed that I am not at this moment at risk for developing osteoporosis. I don't want this to change. Strength training can help me maintain this status because it can significantly increase bone mineral density -- which is important because we naturally lose bone density as we age. Strength training helps protect against osteoporosis. And age should not be a deterrent. Individuals who begin training late in life -- at age 65, for example -- can restore bone loss.

Improved outlook on life -- As a result of toning and shaping my body, burning calories, enjoying greater strength and energy, and working toward a disease-free future, weight training gives me an improved outlook on life. And weight training has recently been reported to significantly improve the quality of life of women recently treated for breast cancer. A May 2006 study indicates six months of twice weekly exercise was enough to improve the overall physical and emotional condition of patients.

Twice weekly is my weight training goal. I will continue to walk and run -- and bike on occasion too -- but strength training will be my priority. Because health is a priority.

In the continuing battle of the bulge, and realizing that more families eat out more often than ever before, the Food and Drug Administration, FDA, commissioned a report to discover ways to stop the growing weight gain epidemic. Based on the Keystone Report, the FDA is recommending that restaurants cut back on portions, serve more fruits and vegetables and provide nutritional and caloric information with the meals they serve.

You can imagine how well this is going over with the 900,000 restaurants and other food establishments in this country. For a restaurant to implement what the government is suggesting they do, the report itself notes that the laboratory work needed to calculate the calorie content of a menu item can cost $100, or anywhere from $11,500 to $46,000 to analyze an entire menu. That is not taking into account any menu changes. But who exactly is making us fat?

As we become more aware that we are what we eat and what we eat affects our immediate and long-term health, we are making healthier choices with an eye on nutrition and weight loss. You choose granola instead of sugary breakfast cereals, salad instead of the cheeseburger, dried fruit, yogurt-covered nuts and banana chips instead of a candy bar. But nutritionist Joy Bauer warns that some of the foods we consider the healthier choices, might be so loaded in sugars, fats and calories that we are defeating our purpose of being healthy without realizing it.

Bauer appeared on NBC's Today show with Al Roker, and gave some examples of foods that are considered healthier choices but might not be -- and offered some suggestions on alternatives.

• Granola, loaded with sugar, is one of the most calorie-dense cereals. Bauer suggests you keep your portions small, and mix it with cereals with less calories and sugar such as Bran Flakes or Cheerios.
• Salad, such as a typical Caesar salad, with dressing, croutons and cheese topping, has 1,130 calories and 90 grams of fat. Bauer suggests that you request a salad with no dressing and no croutons. Instead, use an olive oil and vinegar dressing.
• Dried fruit is higher in calories that fresh fruit. Bauer's example -- 12 small pieces of dried mango have 320 calories, which equals the same as 2 apples, 15 grapes, and half of a small cantaloupe combined.
• Yogurt-covered nuts have little is any redeeming nutritional value. Loaded with sugar, fat, and no active cultures, 20 yogurt covered nuts contain 460 calories, 32 grams fat, 14 grams saturated fat, and 8 teaspoons sugar.
• Banana chips are fried in oil and sugar. One cup of banana chips has 300 calories, 20 grams fat, 18 grams saturated fat, and 19 grams sugar, or 4 3/4 teaspoons of sugar. Bauer's common sense solution? Eat a real banana. It has 110 calories and no added fat or sugar.
  

To learn more about foods that might seem good for you but aren't, and foods that are good for you, visit Joy Bauer Nutrition, life is hard, food should be easy.

During the Great American Eat Right Challenge, Weight Watchers is releasing its new cookbook, Super Foods, featuring recipes using fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other foods that focus on weight loss and nutritious cancer prevention. For each Super Foods cookbook sold, Weight Watchers will contribute $1 dollar -- up to $150,000 dollars -- to the American Cancer Society to help raise awareness for cancer prevention and educate people about cancer risk, prevention, treatment, and support.

Weight Watchers offers these nutrition tips in healthy eating for weight control and cancer prevention:

• Maintain a caloric intake that prevents weight gain.
• Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes.
• Limit consumption of processed and red meats.
• Limit alcoholic beverages to no more than 2 per day for men, and 1 for women.
• Eat a variety of whole foods rather than taking supplements for powerful antioxidant cancer prevention.
  

The Super Foods and In No Time cookbook bundle is available for sale in participating Weight Watchers meetings rooms across the country. You can visit the Weight Watchers website for free recipes published online.