I’ve learned to accept the fact that my body is highly tempermental.  I follow strict diets and exercise plans, because when I fall behind, even the tiniest little bit, like not exercising as much by about 30 minutes in any given day, I don’t lose weight and I gain weight.  So that doesn’t really help anything for me at least.  I have a specific number of calories, and I have specific types of food I eat.  If I fall below that caloric amount, I’m fine, I’m great, we’re on a good road.  The problem is when I fall even about 100 calories above that and even worse if they are the wrong types of calories.  So it requires time, effort, planning, all things frankly everybody should use.  My body is just a little bit stricter about that particular aspect of things, meaning I have to keep a closer eye on things than some other people do.  Now obviously, many people have more anal bodies about these things than they realize, and they don’t take the time to deal with it.  But it’s one of those things you have to do whether you like it or not.