http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laws_of...mics#First_law
"Energy can neither be created nor destroyed."
Translation: If you're wearing it, you ate it. You can mess with your metabolism a bit by tricking it through various means (ketosis, stimulants, etc.), but ultimately, calories in versus calories burned is all that matters, given adequate nutrition. If you establish a calorie cap and keep a food journal (very important, and the first thing I had my clients do when I was a personal trainer), you'll also start making the right choices pretty quickly. For instance, if you have a 2000-calorie limit, you can max that out pretty fast eating Twinkies, and you'll wind up hungry. On day 2, you'll probably skip the twinkies and add something less calorie-dense with more fiber, vitamins, etc., like real food. Ditto for that piece of fatty meat. If you only get 2 oz. of it, that 6 oz piece of chicken breast looks a lot better.
The good news about calorie management vs. gimmicks:
* It's scientific and predictable.
* It builds long-term discipline.
* It makes you an active participant in your health through observation and decision-making.
* It allows you understand the full impact of your dietary and exercise choices.
* When you reach your target weight, you actually get to eat (slightly) more, since you no longer have to run a calorie deficit, so you get rewards beyond looking better naked.
And don't forget:
* Fiber
* Water
* Exercise