Now that the elephant is out of the room, let me tell you why I don’t have one. First of all, there are so many different mp3 players out there that it gets confusing to select one. There are your ipods, zunes, and a myriad of other lesser known brands that make selecting one to buy difficult. Most people go the sure way and pick up an iPhone but I don’t want to purchase a closed piece of hardware that makes me another slave of the all mighty Apple.

Second, I have an issue with the state of the music produced today and the insane amount of money it costs to purchase (and still not own.) I don’t listen to top 40, hip hop or pop or any music created to sell an image than a creative piece of work. As a result, most of the music produced today does not appeal to me. I don’t want to waste my hard earned money on something that I will not enjoy. Not to mention that this crappy music is expensive and it would cost me thousands of dollars to fill an iPod. I don’t have that kind of money to waste.

Finally, if you are wondering how I keep myself entertained when doing my cardio at the gym, then let me tell you how. I bring a book with me and I read. This way, I get to exercise both my body and brain at the same time.

Some (and by that I mean most) people will continue their search for the best diet pill which will allow them to drop all the extra pounds doing next to no exercise. People believe that the Zylene diet pill is the miracle pill obese people have been waiting for year. Wouldn’t be nice if the world worked like that?

The truth is, and I have said this many times in the past, the best and only way to lose lots of weight in a healthy and safe manner is to start exercising while controlling your diet. Talk to a physician before starting an exercise program and talk with a nutritionist for a proper diet plan that will not compromise your health. Then go to your local gym and talk with a trainer. Have him or her get you started on a good exercise and fitness program and then stick to it for the long term.

There is no shortcut to losing weight. Just like you accumulated all those extra pounds of fat over the years, it will take many months to get rid of them. Many people (including myself) have achieved their fitness goals using such a method. It has always worked without the need for taking pills several times a day. Losing weight is within your reach. Can you do it in 2009? I think you can.