Downsize me
If your New Year's resolution is to lose weight, but you don't know where to begin, here are some tips. First, accept that the only natural way to trim off unwanted kilos is to consume less than you burn off (liposuction doesn't count as natural). Second, learn what you're eating and avoid empty calories. (McNuggets, as you might recall from the film Super Size Me, are a "McFrankenstein creation of various elements not used by the home cook.") Third, eat your calories, don't drink them. (Many people are surprised to learn that orange juice contains as much sugar as a cola, not to mention all the acid.) Fourth, don't drive when you can walk. Fifth, turn the public transit system into a fitness center - never sit when you can stand, take the escalator in the metro two (or three) steps at a time going up, and fly going down. Sixth, realize that unlike in politics, where it's easy to shrug your shoulders and blame everything on those at the top, you're the one who has to see the reflection in the mirror if your New Year's resolution falls flat.
Glossary of difficult words
to downsize - to make something smaller;resolution - a firm decision to do or not to do something;
to trim (off) - to reduce the size, amount or number of something;
liposuction - a technique in cosmetic surgery for removing excess fat from under the skin by suction;
empty calories - calories present in high-energy foods with few nutritional benefits;
to fall flat - to fail completely to produce the intended or expected effect.