Don't you hate those last 10 pounds that go nowhere fast? We do. That's why we can't wait for the unveiling of America Takes It Off: Shrink a Size on January 1, because AOL Health is going to clue us in on how exactly to drop the last few.

Yep, we're going to learn all sorts of stuff, like what really works for weight loss, what doesn't matter and what the heck metabolism has to do with the chunk we carry on our butts and guts.

Come back on that first day of the new year (it's almost here!), and we'll tell you how to dig up the dirt on downsizing. We'll help you get started too -- we've got some challenges in store, some weigh-ins and some results we want to share with you.

Why is it that so much of what we want in this world is big? Big houses. Big cars. Big jobs. Big paychecks. In the 80s, big hair. There's Big Gulps at the 7-11. And Biggie fries at Wendy's. And the big plate of loaded chicken cheese nachos that make my mouth water at my favorite Gainesville Ale House. An appetizer, according to the menu but realistically, it could feed a family of four, or more.

It's all so contradictory, you know. Because these bodies of ours, well, we want them small. Extra small if we're trying to mimic our favorite Hollywood role models. Small is good. I mean, there's this whole philosophy out there suggesting that it's best to eat simple to survive, that the more restrictive our calories, the better. Even if you don't buy into this line of thinking, there's no question that smaller is better for your health. For those of you about to get mad at me, I'm not saying everyone must be skinny small. We've already established that sometimes, fat and fit is better than thin and lazy. All I'm saying is: Smaller is better than way bigger, and we can't live big (on the food front, anyway -- bring on the big paycheck, though) and not expect our bodies to follow suit.

Here's the deal: We can't supersize everything except our butts. Just can't happen. Wish it could. Remember Morgan Spurlock and his supersize experiment? The guy gained 24 pounds in 30 days on his big diet. Downsize is what we've got to do. I did it the other night when I let the cheese nacho moment pass. Opted for a grilled salmon sandwich with wild rice instead. Saved myself a few hundred calories and a big jump on the scale. I felt a whole lot better for my decision, and my butt is thanking me for the wise choice. Yours will thank you too if you minimize the importance of everything big in your diet. Go big on other things -- get a big promotion, save a big pile of money, go for a big run right after you read this. And give yourself a big pat on the back for your big and noble diet endeavors.

Are you practicing these five weight loss tricks?

• Do you use a covered, opaque dish to house your candy? Do you keep your candy bowl off your desk top?
  
• Do you refrain from eating while multitasking to cut down on mindless consumption?
  
• Are you in touch with your own hunger, able to stop eating when you're no longer hungry?
• Have you downsized your dinnerware so you can downsize your portions?
• Are you talking more so you eat less?

If you answered in the affirmative for all five questions, pat yourself on the back. If not, that's OK. But if you want some simple techniques for tricking your body into dropping a few pounds, you ought to give a few of these a try.

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