DR. WALLACE: Summer is here and that means it will be time for "B and B" — Beach and Bikinis.

I hate to admit it but I've gained a few extra pounds since last summer and I really want to melt them away "asap!" I know there are lots of fad diets that promise fast weight loss, but I think it's best to lose them sensibly, but I'd like to still lose as fast as possible. I've never had to lose any weight before so any help you can give me will be appreciated. — Margo, San Diego, Calif.

MARGO: You are about to join a group shared by many weight-conscious young women. According to Family Circle magazine, seventy-five percent of all teenage girls have dieted at least one time. One of the very best ways to lose those extra pounds is to count the calories of all the nutritious food you will be eating.

Researchers in Great Britain spent two years following the weight loss of dieters assigned to ten different weight loss plans. The most successful was the "count calories" plan. This weight loss plan requires that participants learn the calorie count of all foods that will be consumed. This requires a bit of study, but it will be well worth the time and effort.

It takes 18 calories to support one pound of body weight. If a girl wanted to maintain weighing 125 pounds, she should consume 2250 daily calories (125 x 18). Eat less than 2250 daily calories and the body will lose weight. Eat more than 2250 calories and the body will gain weight. The ideal weight loss should be one pound per week. Learning to eat well-balanced and nutritious meals is the key to successful weight management.

Here are a few tips to help lose those unwanted pounds:

1. Popcorn is a great snack food if you stick with the unbuttered, unsalted, air-popped kind, and it has only 30 calories per cup.

2. While 2 percent milk is better for you than whole milk, it still gets 34 percent of its calories from fat. One percent milk contains about 23 percent fat. Smart sipping? Drink nonfat milk.

3. Skipping dessert isn't always the correct answer when dieting. Treating yourself to an occasional small portion of a favorite dessert is better than denying yourself and then bingeing on it! Just count the calories!

4. Do artificial sweeteners help lose weight? Some nutrition experts feel that people who use artificial sweeteners may be providing themselves with a false sense of security when snacking. Real sugar isn't all that bad if used sparingly. It only has 15 calories a teaspoon.

5. Great vegetables loaded with nutrients and low on calories include asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach, cabbage, onions and carrots. These are called "eat all you want veggies." Of course, all vegetables are considered healthy foods and should be consumed, but don't forget to count the calories.

6. All fruits are recommended. Cantaloupe, berries, apples, citrus and watermelon are the diet leaders.

Contact me in a few weeks and let me know how your new eating pattern is helping you to lose weight.

HOW DOES THE PILL WORK?

DR. WALLACE: I'm not sexually active, but I do have a question on birth control. I know that "the pill" is an effective way to eliminate pregnancy. But how does it work? — Nameless, Goshen, Ind.

NAMELESS: The pill is made of synthetic compounds similar to the hormones produced by your body. When taken regularly in the dosage prescribed by a doctor, the pill prevents pregnancy by preventing eggs from being released from the ovaries. Since no egg is released, there can be no pregnancy.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.