Many moms dream of returning home from the hospital with their new baby and slipping right back into their skinny jeans. This dream, while understandable, is far from reality for many moms. In most cases, the process of returning your body to it's former glory is a long one that will not take place overnight. If you have been fighting the battle of the bulge since the birth of your child, consider some of the things that may be contributing to your difficulty and how you can effectively overcome these weight-loss challenges.

Nonprescription diet pill makers have an impressive array of marketing tools at their disposal. Manufacturers behind print ads, Internet websites and infomercials may claim their product is just as effective as a prescription drug for less cost and without the hassle of getting your doctor's approval. However, diet pills that claim to be just as effective as weight loss drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration may not work -- and they can also compromise your health.

Numerous wondrous properties have been assessed to the mysterious, exotic acai berry, one of the more compelling being that it functions as a diet aid. Named by the Better Business Bureau as one of the "Top 10 Scams and Rip Offs of 2009," an acai berry diet --- whether you drink the juice or take the supplements --- won't result in weight loss.

Losing weight and keeping it off can seem like a never-ending struggle, which may be why people are drawn to diets and plans that promise quick weight loss. Unfortunately, some weight loss methods can be very bad for your overall health, even if they help you shed a few pounds. The best way to lose weight is to eat healthy foods and increase the amount you exercise.

In the quest to slim down, many women skip meals, resulting in insatiable hunger and the resulting discomfort and struggle. Although it may logically seem that cutting way down on your eating is the best way to lose weight, many find that simply modifying the way in which they eat is more effective. Some argue that, instead of skipping meals, dieters should actually increase the frequency of their eating. By upping their meal regularity, these diners can avoid hunger pains and keep their body working and burning fat throughout the day.

What if a bracelet could help you lose those extra lbs? Well, mom Kelley Davis invented a bracelet that could do just that. Like countless women, she found herself struggling to lose weight. Then, she came up with a creative new way to shed those pounds -- all by wearing a simple bracelet to remind her to keep on going. Read on for her incredible weight loss story and get inspired to reach your own goals.

When it comes to losing weight, salad can be your friend or foe. In its most basic form, a salad is a nutritious food with few calories. However, the ingredients you put into your salad can add up to several hundred calories. In fact, some of the salads in the "Weight Management" section at The Cheesecake Factory have more calories than a hamburger and small fries from McDonald's. Incorporate low-calorie salads into your diet to lose weight.

Trying to lose weight can be difficult. Weight loss supplements sound like a good idea, but you have to wonder if they are, and if so, which ones work and are safe. Just as you probably suspected, some weight loss supplements are better than others. You can get these supplements at drugstores, supermarkets, health foods stores or online. You should be careful, warns MayoClinic.com, because some weight loss supplements may be ineffective or even dangerous. Read the labels and before taking any supplements, discuss their safety and effectiveness with your doctor or pharmacist.

Many gardeners loathe dandelions because they are some of the most notorious weeds around. However, dandelions are not just garden pests, they have medicinal and health benefits, too. Widely used as a salad green, the dandelion has roots, leaves and flowers that are an effective diuretic and liver tonic. In addition, drinking dandelion tea can aid in losing weight.

HCG is an obesity treatment dating back to the 1950s that has made a resurgence in popularity in recent years. The use of HCG -- which stands for human chorionic gonadotropin, also known as the human pregnancy hormone -- was revealed as fad as early as the mid-1970s. Studies on HCG and weight loss indicate that the reason you lose weight on this diet is not from the use of HCG itself but because of the drastically reduced calorie count.