Are you one of the many Americans who are trying to lose weight? Again? Why is it so hard to lose weight and keep it off? It's part one of four in my series on weight loss.

How many diets have you been on? Have you lost weight only to regain it back the weight plus more? Some experts say yo yo dieters struggle with more than just a lack of will power.

"Self loathing and obesity make a great team. They feed each other constantly," said psychotherapist Meghan Lemery.

"I beat up on myself enough you know. I usually wake up in the morning and look in the mirror and go, oh God, not another day with you again," said Tom Durkin.

Yo-yo dieters are often stuck in a pattern of on again, off again diets. This self-professed dieter has been struggling with his weight for nearly 30 years.

"I love pasta and you know I go out to dinner a lot and when you go out to restaurants now especially Italian restaurants they give you so much food," Durkin said.

Although this is a typical story of a chronic dieter, he's not typical. His career attracts public attention, which is added pressure. You may recognize his voice.

Durkin is the famous race horse announcer. His long work hours in a food and alcohol friendly environment make it hard to keep his weight under control and now it's impacting his health. His knees ache, he has sleep apnea, which makes him tired, and feeling depressed. He also has a severe hiatal hernia and may need surgery.

"My diaphragm is pushed up against my stomach and if I eat too much it really, really hurts, all that acid gets up into my esophagus. So one of the reasons that I do need to lose a substation amount of weight," said Durkin.

A big challenge for most people is quantity, foods like pasta, bread and wine. We followed Tom for seven months, we interviewed experts and they gave up tips on how to succeed.

First was a registered dietician, she advised him to keep a food journal and track his hunger. He needs to lose over 100 pounds but is aiming to lose between 50 and 70. Not all experts agree weight loss should be the focus.

"Diets don't work its choosing the healthy lifestyle. People choose to lose lots of weight or even if its five pounds they obsess over it. They focus on the problem. I tell them to focus on the solution. The solution being a healthy man, a healthy woman and focus on who you are. Looking in the mirror and knowing you are a worthwhile valuable person not because of what you look like, but because of you are you," Lemery said.

Trying to lose weight or just learning the best ways to improve your health can be confusing. Stay tuned for next Sundays report, an orthopedic surgeon outlines how to get started and which exercise is best.