Thin from Within

Just as we all start resolving to lose, we're hit with the news that it may never work.  If you've been overweight for a while, if you've dieted only to keep regaining, the problem may well exceed willpower.In this season of "20 Lbs in 20 Days!"  other headlines ask "Do You Have to be Superhuman to Lose Weight?"  Or, "Are We Programmed to Pack on Pounds?"  Unpopular question Read More

A new book on willpower asserts that it's a muscle. That is, you can strengthen it with practice, and you can exhaust it with stress and overuse. This makes sense, and years of research back the idea. For those trying to eat differently–to lose weight or simply to choose more wisely–the strength of this muscle can determine whether change occurs or not. Read More

Recently, a reader posted this question: "Why is there such a lack of ownership when it comes to food?" This reader noted that people express such unhappiness with their bodies, yet don't necessarily do much to "learn about food." The outpouring of weight loss books and shows might suggest otherwise. Read More

How we beat ourselves up for that brownie or pizza slice! Once we've lost control or overdone it, forget about self-care and serenity. But research keeps confirming some ancient wisdom when it comes to eating better. Gentleness, being kind to oneself, paves a better path to success than self-flagellation. Read More

On the whole, we Americans are quick to jump on any new diet bandwagon. And, boy, do those bandwagons fly by. First we're cutting down meats, then fats, now carbs, and....who knows what we'll add or chop out next. As Michael Pollan has noted, once, overnight, thousands of bakeries faced closing as we reacted to the latest mass diet prescription. Read More

            The New Year offers a fresh start after the disorder and overindulgence of the holidays.   This the proverbial time to get back on that diet, lose those extra pounds.    Studies tell us that nearly half of those who resolve will still be at it six months later.  But what of the 25% who falter after Read More

Count down the reasons for holiday weight gain--candy and cookies, parties and feasts, schedules and sleep thrown off-and you might just forget "family visits" . You can find tips for managing the food reasons: that is, the candy, cookies, and feasts. Most December magazines, in fact, offer not only yummy recipes, but also ideas for minimizing diet damage. Read More

Even as more and more Americans become obese, our feelings about weight don't seem to budge. If you're heavy, you're still likely to hear intrusive comments. You may still feel ignored by doctors or employers. You may still struggle to fine nice clothes. It doesn't seem to matter if 64 percent of American women are now overweight (one third, "obese"). Read More

Fast food and addiction break our "thin from within" efforts constantly. Two different articles in this month's Psychology Today touch on these diet-wrecking phenomena. Read together, I think you can extract a prescription that you might call "slowing down to slim down". Read More

As if you didn't feel bad enough about that ice cream, there's always something new to deepen your guilt. You know that gobbling straight from the box isn't healthy . So you kick yourself for lacking willpower. You feel ashamed, too-for maybe this signals emotional problems. Maybe you wrestle with whether or not you're a food addict. Read More

"Do people really get over this?" Susan asked. "I'm afraid it's just been too long...." Her distress hinged on thirty years of binging on candy and donuts. Can people stop after this long a stretch? I told Susan yes, in fact, people can stop binging after decades. However, I understand the frustration. It follows seemingly endless attempts to change. Read More

The wish for a bikini body motivates many a summer diet. But if your beach body dream came true, how would your mate feel? The answer to that question may well affect your progress-whether you're aware or not.For now, let's set aside the issue of whether or not it makes sense to diet for a short-term goal, like a "bikini body". It usually doesn't. Read More