Why I Wrote the Book

I've been asked why I wrote my book Mind Over Fat Matters: Conquering Psychological Barriers to Weight Management. I spent over 20 years studying and treating eating disorders. I saw many women completely recover from their eating disorder and go on to be normal eating individuals. I realized for some time that, in our day and age, it's not just people with diagnosable eating disorders that are preoccupied with weight, size and appearance; that have unrealistic body images; that have mistaken ideas about what is the best way to be fit and lean; and that are obsessed with dieting. If my methods had been so successful with the extremes of eating disorders, they could be doing some good to the average person out there. As a psychologist, I knew how the human mind thinks and I understood that the typical diets that people are expected to follow are incompatible with the way people think, resulting in failure time after time. I wanted, not only to help people realize that their failures at dieting were not their fault, but rather the fault of the methods used which make the mind resist. I also wanted to show people how to easily set things up so that their efforts to manage their weight would not be resisted by their brain. Instead, the brain would be their ally and help them succeed finally.

My second goal was to write a book which would be concise-explain complicated concepts in simple ways. I wanted a book that someone could read in a day but that would contain all the information someone would need to be successful at managing their weight for a lifetime. From the feedback I'm getting, I may have accomplished my goal.

Mind Over Fat Matters: Conquering Psychological Barriers to Weight Management

Check out the website:

www.fatmatters.com

Holiday Challenge

When working with someone with an eating disorder or weight issues during the holidays I would often give my patient a challenge. "For the first time, in a long time, put weight at the bottom of your list of priorities for the holidays." By this, I mean make each decision during the holidays based on what will make the holidays most enjoyable rather than things that will produce stress such as being harried, worrying about appearance and weight, and having things go perfectly. The objective should be to be calm, relaxed and have a good time. Just try it during the holidays. Take everything one step-at-a-time. Forget about how you think others go about their holidays-what would make you savor yours better?

The interesting thing about the challenge has been that the people that take it find out that things don't get as out of control as they expected with weight, eating or anything else.

I got into a habit many years ago of asking myself as each holiday season approaches, "What can I do this year to make these holidays less stressful?" I've tried many things during the years which I have incorporated year after year. The holidays have become so much more enjoyable that it has become harder to find more things that will make them better.

Try it, you'll like it.

Holiday Resolutions

It's almost that time of the year again when people think they should set New Year's resolutions. Somehow we've been led to believe that if we set resolutions, that will be enough to effect change. The most common resolutions have to do with losing weight. Almost all these resolutions are never realized. At best, a few people may start a diet only to drop it at some point and end up making the same resolution the following year.

It's time to face the facts. Weight loss resolutions don't work. If you wish to lose weight, it would work better to make resolutions that:

1. aren't specifically about losing weight.

2. have to do with other behaviors that will lead to losing fat such as becoming more active, eating more nutritious food, going out to eat less, taking more time to relax, thinking more positively, and being more self-accepting.

3. are based on gradual, small changes in these behaviors. People are more successful making behavior changes when they focus on small, rather than big, steps.

So, don't continue to do something that has never worked-it's time to take a different road to get to where you want to be.

The Holidays

Many people approach the holidays with dread for many reasons but particularly when it comes to issues of eating and weight. The holidays are supposed to be joyous and should be enjoyed. The least enjoyable way to approach the holidays is with stress and fear-fear that you'll eat too much or gain weight. It just so happens that the more uptight you are, the more likely that you will eat more than you intend. Relax, don't expect perfection and don't beat yourself up if you eat more than you wanted. You will finish the holidays the best way possible if you do the following:

• Relax and focus on enjoying and savoring the experience.



• Be physically active each day in some way. Walk, jog, play tennis, go up and down the steps-just move.



• Don't skip meals-it will only make you hungrier and less able to control your eating later. Besides eating more often increases your metabolism which will burn more of the calories you eat.



• Focus on eating nutritiously during the day when not at parties or events so that your brain won't be urging you to eat as much. Yes, the brain gives us signals when we are lacking in some nutrition but we don't always interpret them right.



• Don't arrive at an event hungry. If you must, eat before the event so you're not hungry and will be more naturally in control.



• Don't set unrealistic goals during the holidays ("I'm not eating anything at the party." "I'm only going to eat one meal a day during the holidays." "I'm not having any sweets."). Keep your goals small, realistic and focused more on activity level, nutrition, and not letting yourself go hungry, rather than on actual weight. You will be more successful.



• Finally, don't feel guilty. Managing a lean and healthy weight should be a lifetime issue not one just for the holidays. If you really want to keep struggling with weight and food all your life just get uptight about it, set unrealistic goals, be sedentary, and beat yourself up about it.

New Book Available!

My new book, Mind Over Fat Matters: Conquering Psychological Barriers to Weight Management, is now available for sale. Just check out the website for more information: http://www.fatmatters.com/