Why do we diet? It’s a simple enough question. The answer, however, is both complicated and individual. First, know that you’re not alone. An estimated 45 million Americans diet each year and spend $33 billion annually on weight loss products. We’ve been force fed the message that life will be better when we’re thinner. If we can lose weight, everything will fall into place - we’ll be happier + more successful + more fulfilled. Don’t believe me? Here’s a little collage of the pictures found on the landing pages of Weight Watchers + Jenny Craig + Nutrisystem… What I know to be true a thousand times over is that chronic dieting does not create a more fulfilling life. So why do we continue to ride the "on again, off again" diet … [Read more...] about Understanding Why We Diet
The Myth of Comfort Food
Traci Mann, Ph.D. heads up the Health and Eating Lab at the University of Minnesota. When she and her colleagues heard that NASA was looking for scientists to study stress and eating among astronauts, they jumped at the chance. The team conducted a series of research studies testing whether comfort food did in fact provide comfort. What they discovered was shocking… “…comfort food does not provide more comfort than any other foods, or no food at all.“ The idea that comfort food does in fact provide comfort was so widely accepted that no one ever bothered to test it scientifically. Well, Dr. Mann's lab took it on and the results are in... "We tell ourselves that we need or even deserve unhealthy treats when we have endured something … [Read more...] about The Myth of Comfort Food
Overcoming the “Scary” Scale
Our mind can be a wonderful ally – or the world’s worst motivational speaker. And when we step on the scale, our mind tends to kick right into world’s worst motivational speaker mode. You’re disgusting. Look at that number! You’ll never lose weight. It’s hopeless. Why even bother? Screw it. Weighing yourself regularly when trying to lose weight can be very helpful. We need this information to determine whether or not we need to make adjustments. That said, you’ve probably had the experience of dreading the number on the scale. The silly square box on the floor seems to be “saying” so much more to us. I call this phenomenon, “the manipulative scale.” The scale can’t tell you anything about your worth as person, what you care about, … [Read more...] about Overcoming the “Scary” Scale
A Memorial For Painful Memories
We humans have a tendency to want to make painful or unpleasant thoughts + feelings + memories go away. In fact, we go to great lengths to avoid having them show up - over and over. We eat cupcakes, drink wine, do drugs, pop pills, try hypnosis - yet they always return, no matter how hard we try. There's an alternative way to approach painful memories. Think of your body as a vessel, with all of the bits and pieces of you inside - your memories, your organs, your mind, your emotions. Now imagine that there's a small part of your body meant to honor all the painful memories - a memorial of sorts. This memorial serves as a symbol of the fact that, through all the pain, through all the difficulty - you have endured. You keep moving on. You … [Read more...] about A Memorial For Painful Memories