I’ve been heavy and I’ve been not so heavy (I avoid saying, “skinny,” because I’ve never felt skinny a day in my life). The word DIET has been part of my vocabulary since I was at least 9. I spent years upset, depressed, frustrated and plain confused. There were times I lost weight (and felt over the moon) and then gained a ton of it (and felt like crap). I read books, listened to tapes, joined programs – power walking, low-carb, eat your “large meal” within one hour (it was supposed to sneak the food past your insulin response; you’d be surprised how much you can cram down quickly if you plan for it), drink more water (I sloshed), explored my emotions and captured my feelings when I ate or didn’t eat (was “hungry” an emotion?), asked countless skinny girls exploratory questions... you get the picture.

Being “skinny” felt as vague and convoluted as how to get to the moon.
Theoretically I knew it was possible to pull it off; it just seemed overwhelming and daunting. All I could manage was awe for those who had managed it, and forever chastised myself for not being among them.

Looking back, I can see I was fumbling toward the answer – and fumbling is an understatement. But fumble I did and I eventually “figured it all out.” I itched to share my newfound knowledge, absolutely convinced “the truth” would set us all free. I changed careers and built a studio gym – ready to herald my knowledge and spread “the word.”

Sometimes, the recipients took the information and ran with it – a huge success. Most times I found myself pulling teeth (and my own hair) trying to get an overweight person to “get it.” I’ve heard every excuse there is for the scale not moving:



I’m too busy



I’ve been out of town



TV was good last night



I had to go out to dinner a lot this week



I’ve been sick



the conference lunch had bad food choices



my job is stressful



I’m
PMSing



I’ve been busy



I’m backed up (and I don’t mean scheduling)



they made me a cake



I’m too busy



I need wine



I’m genetically fat



my family is sick



I’m allergic to South African bee pollen



my car is at the shop



my dog is sick



these are new shoes



my metabolism thinks I’m starving



my child failed a test



Dunkin' Donuts had a sale



I usually weigh-in in the morning



the soft serve yogurt with Oreo toppings was for calcium



I’m too busy



my cat is sick



beer helps me relax



my tree fell over



I forgot to wash my workout clothes



I’m tired



these are different clothes



my pinky nail fell off



my fridge died; I had to eat it all



the moon is out of phase with Jupiter



I’m too busy

And to that I eventually said, “…then just stay fat.”

A book was born.

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

We need to stop lying
to ourselves and quit
swallowing
all of
the media headlines. Diets aren’t bad,
and
we aren’t starving or ruining our metabolisms
. C
hances are you won’t lose weight fast
. S
top wasting time looking for a silver bullet. It’s not there.

Diet isn’t a Four-Letter Word

The word "diet" has taken a beating. We've come to equate it with punishment, denial, maybe a little shame and, of course, failure. The poor word is now branded. We treat it as evil incarnate. All the talking heads continually repeat “diets don't work.” And our brains hear "don't deny myself
—
eat what I want."

First of all, the word “diet” means the stuff you eat. We all are on a diet of some sort. Or maybe you have abstained from all nutrition, but I
doubt
it.

Second of all, I've got news for you.
D
iets, meaning calorie restriction, DO work. Yes, I said it.

Diets work.

If you restrict what you eat below what you need each day to run your body, the scale will move. If it doesn't, you need to hurry yourself over to a research lab and let them write you up in a medical journal, because you have figured out how to create energy from nothing.

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