Weight Management Tips

June 30, 2022/emattson

Don’t fool yourself into thinking that not working on healthy eating is the “easy way out.” Is it easy feeling out of control? Is it easy worrying about your eating and health? Is it easy feeling overly full? Is it easy worrying about the example you might be setting for your kids? None of those things are easy!

June 29, 2022/emattson

I’m going to eat this food because I want it. I just don’t care about my goals right now.

Response: While I may not feel like I care in this moment, I definitely will care very soon. Look at my Advantages List and remind myself of the huge and profound goals I’m trying to accomplish. These things matter. I really, really do care.

June 28, 2022/emattson

Remember that taking care of yourself is a necessity, not a luxury. If you think, “I can’t take ten minutes to sit down and de-stress in a healthy way,” remind yourself, “Yes I can! There is no better use of ten minutes than taking care of myself.”

June 27, 2022/emattson

Do you have a meal plan for this week? Remember that in-the-moment decisions are the hardest to make well (it uses a different part of your brain), so deciding what to eat in advance greatly increases your chances of healthy eating success.

June 24, 2022/emattson

Do something fun this weekend! The more sources of fun and pleasure you have in your life, the less you’ll turn to food to feel fulfilled.

June 23, 2022/emattson

For many people, eating too little during the day and too much at night go hand in hand. Not only are you likely overly hungry, but you may also be telling yourself, “Since I didn’t eat much all day, it’s okay to eat extra right now.” Eating reasonably throughout the day is one major thing you can start doing to control nighttime eating.

June 22, 2022/emattson

I’m not able to lose weight right now, so I should just give up.

Response: Even if weight loss isn’t possible during this exact moment, weight maintenance is SO MUCH BETTER than gaining weight! At least in maintenance, I get to continue feeling in control and not worry about my health suffering or my clothes getting tight. Maintenance is so, so worth it.

June 21, 2022/emattson

Make sure you are getting to bed on time! Not getting enough sleep/not prioritizing sleep is the single biggest thing you can do to sabotage your healthy eating habits. Sleep matters so much!

June 20, 2022/emattson

None of this is easy, but ALL of this is worth it. As we always say, “It’s work, but it works!”

June 17, 2022/emattson

If you’re dining with other people this weekend, keep in mind that it’s very easy to get distracted by conversation and wind up overeating. It can help to immediately portion off how much you are going to eat because that way, even if you do eat it while distracted, at least you won’t consume more than you had planned.

June 10, 2022/emattson

Make a plan for the weekend! Keep in mind that the thought of having to make a plan is worse than the reality (in reality, you’ll probably feel better and more in control when you have a plan), and the thought of not making a plan is better than the reality (without a plan, chances are you’ll get off track and regret it).

June 9, 2022/emattson

When you go to the grocery store and are tempted to buy things like cookies or chips, ask yourself, “What is the evidence that if I bring this home, I’ll eat it in a way that I feel good about?” If the answer is, “Not much,” then consider not buying it!

May 31, 2022/emattson

Many people only take breaks from work throughout the day to eat because they feel entitled to eat, but not do other things. If you need a break, you’re entitled to take a break! But if you’re not hungry, you’re not entitled to take a break to eat. Work on finding other things you can do during breaks to give yourself the reset that you need.

May 30, 2022/emattson

For many of us, winter weather has passed, so that’s no longer an excuse to not get outside and get fresh air. If you fell out of the habit of walking/biking/running outside during the winter, this week is a great time to restart.

May 27, 2022/emattson

This weekend, work on finding joy in non-food related ways! The more alternative sources of joy you have, the less you’ll turn to food to fill that need.

May 24, 2022/emattson

Critical reminder: Taking care of yourself is a necessity—not a luxury. If you think, “I can’t take ten minutes to sit down and de-stress in a healthy way,” remind yourself, “Yes I can! There is no better use of ten minutes than taking care of myself.”

May 20, 2022/emattson

This weekend, if you think, “I don’t feel like getting to sleep on time,” remind yourself, “Oh, well! Getting enough sleep is the single most important thing I can do to support my healthy eating and exercise goals. I may not feel like getting to bed right now, but tomorrow I’ll be nothing but thankful that I did.” Weekends are hard enough without adding lack of sleep to the equation!

May 19, 2022/emattson

Make sure you continually look out for ways in which you may be engaging in all-or-nothing thinking. Do you think if you can’t exercise for 30+ minutes it’s not worth doing anything? Do you think if you can’t eat or drink EVERYTHING you want to, you won’t be able to enjoy yourself? Do you think that one mistake means you’re completely off track? Remember that, in almost every scenario, there is a lot of middle ground!

May 18, 2022/emattson

The scale isn’t moving. This is so discouraging; maybe I’ll give up.

Response: While it’s true it’s discouraging when the scale doesn’t move, it doesn’t mean I should give up. If I give up, it will never move down (and it’s almost guaranteed to move up). If I keep doing what I’m doing, it will eventually move down, and when it does, I’ll be so glad I stuck with it. Plus, chances are other things ARE moving even if the scale isn’t (I may be losing inches, my blood pressure may be better, my sense of control may be increasing, etc.).

May 17, 2022/emattson

Are you buying things at the grocery store “in case” you might want them over the next week? Is having those things at home taxing your on-track muscle? If so, leave the struggle at the store! Stop buying them and save yourself hours of struggle over the next weeks.

May 16, 2022/emattson

Achieving a really big goal (like losing and maintaining weight) is really a matter of achieving many smaller goals along the way. This week, commit to a smaller goal, like eating everything sitting down or deciding in advance when and how many treats you’ll have. Eventually, the small goals lead up to big ones!

May 13, 2022/emattson

It takes less willpower to stick to an eating decision that you’ve made ahead of time than it does to try to use willpower in the moment to make a good decision. This weekend, plan in advance!     

May 12, 2022/emattson

If every time you make a mistake you start thinking, “I can’t do this. I’ll never succeed,” remind yourself that that is just your hopeless/helpless mode talking. It’s not an accurate depiction of reality. You CAN do it and you ARE doing it, but that doesn’t mean you’ll never make mistakes!

May 11, 2022/emattson

I can’t believe I gave in to that craving. I can’t do this. I should just give up.

Response: Learning to gain control of my eating is a process, and it takes time. I’m not going to learn it overnight, and I’m not going to be good at it overnight. Just because I gave in once, doesn’t negate all the other times I didn’t. I need to take an accurate picture of how things are really going and acknowledge that while I’m not perfect, I’m better than I was. As long as I keep working at it, I’ll keep moving forward.

May 10, 2022/emattson

While we know getting on the scale regularly doesn’t work for everyone, for many people it is a critical accountability tool long-term. Chances are, avoiding the scale has never gotten you to where you want to be. It’s important to prove to yourself that you face the consequences and get on the scale even when you don’t want to. Doing so may help hold you more accountable because you’ll know that you won’t let yourself stick your head in the sand.

May 9, 2022/emattson

One of the things we’re working on this week is trying to establish a daily mindfulness practice. We’re starting with three minutes a day – who wants to join us?

May 6, 2022/emattson

This weekend, you will likely have lots of opportunities to strengthen your on-track muscle (and simultaneously weaken your off-track muscle). If you think, “It’s okay to give in because just this one time won’t matter,” remind yourself that EVERY time matters because every time, you’re strengthening one of those two muscles.

May 5, 2022/emattson

How do you feel physically after you eat a big, heavy meal? How do you feel physically after you eat a reasonable, healthy meal? Our guess is you feel very differently! Next time you’re making a decision about what to eat for a meal, ask yourself, “How do I want to feel when I finish?”

April 29, 2022/emattson

This weekend, if you think something like, “I won’t be able to resist overdoing the desserts at the party,” remind yourself that that is just negative fortune telling! Telling yourself ahead of time you won’t be able to resist overdoing it gives you an excuse to not even try. While it may be hard, it may also be doable!

April 28, 2022/emattson

Be on the lookout for self-deluded thinking, such as, “If no one is watching, [eating this] doesn’t count,” or, “If I eat it standing up, it doesn’t really count.” It all counts!

April 27, 2022/emattson

I’ve made an eating mistake, so I shouldn’t eat anything for the rest of the day.

Response: When I make a mistake, don’t plan not to eat! I don’t deserve punishment. It was only a mistake.

April 26, 2022/emattson

Make sure you have healthy, fast snacks readily available. If you do, chances are you’ll eat one and feel good about it. If you don’t, chances are you’ll eat something less healthy and not feel good about it.

April 25, 2022/emattson

If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. Working on gaining control over your eating is hard but so, so worth it.

April 22, 2022/emattson

If you haven’t yet gotten in the habit of meal planning or meal prep during the weekend for the week ahead, this is the weekend to start! It’s worth it to do everything you can to maximize your chances of success, and meal planning/prep, for almost everyone, is a huge part of that.

April 21, 2022/emattson

If you’re in the habit of getting fast food often, or stopping into a pharmacy and buying a bag of candy and eating it, think about doing that makes you FEEL (not just about how it tastes). If it ultimately doesn’t make you feel good, it’s probably worth working on cutting it out, or at least cutting down on it.

April 20, 2022/emattson

I don’t want to throw away the Easter candy because my kids are eating it.

Response: But am I eating it, too, in a way that I’m not feeling good about? Kids also don’t need a ton of sugar/candy (no one does!), so it may be worth having them pick out a few of their favorite pieces, putting them in bags with their names on it, and getting rid of the rest. While doing so may feel hard in the moment, chances are I’ll feel some relief once it’s gone.

April 19, 2022/emattson

If you’re not doing as well with healthy eating as you’d like, ask yourself if you’re being all-or-nothing in your thinking. Chances are, SOME things are going well. Maybe even A LOT of things are going well, even though everything might not yet be fully in place. Make sure you give yourself credit for the great decisions and actions you are taking.

April 18, 2022/emattson

If you celebrated Easter this past weekend, take a moment to assess the candy/junk food situation in your house. If it’s excessive, remind yourself that all that will do is tax your “on track” muscle and make healthy eating a lot harder. Consider making sure your home environment is working FOR you, not against you.

April 15, 2022/emattson

We know many of you are celebrating Easter this weekend. Take a moment and think about how previous Easters have gone for you and how that made you FEEL. If the answer is “not great,” then make a plan that will help you enjoy the holiday AND enjoy feeling in control. 

April 14, 2022/emattson

It’s so, so important to pay attention to non-scale victories – things like feeling great about sticking to your plan, overcoming a craving, feeling stronger at the gym, finding it easier to move around, etc. The scale is one measure of success, but it’s by no means the only one.

April 13, 2022/emattson

I just want to eat whatever I want today with no restrictions.

Response: Eating “whatever I want” is a great fantasy. It’s so freeing and wonderful. But is it actually a great reality? In reality, when I overeat and feel out of control, it’s not actually very fun. I need to pay attention to what really feels good, not just what I think will feel good.

April 12, 2022/emattson

The only bad workout is the one that didn’t happen. Commit to doing SOMETHING exercise-related this week.

April 11, 2022/emattson

This week, pick one habit that you currently have in place that isn’t serving you well, or pick one habit you’d like to start. Think of ONE small thing you can do to make changes in that direction and implement it, and make sure to give yourself LOTS of credit when you do!

April 8, 2022/emattson

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” What’s your plan to help you stay on track this weekend?

April 7, 2022/emattson

If you’re in the habit of getting fast food often, or stopping into a pharmacy and buying a bag of candy and eating it, think about doing that makes you FEEL (not just about how it tastes). If it ultimately doesn’t make you feel good, it’s probably worth working on cutting it out, or at least cutting down on it.

April 6, 2022/emattson

I don’t want to get on the scale because I think I’ve gained weight.

Response: Not seeing the number doesn’t change the number; it just lowers my ability to take control of the number. Getting back on the scale is an important sign that I’m committed to being on track and taking accountability. Whatever the number is, it’s not set in stone. I can and will make it go down.

April 5, 2022/emattson

While it’s important to not beat yourself up every time you make a mistake, it’s also important to take a few minutes to learn from it so that you can figure out a strategy for next time you’re in a similar situation. In order to do this, ask yourself these three questions: What happened/what was the situation? What were the sabotaging thoughts that got in my way? What can I say and/or do differently next time?

April 4, 2022/emattson

If you’re not doing as well with healthy eating as you’d like, and you think, “I can’t even do it now; how will I ever be able to do it,” remind yourself that not being totally on track is NOT an indication that you can’t do it (now or in the future). It’s simply a sign that you need more practice. But like any skill, the more you practice, the better you’ll get. This is no different!

April 1, 2022/emattson

This weekend, if you think, “Life is too short, so I’m just going to eat whatever I want,” remind yourself, “Actually, life is too short to be spent unhappy and unhealthy. If I want to feel great and live my life the way I want to, then I need to do what I can to feel in control of my eating.”

March 31, 2022/emattson

If you think, “I have to eat a lot at [this meal] or I might get too hungry,” remind yourself that there is ALWAYS another meal or snack coming. There will always be more food.

March 30, 2022/emattson

I’m just not an exerciser.

Response: That’s just an excuse! Even if I don’t naturally enjoy exercise, it doesn’t mean I can’t learn to enjoy the physical and psychological benefits of it. Telling myself that I’m not an exerciser will become a self-fulfilling prophesy. 

March 29, 2022/emattson

Don’t let your end-of-the-day-self sabotage your healthy eating goals by relying on him/her to make decisions. Your morning self is a MUCH better, more reliable self to be making decisions, so let that person be your guide!

March 28, 2022/emattson

If you’re not great at self-care, you’re likely going to be vulnerable to turning to food when you get stressed or upset because you won’t have other ways of calming down or soothing yourself. This week, focus on building other means of comfort and stress relief into your life so you have other things to turn to besides food.

March 25, 2022/emattson

This weekend, consider the rule of one: one serving at meals, one scoop of ice cream for dessert, one serving of chips at the restaurant, etc. Sticking to just one means you get to enjoy some food and continue making progress towards your goals.

March 24, 2022/emattson

If you think, “I just want to be free to eat whatever I want,” take some time to think about how eating in that way actually makes you feel. It’s a great fantasy, but for most people it’s not a great reality because they don’t feel good physically or psychologically as a result of overeating.

March 23, 2022/emattson

I’m going to eat because I just need to feel better NOW.

Response: While it may be true that I need to feel better, it’s not true that I need to EAT to feel better. There are other things I can do to help myself feel better that won’t sabotage other goals I have. Do something else that will help me feel better now AND later.

March 22, 2022/emattson

If you’re an emotional eater, remember that you learned to eat when you were feeling bad, but you can unlearn it too. It’s not a given that food is the only way to feel better. What else are you going to do the next time you get stressed/anxious/angry/bored?

March 21, 2022/emattson

This week, focus on your home environment. It’s easier to reduce or eliminate the need for willpower than to expect yourself to exert it in any given moment. If there are certain foods in your house that continually sabotage you, get rid of them!

March 18, 2022/emattson

In the moment, decisions are made by your “hot” brain, which is wired to care only about instant gratification. Future-oriented decisions use your “cool,” which cares about delayed gratification/every goal you have (not just what you want in any given moment). It’s not a guarantee that the hot brain will get it wrong, but it is a guarantee that it’s a lot less likely to get it right. If you eat out this weekend, look at menus in advance and let your cool brain make the decision about what to eat! 

March 17, 2022/emattson

A common thinking mistake people make is mind-reading – assuming they know what someone will think if they do or don’t eat something. Maybe you know, but maybe you don’t! Just because you’re hyper-aware of your food actions, doesn’t mean everyone else is.

March 16, 2022/emattson

I need a break from work, so I’m going to have a snack.

Response: If I need a break, it’s legitimate to take a break, but if I’m not hungry, it’s not legitimate to take a break to eat. I need to feel entitled to give myself breaks that don’t have anything to do with food.

March 15, 2022/emattson

Everyone has stress in their lives, so we can’t use feeling stressed as a reason to let go of healthy eating. Stress will be there either way. Make a list of things you can do the next time you feel stressed that will help you calm down without eating. Without a specific plan like this in place, chances are you’ll continue to turn to food to serve that purpose.

March 14, 2022/emattson

How are you doing with sugar? If you’re eating too much of it, consider focusing on adopting the plan of having one reasonable portion of dessert at night. Plan and portion out in advance what dessert you’ll have (no spontaneous decisions!). Then, decide in advance what highly distracting activity you’ll do once you finish to get your mind off of food and onto something else. 

March 11, 2022/emattson

What are you doing for fun this weekend?  As a reminder, the more sources of non-food-related fun/joy we have, the less we turn to food (or alcohol) to fill that need.

March 10, 2022/emattson

If you’re someone who eats after finishing work for the day, you might be using food to de-stress and transition from work mode to home mode. Consider putting other strategies in place to achieve this, like listening to a song, reading Response Cards, deep breathing, or going for a quick walk.

March 9, 2022/emattson

It’s so unfair that I have to work on this and other people don’t.

Response: Chances are, they’re working on it too! Many more people than I may realize are working hard to gain or maintain control over their eating. But in any case, what other people are (or aren’t) eating just isn’t relevant to the goals I have for myself.

March 7, 2022/emattson

One thing we know about habits is that when something is part of your identity, it becomes easier and easier to do it.  For example, you might have the identity, “I’m a regular exerciser,” or “I’m someone who makes healthy decisions,” or “I relieve stress in helpful ways.”  This week, think about what identities you have or ones you’d like to start putting into place!

March 4, 2022/emattson

If you’ve had a hard week, you might be tempted to eat to de-stress and make yourself feel better. Remember that you’re entitled to feel better and you’re entitled to take care of yourself, but you’re also entitled to get everything on your Advantages List, so you have to find other ways to comfort/treat yourself.

March 3, 2022/emattson

If you find yourself trying to rationalize eating something: “It’s okay because I’ll just have a little; I won’t eat anything later; I had a small lunch, etc.,” consider using that as a cue to NOT eat. Remind yourself, “Once the situation has passed, I won’t be sorry I didn’t eat it.”

March 2, 2022/emattson

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s too hard to maintain control over my eating in the evenings.

Response: While it is hard, it’s by no means impossible. With a strong plan of exactly what and when I’m going to eat, and Response Cards to help me stick to it, I know I can do it.

March 1, 2022/emattson

Make sure you have healthy, fast snacks readily available. If you do, chances are high you’ll eat one and feel good about it. If you don’t, chances are you’ll eat something less healthy and feel less good about it.

February 28, 2022/emattson

Whenever you have an experience where you stayed in control of your eating and felt really good about it, make sure you write it down! Reading these cards will help motivate you when you’re feeling down and remind you that you CAN do it, and when you do, it feels great. 

February 25, 2022/emattson

This weekend, focus on making your home environment work in your favor, not against you. Are there some foods you should just throw out? Any treats on the counter that you should put away? Go make those changes! 

February 24, 2022/emattson

Everyone has stress in their lives, so we can’t use feeling stressed as a reason to let go of healthy eating. Stress will be there either way. Make a list of things you can do the next time you feel stressed that will help you calm down without eating. Without a specific plan like this in place, chances are you’ll continue to turn to food to serve that purpose. 

February 23, 2022/emattson

I always forget to drink enough water during the day. 

Response: I need to set up a reminder system! Try setting an alarm on my phone. Or putting three rubber bands on my water bottle and every time I empty it, take a rubber band off. Once I build the habit, it will get a lot easier to continue drinking water consistently. 

February 22, 2022/emattson

When you’re eating dinner, keep the serving dishes off the table! Having more food immediately available greatly increases the chances that you’ll eat extra. 

February 21, 2022/emattson

What are some of the advantages of staying in control of your eating? Some of our biggest ones are: FEELING BETTER; not feeling like a dark cloud is hanging over us; setting a good example for our families; feeling confident; feeling proud of ourselves. 

February 18, 2022/emattson

This weekend, focus on good sleep hygiene. Getting enough sleep is one of the most important things you can do to support your weight loss efforts. 

February 17, 2022/emattson

If you’re at the supermarket trying to decide whether or not to buy something that you just know may cause you to get off track, remember to LEAVE THE STRUGGLE AT THE STORE! It’s just not worth it.

February 16, 2022/emattson

I’m beaten down by COVID stress after two years. I just don’t care anymore. 

Response: There are still reasons to care!  I need to remember that feeling in control of my eating and my choices feels better than being out of control. There are plenty of things to stress about these days, but maintaining control of my eating can be a huge source of feeling good.  

February 15, 2022/emattson

Eating too little during the day and too much at night go hand in hand. Not only are you likely overly hungry, but you may also be telling yourself, “Since I didn’t eat much all day, it’s okay to eat extra right now.” Eating reasonably throughout the day is one major thing you can do to start control nighttime eating.

February 14, 2022/emattson

Remember, you don’t grow on your easiest days; you grow on your hardest days. Even if you face challenges this week, they are opportunities to learn and develop. You can do this!

February 11, 2022/emattson

If you’re doing some type of counting system (counting carbs/calories/points etc.) remember that your budget per day is just like any other budget. If you spend more in one area, it means you spend less in another (or if you spend less in one area, you get to spend more somewhere else). This weekend, make sure you have a plan to spend your budget where it makes the most sense!

February 9, 2022/emattson

I start out counting calories but always end up petering out by the end of the day. 

Response: While counting SOME calories is great, chances are I won’t be able to lose weight unless I do the whole day. It’s like running 24 miles of 26.2 marathon. It’s a lot of work but unless I run the last 2.2 I don’t get my finisher’s medal. Today I’m going to do the whole thing! 

February 8, 2022/emattson

Are you getting takeout frequently? It’s so helpful to have a list of restaurants and takeout options that work within your healthy eating guidelines so that every time you’re getting takeout, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel trying to figure out what to order.

February 7, 2022/emattson

We know we say this all the time, but it’s so important to pay attention to EVERY sign of progress! Even if the scale isn’t showing your hard work yet, we bet you can see signs of it everywhere else (making healthier choices, feeling better going to bed at night, spending less money on impulse food buys, etc.). 

February 4, 2022/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Remember, come Monday morning, you’ll look back at your weekend and feel PROUD of the times you stayed in control, not regretful. You likely won’t think, “I should have had an extra slice of chocolate cake,” or “I should have had a second glass of wine.” It just will not happen!

February 2, 2022/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s okay because just this one time doesn’t matter.

Response: Every time matters because every time I’m either strengthening my on-track habit or my off-track habit. Which one do I want to strengthen?

February 1, 2022/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: It’s not about having time, it’s about making time. You CAN find time to prepare healthy food, meal plan, exercise, etc., if you make it a top priority. Maybe you don’t have time to exercise 60 minutes a day or meal prep two hours on the weekend, but ANYTHING is better than nothing.

January 31, 2022/Other

Monday Motivation: If you’ve made a resolution to eat healthier this year, remember that learning to do this is like learning to play the piano. You start out with easier skills/pieces, practice them, get better and better at them, and then move on to harder ones. If you were learning to play the piano, you would never think that hitting a wrong note was an indication that you couldn’t do it or that you should give up; you would simply accept it as part of the learning process. Healthy eating is no different!

January 28, 2022/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: You might be able to get away with not reading Response Cards regularly during the week, but don’t fool yourself into thinking it will work on the weekend. For most people, weekends are a lot tougher, so make sure you use every tool in your arsenal and give yourself the best shot at staying on track. 

January 26, 2022/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I just want to eat without consequence.

Response: Oh, well! I don’t like that I can’t eat without consequences, but I can’t change that fact (not if I want to lose weight and keep it off). I need to stop struggling against it, accept that this is the way it is, and move on.

January 25, 2022/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: If you make an eating mistake and start to catastrophize, ask yourself, “What would I say to my best friend if she told me about a mistake she made?” Chances are, you’d be more compassionate to a friend than you would be to yourself. When working on changing your eating habits, you’ll make many, many mistakes. It’s important to be compassionate to yourself so that you’re able to learn from them and move on.

January 24, 2022/Other

Monday Motivation: Working on healthy eating is generally easy in the beginning because motivation is high, but at some point (whether in three weeks or three months), it gets harder. This is completely NORMAL, and it happens to everyone. As long as you keep at it, it will get easier again. But, if you’re still riding the new year, new you high – keep the streak going! Make that motivation last as long as possible.

January 21, 2022/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: It’s much easier to stay in control when you maintain some type of eating schedule, even during the weekend, so that you don’t wind up just grazing all day. This weekend, don’t let unstructured time become unstructured eating.

January 20, 2022/Other

Thursday Think Tip: It’s critically important to be tuned in to your thoughts, so you can learn what your common sabotaging thoughts are and come up with responses to them. The next time you eat something unplanned or that you know you probably shouldn’t, ask yourself, “What was just going through my head? What did I say to myself? ‘I know I shouldn’t eat this, but it’s okay because…?’”

January 19, 2022/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t like working on healthy eating because the food is so boring.

Response: First, the food doesn’t have to be boring if I take the time to prepare healthy and delicious meals. Second, even if the food is more boring for a period of time, that’s okay! Food isn’t my only source of excitement; besides, all the benefits of losing weight will be INCREDIBLY exciting.

January 18, 2022/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: Focus on the process, not on the goal. If the goal is to see the scale come down, focus on the things that will make that happen (your healthy eating skills). Just focusing on the goal doesn’t get you there – it’s the process that does.

January 17, 2022/Other

Monday Motivation: “I really regret eating healthy today,” said NO ONE EVER! This week, focus on healthy eating. You won’t regret it!

January 14, 2022/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you get off track at any point this weekend, IMMEDIATELY RECOVER! You’ll be so proud of your ability to get back on track, instead of mad at yourself for slipping up.

January 13, 2022/Other

Thursday Think Tip: Are you reading your Advantages List and Response Cards? If you’ve let those things drop off, restart today. They’re critical tools for motivation and will help you remember why all this effort is worth it.

January 12, 2022/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s okay to eat this because it’s healthy.

Response: I can gain weight eating all healthy foods, too. Just because it’s healthy doesn’t mean it doesn’t have calories. Eating healthy foods is a great thing to strive for, but I have to make sure that whatever I eat (healthy or not) fits in with my overall day.

January 11, 2022/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: It’s important to remember that you need to make eating decisions based on what works for you, not what everyone around you is doing. Remind yourself that what everyone around you is eating is irrelevant, and that if you eat extra, you’ll gain weight, regardless of whether others are overeating, too.

January 10, 2022/Other

Monday Motivation: If you think, “I can’t believe how much I overate this weekend,” remind yourself: “I can’t change what I ate in the past, only what I eat today and in the future. So, instead of ruminating on past mistakes, I need to focus on making today a great day!”

January 7, 2022/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Make sure you eat regular meals this weekend. Don’t allow yourself to just graze throughout the day. Grazing is the absolute best way to take in the most calories with the least amount of satisfaction. Sit down, eat real meals, and you’ll feel much more satisfied while taking in less food overall.

January 6, 2022/Other

Thursday Think Tip: Did you get off track with things like drinking water, meditation, or meal planning during the busy holiday season? If so, TODAY IS THE DAY to restart!

January 5, 2022/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m just not an exerciser.

Response: Just because I haven’t been able to institute a consistent exercise routine in the past, doesn’t mean this can’t be the time I finally make it a habit. January is a great time to recommit to a REASONABLE exercise plan. I need to start somewhere – a 10-minute walk three times this week – and work up from there.

January 4, 2022/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: We know that much like 2020, 2021 was a weird and often hard year. We can’t know what 2022 brings because so much is out of our control. Instead of focusing on what you can’t control, focus on what you CAN control – your eating and your exercise. Those things will make you feel good!

January 3, 2022/Other

Monday Motivation: This week, start the year off right. Instead of thinking about what you can’t have when you’re working on eating healthfully, focus on what you can have – delicious and healthy food, a reasonable amount of treats, good health, better self-confidence, a stable wardrobe, a more peaceful relationship with food, great feelings, etc.

December 31, 2021/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you’re making a goal to lose weight/get healthier in 2021, get on the scale! See where you’re starting from! Avoiding the scale makes it easier to avoid other healthy habits. Just remember, if you felt sick, took your temperature, and saw you had a fever, you would never think, “I can’t believe I let my temperature get this high! I’m such a weak person.” The number on the scale is the same – it’s just INFORMATION about whether what you’re doing is working. It says nothing about who you are as a person.

December 30, 2021/Other

Thursday Think Tip: While staying in control of your eating is harder during the holidays, the good news is that when you manage to do so, it feels extra great! The harder it is to stay on track, the more positive feelings you get as a result. Remind yourself that staying on track during a normal day feels good, but staying on track during a holiday feels AMAZING!

December 29, 2021/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m in that weird zone between Christmas and New Years when everything feels a bit off, so I’m just going to go with it and let my eating be unstructured, too.

Response: Just because my time is unstructured, doesn’t mean my eating should be! Continuing to eat regular meals and giving myself food that my body can use feels great, regardless of whether I’m in my regular routine right now.

December 28, 2021/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: Repeat after me: I CAN DO IT!

December 27, 2021/Other

Monday Motivation: Another Monday reminder to take stock of the food in your kitchen and see if there’s anything that’s just not working for you to have in the house. We want to remind you after a holiday that it’s okay to get rid of leftovers! If you have highly tempting food in your house, either make a plan for how much you’ll have, and/or make a plan to get it out of the house so that it doesn’t tempt you and tax your resistance muscle.

December 24, 2021/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, keep in mind: “I won’t regret the extra food I don’t eat, but I definitely will regret overeating. I never regret skipping extra food once the temptation has passed!”

December 23, 2021/Other

Thursday Think Tip: If you’re going to be preparing holiday food this week, make sure you don’t fall into the trap of eating while standing up in the kitchen. Your body processes all calories the same, whether or you’re eating standing up or not.

December 22, 2021/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m off track anyway. I’ll just worry about my eating once the new year hits.

Response: Don’t wait! Every day I stay off track is another day I ultimately don’t feel good about myself or my eating. It’s worth it to recover RIGHT NOW and start feeling good. When I do, then I’ll start the new year in a good place, instead of in a place where I need to make lots of changes.

December 21, 2021/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: If you’ve received gifted holiday food and feel guilty about not eating it, remember that not eating it doesn’t take away the nice gesture. Make sure you keep your home environment one that works in your favor, not against you. There are enough treats tempting you almost everywhere you look this time of year; your home doesn’t need to add to that.

December 20, 2021/Other

Monday Motivation: How has your eating been going so far this holiday season? If you need some extra motivation (or if things haven’t been going well), take a moment to regroup and think about the reasons why it’s worth it to you to stay on track. Then, write them down in a special Holidays Advantages List and start reading it every day, at least once a day.

December 17, 2021/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: What are your fun plans for this weekend? What is your plan FOR those plans? If you’re not in habit of asking yourself these questions every Friday, it’s time to start now!

December 16, 2021/Other

Thursday Think Tip: Are you drinking enough water? This is important year-round. Consider setting a water goal for yourself, like refilling a big 20 oz cup three times a day. Start out the day with three rubber bands on your cup and every time you finish it, take one off.

December 15, 2021/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t want to have to work on healthy eating during the holidays.

Response: It’s true that I don’t want to think about healthy eating, but I also don’t want to: not fit into my pants, avoid being in pictures, feel out of control of my eating, etc. While maintaining healthy eating this time of year is hard, it’s still much better than the alternative!

December 14, 2021/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: Remember – unfortunately, your body doesn’t know or care what you don’t eat. It only knows what you do. So, just because you passed up treats four times, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s okay to have the fifth.

December 13, 2021/Other

Monday Motivation: It’s important that the IDEA of having to work on healthy eating this week might not seem appealing, but the REALITY of eating in an unrestricted way often doesn’t actually feel that great. Feeling in control and making choices that you know are good for your health are what actually feel good.

December 10, 2021/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, if you think, “It’s not fair that I can’t eat like everyone else,” remind yourself, “Thank goodness I’m not eating like everyone else! Most people gain weight during the holiday season, and my goal is the opposite.”

December 9, 2021/Other

Thursday Think Tip: Make sure you plan to have your favorite foods this holiday season, but decide in advance when and how much! That way, if you come in contact with a food you love, you won’t have the sabotaging thought, “I never get to have this, so it’s okay,” because you’ll know exactly when you get to have it. 

December 8, 2021/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I just don’t care.

Response: While it’s true that I don’t care right at this moment, I’m going to care A LOT a few minutes from now if I jeopardize my weight management. I can’t let this one moment of not caring influence how I act because I know I will care again, and when I do, I’ll be SO happy and proud I didn’t give in.

December 7, 2021/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: We’re at the time of year when some people who have been struggling to stay in control of their eating decide to just “let it slide” until January and work on refocusing then. We know that can feel like the easy way out, but it’s really NOT easy! It’s not easy to feel out of control and feel like food has power over us. It’s not easy to notice our clothes getting tighter and worrying about our heath. Focusing on healthy eating is hard, too – but at least it comes with the potential of great consequences.

December 6, 2021/Other

Monday Motivation: It takes less willpower to stick to an eating decision that you’ve made ahead of time than it does to try to use willpower in the moment to make a good decision. This week, focus on planning in advance and you’ll save yourself a lot of struggle. 

December 3, 2021/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: You might be able to get away with not reading Response Cards regularly during the week, but don’t fool yourself into thinking it will work on the weekend. For most people, weekends are a lot tougher, so make sure you use every tool in your arsenal and give yourself the best shot at staying on track. 

December 2, 2021/Other

Thursday Think Tip: Instead of a tip, we have a question for you: What are you giving yourself credit for today? If the answer isn’t easily accessible, it most likely means you’re not focusing enough on credit.

December 1, 2021/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I have to eat extra of this food because I never get to have it. 

Response: There is almost no food that I can’t buy, make, or order 365 days a year. Just because I don’t normally come in contact with a specific food, doesn’t mean I can’t make the effort to do so.

November 30, 2021/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: We’re now in the busy holiday time of year when people are more likely to drop healthy habits like exercise and meditation, simply because they have so much going on. Don’t fall into that trap! Especially during the holidays, exercise and meditation are extra important to provide healthy outlets and stress relief. 

November 29, 2021/Other

Monday Motivation: We want to remind you that it’s okay to get rid of leftovers! If you have highly tempting food in your house, either make a plan for when and how much you’ll have, and/or make a plan to get it out of the house so that it doesn’t tempt you and tax your resistance muscle. 

November 26, 2021/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: How did everyone fare yesterday? If you stayed in control – GREAT! Give yourself lots and lots of credit and keep doing what you’re doing. If you got off track – move on! Make the commitment to getting back on track THIS MINUTE and give yourself lots of credit for doing so. 

November 25, 2021/Other

Thursday Thanksgiving Tip: Happy Thanksgiving! Remember, today is ultimately a day for giving thanks for the blessings in your life. What food you do or don’t eat will not take away from that.

November 24, 2021/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t need to make a plan for Thanksgiving this year. 

Response: Of course I do! Just because Thanksgiving may look different (again!) this year doesn’t mean I should rely on spontaneous eating decisions! Plan in advance what I’m going to eat, and I’ll hugely increase my likelihood of staying on track. 

November 23, 2021/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: The time and energy for healthy eating and exercise will NEVER just magically appear, and especially not during the busy holiday season. This means that you’ll likely need to be more deliberate in figuring out how and when you will make the time and energy; but absolutely, 100%, it’s worth it! 

November 22, 2021/Other

Monday Motivation: When you’re working on losing weight, there are a lot of hard moments. Moments when you’re having a craving, when you’re tired, when you’re feeling stressed or anxious and want to eat. But there are also so, so many great moments. When you feel great at the end of the day. When you get on the scale stress-free. When you overcome a craving and feel really proud. Make sure you pay attention to the great moments! What are some of yours?

November 19, 2021/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, remember, when you say “no” to eating something, you’re also saying “yes” to even better things – losing weight, better health, increased self-confidence, feeling proud of yourself, and more. Focus on what you’re saying YES to! 

November 18, 2021/Other

Thursday Think Tip: Recently, one of our clients didn’t buy candy at the supermarket. Instead of feeling proud of herself (as we did for her!), she felt some sense of shame, thinking, “I shouldn’t have bought it anyway.” What a huge shame it was that she was “shoulding” on herself and instead of feeling triumphant, she felt something negative. Make sure you’re not interfering with giving yourself credits by telling yourself you “should” or “shouldn’t” be doing something anyway.

November 17, 2021/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I only deserve credit once I reach my goals.

Response: NOPE! I deserve credit every step of the way. When my kid was learning to read, did she deserve credit only when she could read chapter books? No! She deserved credit for every word she learned along the way. THIS IS THE SAME!

November 16, 2021/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: If you want to feel good in your head and your body, you likely won’t be able to eat all of the holiday food you want, in whatever quantities you want. HOWEVER, this doesn’t mean that you can’t have a plan for when and how you will enjoy certain treats, and in doing so you will be able to enjoy holiday food, enjoy staying in control, AND enjoy not feeling stuffed.

November 15, 2021/Other

Monday Motivation: Once you have healthy habits established, eating healthfully will get so much easier because your habits will carry you to where you want to go. It can be hard to get them in place, but it’s worth the effort because the payoff is enormous!

November 12, 2021/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: How is eating sitting down, slowly, and mindfully going? If you’ve lost sight of those healthy habits, take this weekend to refocus and put them back into place. 

November 11, 2021/Other

Thursday Thanksgiving Tip: Thanksgiving is only two weeks away! If you think, “I’ll feel really deprived if I don’t get to eat everything on the table,” remind yourself, “If I keep telling myself that I’m going to feel deprived, I definitely will. Instead of concentrating on the things I’m not eating, I need to focus on enjoying what I am eating and spending time with my loved ones (if I’m able to do that this year).” 

November 10, 2021/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I’ve made an eating mistake, so I shouldn’t eat anything for the rest of the day. 

Response: When I make a mistake, don’t plan to not eat! I don’t deserve punishment. It was only a mistake. 

November 9, 2021/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: If you don’t feel like doing what you need to eat healthfully this week, do it anyway! Remember that you don’t base other decisions on whether you feel like it in the moment (doing things for your kids, putting on your seatbelt, meeting work deadlines, etc.). Put these things in the same category.

November 8, 2021/Other

Monday Motivation: Staying on track, while it can feel very difficult in the moment, is actually a stress-reducer overall because it gives you something to feel really proud about and makes you feel in control. This week, focus on giving yourself credit for all the positive decisions you’re making. 

November 5, 2021/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you haven’t been meal planning, this weekend is a great time to start. It will make the week go so much more smoothly – and maximize your chances of staying on track – if you have food decisions figured out in advance.

November 4, 2021/Other

Thursday Think Tip: You can’t stop your brain from producing sabotaging thoughts. It isn’t about not having them at all, it’s about learning to respond to them effectively. The part you can control is whether you give in to them.

November 3, 2021/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I can’t get rid of all the leftover Halloween candy; that’s not fair to my kids. 

Response: Do my kids really need to be eating all of this, anyway? There is a big middle ground between letting them have no candy and letting them have way too much. Maybe they’ll be willing to keep some and can feel good about donating the rest. 

November 2, 2021/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: While we do believe that getting on the scale is a helpful accountability tool, we also believe that it’s just a number! It doesn’t define you or say anything about your character. You are more than that number.

November 1, 2021/Other

Monday Motivation: What’s the candy situation in your house right now? Too much? If you think, “I can’t get rid of it because it’s a waste of money,” remind yourself that the money is already gone! Eating all the candy won’t bring the money back, it will just sabotage your goals. 

October 29, 2021/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Important Halloween Reminder: Overeating candy will not make you feel good. Remember that with a reasonable plan, you can enjoy some Halloween candy and still enjoy feeling on track, feeling in control, and not feeling sick from over-indulging. If you haven’t already done so, make a plan right now. 

October 28, 2021/Other

Thursday Think Tip: Are you reading Response Cards every day? If you’re not, it’s time to start! Your brain will make plenty of sabotaging thoughts all on its own. You need every bit of ammunition to respond to them.

October 27, 2021/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I just want to snack all evening long.

Response: If I get the urge to snack all evening long (especially if I’ve had a reasonable dinner), then it’s NOT about hunger! It’s about boredom, or being tired, or needing some pleasure. There are many other ways to achieve these ends without sabotaging my weight loss goals, so I’m going to find something else to do.

October 26, 2021/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: Did you buy Halloween candy already? Is it tempting you? If so, get rid of it. Hide it. Give it away. Do something so that it’s not hanging around and taxing your resistance muscle the rest of the week.

October 25, 2021/Other

Monday Motivation: We are heading into the holiday season. If you haven’t been on track lately, now is the time to start. Even if other holiday seasons have gotten the best of you in the past, this can be the year that you make a change. This can be the year that you get it right. And it starts TODAY!

October 22, 2021/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Don’t go out this weekend and buy Halloween candy! It’s early, and chances are high that you might get into it before next weekend (and if you don’t, having it in the house might tax your resistance muscle).

October 21, 2021/Other

Thursday Think Tip: Whenever you have a big success (you overcome a craving, you don’t give in to the urge to emotionally eat, you order a healthy takeout meal, you stay on track at an event), ask yourself, “How did I do it? What was I saying to myself?” Then, write it down! If it worked once, it’s likely to work again.

October 20, 2021/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s okay to eat extra because it’s a rare treat, and I never get to have it. 

Response: Just because I don’t come in contact with this food often, doesn’t mean I couldn’t seek it out; there is almost no food that I couldn’t buy or make 365 days a year. I don’t need to overdo it now because I can ALWAYS get it again.

October 19, 2021/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: If healthy eating feels really depriving to you, you may be giving food a bigger role than it deserves. Food is a pleasure in life, but it’s not the only one. Try building other sources of pleasure and excitement. You’ll rely less on food to be “fun,” and healthy eating will be easier. 

October 18, 2021/Other

Monday Motivation: No matter how the weekend went, Monday is always an opportunity for a fresh start. Starting right now, give yourself credit for every positive thing you do towards meeting your weight loss goals. It will help you feel better, raise your confidence, and give you motivation to keep going. 

October 15, 2021/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Your “hot brain” is the brain that makes in-the-moment decisions. It is only wired to care about instant gratification and not those things on your Advantages List. Your “cool brain,” by contrast, cares about delayed gratification and all the goals you have. This weekend, harness the power of the cool brain by making decisions IN ADVANCE!

October 14, 2021/Other

Thursday Think Tip: If “healthy” eating feels very depriving to you, it may be that you actually ARE depriving yourself! If you think that being on track means never having desserts/carbs/alcohol, remember that being all-or-nothing about these things helps with weight loss but doesn’t help with long-term maintenance. Push back against your restrictive thinking and start figuring out where and when these foods have a place.

October 13, 2021/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I can still eat like I used to and look the way I used to. 

Response: What’s the evidence for that? In the past, factors were likely different. I was younger, had more time to exercise, didn’t have kids, etc. I have to accept that now circumstances have changed and if I want results, I have to do things differently.

October 12, 2021/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: You don’t “cure” emotional eating by removing all comfort foods. You do it by learning to comfort yourself without food. What are some ways you comfort yourself that don’t involve eating?

October 11, 2021/Other

Monday Motivation: To our friends up North: Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! If you’re celebrating today, think about how you want to feel when you go to bed tonight (pleasantly full and satisfied? Overly full and bloated?) Then, make a plan based on that!

October 8, 2021/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, get out there and move! The weather has cooled down, so now is the perfect time to get some exercise outside.

October 7, 2021/Other

Thursday Think Tip: If you get the COVID scaries and start thinking, “The world is too crazy and chaotic right now. I can’t worry about my eating,” remind yourself, “I must continue to prioritize healthy eating because that means I’m prioritizing self-care. Getting off track, feeling out of control, watching the scale go up, feeling my clothes get tighter: these things will make me feel so much worse. It’s not worth it.”

October 6, 2021/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: Gaining control of my eating/losing weight shouldn’t be this hard.

Response: It’s supposed to get hard from time to time. It gets (temporarily) harder for everyone. Remember how hard it used to be? It’s easier today than it was a year ago, and it will be a lot easier a year from today, as long as I keep practicing my skills and don’t give up. 

October 5, 2021/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: The next time you know you have a stressful situation coming up (like a doctor’s appointment for yourself or a loved one), ask yourself: how will I get through this without eating? Make a plan in advance for the ways you will deal with stress and anxiety so you don’t end up turning to food. 

October 4, 2021/Other

Monday Motivation: There’s a difference between things that are really hard and things that are impossible. If you feel daunted by the prospect of losing and maintaining weight, remind yourself that it is a matter of learning and practicing (over and over again) necessary skills. It’s hard, but it’s so worth it! What’s one thing you’re doing this week to support your efforts?

October 1, 2021/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Reaching our goals does entail turning down some food some of the time, but not all food all the time! This weekend, focus on the food that you WILL be eating, not on the food you won’t. 

September 30, 2021/Other

Thursday Think Tip: For most people, all-or-nothing simply doesn’t work. When people are all-or-nothing about their eating plan – believing they are either totally perfect or totally off of it – it makes it much more likely that one mistake will spiral into more. When they are all-or-nothing about food – believing that there are some foods they should cut out entirely when they’re “being good” – it makes it much more likely that once they start eating a “bad” food, they won’t be able to stop, because they’ll have the thought, “I don’t know when I’ll allow myself to eat this food again, so I better eat as much of it as I can right now.” 

September 29, 2021/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t want to stick to my restaurant plan right now; I’m too hungry. 

Response: Even if I think I’m really hungry and won’t be satisfied, that’s not true! I’m always satisfied when I leave a restaurant.

September 28, 2021/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: When you impulsively eat standing up, you’re telling yourself that it doesn’t really matter and that there won’t be any consequences – but there always are because you’re strengthening your giving-in muscle. Besides, even if you’re “only” eating vegetables standing up today, tomorrow it might be chocolate. 

September 27, 2021/Other

Monday Motivation: Even professional tennis players miss balls. You don’t have to be “perfect” on your eating plan (because no one is perfect!) to achieve your goals. You CAN and WILL make mistakes, but just pick up the very next ball and get right back in the game.

September 24, 2021/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: We’ve been asking this a lot lately, but we’ll ask it again: what are you doing for FUN this weekend? We know that many of our old possibilities are not always an option anymore, but there is still fun to be had besides eating.

September 23, 2021/Other

Thursday Think Tip: If you think, “It’s not really that important to go to bed on time,” remind yourself, “It really is that important. Staying up too late makes me overeat both at night and the next day, because I have less mental and physical energy. Staying on track is hard enough as it is – it’s worth doing everything I can to make it easier.” 

September 22, 2021/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t want to work on healthy eating right now because I just don’t feel like thinking about it. 

Response: Either way, I’m going to think about it. When I’m off track, I spend time thinking about needing to get back on track and feeling guilty about my eating. There’s no such thing as not thinking about it. 

September 21, 2021/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: One of our clients recently learned the following crucial fact: “I can do hard things.” YOU can do hard things. It doesn’t have to be easy for you to do it.

September 20, 2021/Other

Monday Motivation: If you’ve gotten off track with your eating, don’t expect yourself to immediately be able to put everything back into place. You need to build your resistance muscle back up first! Think about what feels doable this week. Recommit to it, do it (giving yourself credit!), and then add one or more steps next week. 

September 17, 2021/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you eat out this weekend and stay in control, give yourself a lot of credit. When you get home, don’t say to yourself, “I was so good, now I deserve to treat myself,” because you will undo all your hard work. Feeling in control and achieving your goals are the best treat! 

September 16, 2021/Other

Thursday Think Tip: If you think, “I’m going to try to eat extra to see what I can get away with,” remind yourself that the only thing you’ll really ‘get away with’ is either not losing weight or losing it much more slowly.

September 15, 2021/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m exhausted, but I have work to do, so I can’t sleep. I’ll eat to give me energy. 

Response: Even though I feel exhausted, it doesn’t mean I can’t push through and still get my work done. If I eat every time I feel tired, it’s likely I won’t be able to lose weight.

September 14, 2021/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: When clients tell us, “I had a really hard week,” we ask them, “Was it hard for every single hour of every single day?” The answer is (virtually always) no. Letting the memory of the hard times influence your perception of the week as a whole can be very demoralizing and unmotivating. Keeping the hard times in perspective will help you recognize that you CAN and ARE doing it, despite some hard times.

September 13, 2021/Other

Monday Motivation: Remember, it’s a combination of all the “little” things – like resisting an unplanned snack, making it a priority to eat sitting down, going for a walk when you feel stressed – that will enable you to reach your goals. It’s all the daily things that lead up to BIG changes! 

September 10, 2021/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you come in contact with food pushers this weekend, remember that in terms of your eating, you only have to answer to yourself. Don’t let comments or predicted reactions from others influence how you eat. You’re working on healthy eating because it’s an important goal for YOU. You don’t need to explain or answer to anybody else about this! 

September 9, 2021/Other

Thursday Think Tip: Staying on track – while it can feel very difficult in the moment – is actually a stress-reducer overall, because it gives you something to feel proud of and makes you feel in control. 

September 8, 2021/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s okay to eat this because I’m having a bad day. 

Response: It’s not okay to eat extra, because although my mind knows I’m having a bad day, my body doesn’t. Besides, if I overeat, I’ll feel bad and guilty, which will make me even more unhappy. If I stay on track with my eating, it’s highly likely my day will start to feel better, not worse. 

September 7, 2021/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: If you make mistake, it’s important to label it as such. It’s a mistake, not a catastrophe. The worse you make it seem in your head, the harder it will be to recover from. If you recognize that it’s just a small mistake and everyone makes mistakes, it won’t be such a hard leap to get right back on track. 

September 6, 2021/Other

Monday Motivation: Today is Labor Day in the US. If you’ve got some extra time today, a great way to use it might be to get done some of the things you’ve been meaning to do – set up your garage gym, make a meal plan for the week, go through your old Response Cards. Make a commitment to doing SOMETHING today that will help advance these efforts!

September 3, 2021/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Important reminder: staying on track and having a fun time are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they often go hand in hand! Often when people are off track and eating whatever/whenever, they don’t feel great. Either they’re feeling bad about it even as they’re eating, or they know in the back of their minds they’re going to feel bad when they face the consequences. Feeling good about the choices you’re making (and fueling your body with good food) feels great and leads to a VERY fun time.

September 2, 2021/Other

Thursday Think Tip: Whenever you stay on track during a challenging food situation (you have a night with a lot of cravings but manage to stick to your plan), it’s so important to ask yourself, “How did I do it? What did I say to myself to help me stay on track?” If it was effective once, it’s helpful to remember because likely it will be effective again.

September 1, 2021/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t want to track what I’m eating because I know I’m going to be over.

Response: My body doesn’t care whether or not I track what I’m eating. It’s keeping accurate accounting even if I’m not. Not tracking it just means I’m not holding myself accountable. If I track it, at least I’ll know what I’m doing and be in a better position to stay on track next time.

August 31, 2021/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: While we rarely work with clients on cutting out any foods altogether, we definitely work on helping them reduce some foods. If you’re currently drinking four sodas a day, consider cutting it down to three for a week or two. Then, slowly cut down from there until you’re at a level that feels more reasonable.

August 30, 2021/Other

Monday Motivation: Losing weight takes FOCUS; it doesn’t just happen. If you’re struggling, take a moment this week to think about whether or not you’ve been putting enough time and energy into it. Remember, if it’s not a top priority, chances are excellent it’s not going to happen.

August 27, 2021/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Is your eating environment a nice place to be? If you routinely eat at a cluttered table, it can cause a more stressful eating experience (and take away from being able to eat slowly and mindfully). This weekend, make sure you have a peaceful place to eat!

August 26, 2021/Other

Thursday Think Tip: If you think, “I don’t want to get on the scale because I think I’ve gained weight,” remind yourself that not seeing the number doesn’t change the number! The only thing it does is send your brain the message that you won’t hold yourself accountable and makes it more likely you’ll get off track the next time you’re tempted to do so.

August 25, 2021/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m bored with the things I’m eating, but they’re convenient. I’ll just keep eating them.

Response: It’s worth putting in the time and energy to find new foods that I enjoy. If I force myself to keep eating foods that I’m bored of, eventually I’ll start to rebel and will get off track.

August 24, 2021/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: Do you have any food pushers in your life? Remember that if you had a severe peanut allergy and a food pusher offered you peanut butter cookies, you would never dream of caving in. Working on your health and happiness is just as legitimate a reason to say no. Stand firm!

August 23, 2021/Other

Monday Motivation: People often say, “Three months from now, you’ll thank yourself for being on track today.” But guess what? TOMORROW you’ll thank yourself. TONIGHT, when you go to bed, you’ll thank yourself. The good feelings from being in control/being on track start almost immediately! 

August 20, 2021/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Commit to doing at least one thing for exercise this weekend! Remember – you’ll never regret a workout.

August 19, 2021/Other

Thursday Think Tip: If you think, “I don’t deserve credit for my healthy eating behaviors because I should already be doing them,” remind yourself that, no, you SHOULDN’T already be doing these things because before you didn’t know how. If this was easy, nobody would gain weight back after they lost it. It’s imperative to give yourself credit and recognize your accomplishments so that you can build your confidence and sense of self-efficacy.

August 18, 2021/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s taking so long for me to lose weight.

Response: That’s okay! The time will pass anyway, and at least I’m making good use of it. It doesn’t matter how slow I go, just as long as I keep going.

August 17, 2021/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: This is your life at stake! Feeling in control of your eating and having integrity with yourself is WORTH WORKING ON! These are big goals, and they take time and patience, but they’re worth it. Keep pushing forward.

August 16, 2021/Other

Monday Motivation: We heard the quote recently, “Mistakes are proof that you are trying,” and we love it so much! Mistakes aren’t an indication that you can’t do it, they’re an indication that you’re not giving up.

August 13, 2021/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you were driving on the highway and missed your exit, would you say, “Forget it,” and keep driving? No! You’d get off at the very next exit and turn around. If you make a mistake this weekend, immediately turn yourself around and get right back on track. 

August 12, 2021/Other

Thursday Think Tip: If you think, “This food tastes really good. Even though I’ve had enough, it’s okay to eat more,” remind yourself, “It’s not okay because eating more will mean strengthening my giving-in muscle AND taking in extra calories. Besides, at the end of the day my mouth won’t remember if I had 10 more bites, but my body definitely will.” 

August 11, 2021/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I just want to eat without consequence.

Response: I don’t like that I can’t eat without consequences, but I can’t change that fact (not if I want to lose weight and keep it off). I need to stop struggling against it, accept that this is the way it is, and move on.

August 10, 2021/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: Are you drinking enough water? Thirst can mask itself as hunger, so make sure your water consumption is where it needs to be.

August 9, 2021/Other

Monday Motivation: The more you work on healthy habits, the easier they will get over time. It’s like playing a complicated piano piece. The first time you play it, you have to concentrate on every note and finger stroke. By the time you’ve played it 100 times, your fingers know what to do without much thought. Keep working on it!

August 6, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: You’ll likely have opportunities to strengthen your resistance muscle (and weaken your giving-in muscle) this weekend. If you think, “It’s okay to give in because this one time won’t matter,” remind yourself that EVERY time matters. Every time, you’re strengthening one of those two muscles. 

August 5, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: Losing weight and gaining control over your eating is not going to happen overnight. It will happen incrementally, step by step. Don’t worry about the big picture, just focus on the step in front of you. Consider setting small goals and celebrate when you reach them!

August 4, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I can’t believe I gave in to that craving. I can’t do this. I should just give up.

Response: Learning to gain control over my eating is a process, and it takes time. I’m not going to learn it overnight, and I’m not going to be good at it overnight. Just because I gave in once, doesn’t negate all the other times I didn’t. I need to take an accurate picture of how things are really going and acknowledge that while I’m not perfect, I’m better than I was. As long as I keep working at it, I’ll keep moving forward.

August 3, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Losing weight may be a slow process (especially if you’re not doing anything drastic), but quitting won’t speed it up.

August 2, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: If you have the goals of gaining control over your eating, losing weight, and keeping it off, keep in mind that whether or not you “feel” like doing something (e.g. resisting a craving, taking time to eat breakfast, grocery shopping for healthy food) isn’t relevant. Do it anyway!

July 30, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Do you have any (socially distant) trips planned this summer? Remember that the same thing that makes you feel good at home – feeling in control of your eating – is the same thing that will feel good on vacation.

July 29, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: We work with people on getting rid of weight, not losing it. By learning to change their thinking, they won’t find it again!

July 28, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: When I’m losing weight, the scale should go down quickly.

Response: When has seeing the scale go down quickly ever helped me to keep it down? If I want different results, it means I have to do things differently.

July 27, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Important reminder: It takes less willpower to stick to an eating decision that you’ve made ahead of time than it does to try to use willpower in the moment to make a good decision. Plan in advance!

July 26, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: If you feel alone in your struggles to limit your eating and lose weight, remember that so many other people are working at it, too. Few people who can eat whatever they want and be at the weight they want. While it stinks that you have to work at it, you’re in VERY good company! 

July 23, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Now that the country is opening back up, many people are having trouble staying on track in social situations. Our biggest piece of advice: MAKE A PLAN! For any (and all!) events you have this weekend, think them through, write down exactly what you plan to do, and read the plan right before you go. Even better? Bring it with you so you can read it and refocus if things start to go awry.

July 22, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: It’s easy to conflate boredom with hunger. The next time you want to eat, take a moment to ask yourself if you have an empty rumbling in your stomach. If not, chances are you’re not hungry. Instead of going to the kitchen, find a different fun activity to do.

July 21, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s okay to eat [this extra food] because it’s healthy. 
Response:  I can gain weight eating all healthy foods, too. Just because it’s healthy, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have calories. Eating healthy foods is a great thing to strive for, but I have to make sure that whatever I eat, healthy or not, fits in with my overall day.

July 20, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Our constant question to our clients: How is your sleep going? Are you sticking to a consistent bedtime? Getting enough sleep and practicing good sleep hygiene are some of the most important things you can do for yourself right now.

July 19, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Many people gained many pounds during the pandemic. If this is you, please know that you’re in very good company. But this is reversible! You can take control, feel better, and get healthier again. Figure out ONE or TWO small changes you can realistically follow through with this week and start putting them into place today!

July 16, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: What brings you joy? This weekend, do at least one (non-food related) thing to bring more JOY into your life.

July 15, 2021/admin

Thursday Think Tip: Have you checked in lately with ways in which all-or-nothing thinking might be impacting you? It’s always good to look for and check this type of thinking so you don’t buy into the notion that either it’s a 60-minute walk or no walk, or that it’s either a “perfect” eating day or a failure, or that it’s either zero desserts a day or way too many. There is (almost always) a HUGE middle ground.

July 14, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I had a bad day, so I deserve to order takeout from my favorite restaurant and just veg out.

Response: I can veg out without food! Lying on the couch and watching a favorite TV show is a great way to relax, even without eating. I need to remember that treating myself after a bad day with (extra, unplanned) food is ultimately just a trick, because I’ll wake up tomorrow feeling regretful about my choices.

July 13, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Let’s check in with how much alcohol you’re consuming. We know that many people lapsed into drinking more at the beginning of quarantine, and that extra became a habit. If this is you, now is a great time to work on cutting it back to a more reasonable level. If for no other reason than alcohol has a lot of calories!

July 12, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Are you stopping yourself from doing things this summer because you don’t have your “summer body?” Guess what? You do! Whatever body you have is your summer body. Appreciate what it can do.

July 9, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: So many gyms are now back open (and there are still many amazing virtual options). If your exercise level hasn’t been where you want it to be, commit to doing at least ONE new exercise-related activity this weekend. You won’t be sorry!

July 8, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: When it seems unfair that you can’t eat something (or as much of something as you’d ideally like), remind yourself this may be true. But ask yourself, is it more important not being able to eat this or not losing weight? Then, work on accepting it and moving on!

July 7, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s okay to have this extra food, it’s not that much compared to what I could be eating.

Response: My body doesn’t know or care how much I’m NOT eating, it only knows how much I do eat. Just because I turned down treats four times, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s okay to give in the fifth time.

July 6, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: It’s never a great strategy to keep a big variety of desserts in your house. The more you have, the more you’re going to want to eat. If you have three kinds of cookies, you’ll want all three. If you only have one kind, chances are it’ll still be satisfying.

July 5, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: We’re just over halfway through the year, so now is a great time to check in with goals you made in January. If you’re not making as much progress as you’d hoped, now is the perfect time to recommit and restart. There’s still another half a year to go!

July 2, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: July 4th is this weekend! Plan to eat some delicious food, the key word being PLAN!

July 2, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: July 4th is this weekend! Plan to eat some delicious food, the key word being PLAN!

July 1, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: If you’re using food or alcohol in the evening to help de-stress from the day, that’s a good indication that you need to build in other positive coping mechanisms. Meditate, go for walks, listen to music, do some journaling, read helpful texts. Any of those things will help bring you stress relief without sabotaging other goals.

June 30, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t have time to do all my weight loss/healthy eating tasks.

Response: It doesn’t take that much time to actually do everything. What does take time is how long I spend struggling beforehand over whether or not I’m going to do it. I need to make the decision to definitively do these things, which will reduce the time significantly.

June 29, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: How much water are you drinking? Now that it’s gotten warm again, it may be time to step up your hydration.

June 28, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Have you (like many people) lapsed into eating most of your meals in front of the TV? Doing so can really deprive you of eating mindfully and getting physical and psychological satisfaction from your food. A great goal for this week may be to eat some meals with no distractions.

June 25, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Our constant reminder: If you start to get off track this weekend, remember that there is no such thing as “blowing it for the day,” or “blowing it for the weekend.” There is such a thing, however, as making a mistake on Saturday and continuing to make mistakes on Sunday. But there is also the possibility of making a mistake on Saturday, getting right back on track and having a GREAT rest of the weekend.

June 24, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: Don’t fool yourself into thinking that not working on healthy eating is the “easy way out.” Is it easy feeling out of control? Is it easy worrying about your eating, weight and health? Is it easy feeling overstuffed? Is it easy not fitting into your clothes? None of those things are easy!

June 23, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m going to eat this food because I want it. I just don’t care about my goals right now.

Response: While I may not feel like I care in this moment, I definitely will care very soon. Look at my Advantages List and remind myself of the huge and profound goals I’m trying to accomplish. These things matter. I really, really do care.

June 22, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Remember that taking care of yourself is a necessity, not a luxury. If you think, “I can’t take 10 minutes to sit down and de-stress in a healthy way,” remind yourself, “Yes I can! There is no better use of 10 minutes than taking care of myself.”

June 21, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Do you have a meal plan for this week? Remember that in-the-moment decisions are the hardest to make well (it uses a different part of your brain!), so deciding what to eat in advance greatly increases your chances of healthy eating success.

June 18, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, get out and get moving! Even taking a short walk is way better than no movement, so commit to at least one big or small exercise activity this weekend.

June 17, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: Eating too little during the day and too much at night go hand in hand. Not only are you likely overly hungry, but you may also be telling yourself, “Since I didn’t eat much all day, it’s okay to eat extra right now.” Eating reasonably throughout the day is one major thing you can start doing to control nighttime eating.

June 16, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m not able to lose weight right now, so I should just give up.

Response: Even if weight loss isn’t possible during this exact moment, weight maintenance is SO MUCH BETTER than gaining weight! At least in maintenance, I get to continue feeling in control and not worry about my health suffering or my clothes getting tight. Maintenance is so, so worth it.

June 15, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Get to bed on time! Not getting enough sleep/not prioritizing sleep is the single biggest thing you can do to sabotage your healthy eating habits. Sleep matters so much!

June 14, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Don’t do it for them, do it for yourself. While others might be a motivator in your quest to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight, ultimately do it for YOURSELF. You deserve it.

June 11, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Do something fun this weekend! The more sources of fun and pleasure you have in your life, the less you’ll turn to food to feel fulfilled.

June 10, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: Eating more dessert in the evening than you’d planned might taste good, but it doesn’t FEEL good. Keep reminding yourself that staying in control and sticking to your plan is what really feels good.

June 9, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m bored, so I’m going to eat.

Response: If hunger is not the problem, food is not the solution. If I’m bored, I should find something to do that doesn’t sabotage my weight loss/weight maintenance goals.

June 8, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: When you go to the grocery store, are you buying things that overly tempt you and tax your resistance muscle? If so, leave the struggle at the store! Stop buying them and save yourself hours of struggle over the next weeks.

June 7, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Now that life is starting to look somewhat normal again in the US, it’s time to reassess your pre-COVID habits. Were there things you were doing then (like eating out several nights a week) that you stopped doing? Was it helpful to stop doing that? Even though you likely can resume some activities, it’s time to be deliberate and what you do and don’t want to put back into place.

June 4, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you’re dining with other people this weekend, keep in mind that it’s very easy to get distracted by conversation and wind up overeating. It can help to immediately portion off how much you are going to eat because that way, even if you do eat it while distracted, at least you won’t consume more than you had planned.

June 3, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: Healthy eating takes FOCUS; it doesn’t just happen. If you’re struggling, take a moment to think about whether or not you’ve been putting enough time and energy into it. Remember, if it’s not a top priority, chances are excellent it’s not going to happen.

June 2, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I just want to eat normally like everyone else.

Response: I am eating 100 percent normally for someone with my goals.

June 1, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: When you’re upset, eating is ONE way to (temporarily) feel better, but it’s not the only way. It’s not a problem to be seeking comfort, it’s just a problem to use food to achieve comfort. It’s important to build up your roster with other comfort-giving alternatives.

May 31, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Today is Memorial Day in the US, which is an excellent time to think about what kind of life you want to lead. If it’s not currently looking the way you’d like it to, now is the time to start making changes.

May 28, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you’re (safely, FINALLY!) going to a party or event this weekend and think, “There’ll be so much good food there that I won’t be able to resist,” remind yourself, “If I were a vegetarian and all the food had meat in it, I definitely WOULD resist, no question. I may not want to resist, but I know I can.”

May 27, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: If you’re having trouble getting yourself to stop eating something because it tastes really good, remind yourself that stopping comes with some huge benefits – you get to feel in control and on track, you don’t take in too many calories, you enable yourself to lose weight, you don’t ruin the ruin the enjoyment of the eating experience by overeating, etc. Stopping isn’t a negative!

May 26, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t feel like getting to sleep on time.

Response: Oh, well! Getting enough sleep is the single most important thing I can do to support my healthy eating and exercise goals. I may not feel like getting to bed right now, but tomorrow I’ll be nothing but thankful that I did.

May 25, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Don’t fool yourself into thinking that not working on healthy eating is the “easy way out.” Is it easy feeling out of control? Is it easy worrying about your eating/weight/health? Is it easy feeling overstuffed? Is it easy not fitting into your clothes? None of those things are easy!

May 24, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Falling off the healthy eating wagon can be discouraging, but it doesn’t need to be if you have the right mindset. If you were learning to play the piano and hit a wrong key, you would never take that as a sign to give up completely. Mistakes happen in ALL areas of life, but keep practicing and you’ll continue improving.

May 21, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, if you think, “Life is too short so I’m just going to eat this even though I know I shouldn’t,” remind yourself, “Actually, life is too short to be spent unhappy and unhealthy. If I want to feel great and really live my life the way I want to, then I need to do what I can to maintain a healthy weight.”

May 20, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: A common thinking error people make is mind-reading – assuming they know what someone else is thinking. Are you worried about turning down food someone is offering you because you think they’ll be disappointed? Are you worried about ordering food or eating a certain amount because you’re worried about what others may think of you? Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can know exactly what someone else is thinking until you actually find out!

May 19, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s okay to eat this because I’m having a bad day.

Response: It’s not okay to eat extra because although my mind knows I’m having a bad day, my body doesn’t. Besides, if I overeat, I’ll feel regretful and overstuffed, which will make me even more unhappy. If I stay on track with my eating, it’s highly likely my day will start to feel better, not worse.

May 18, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: For many of us, winter weather has passed so that’s no longer an excuse to not get outside and get fresh air. If you fell out of the habit of walking/biking/running outside during the winter, now is a great time to restart.

May 17, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Today is a new day. Yesterday is gone. It starts RIGHT NOW!

May 14, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Eating half of your (presumably much too big) meal at a restaurant and bringing the other half home is a win/win/win situation: you get to enjoy the meal twice, you pay only once for two meals, AND you get to continue working on healthy eating and healthy habits!

May 13, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: Remember that taking care of yourself is a necessity, not a luxury. If you think, “I can’t take 10 minutes to sit down and de-stress in a healthy way,” remind yourself, “Yes I can! There is no better use of 10 minutes than taking care of myself.”

May 12, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: The scale isn’t moving. This is so discouraging; maybe I’ll give up.
Response: While it’s true it’s discouraging when the scale doesn’t move, it doesn’t mean I should give up. If I give up, it will never move down (and it’s almost guaranteed to move up). If I keep doing what I’m doing, it will eventually move down, and when it does, I’ll be so glad I stuck with it.

May 11, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: If you want to lose weight and keep it off, whether or not you “feel” like doing something (e.g., resisting a craving, taking time to eat breakfast, grocery shopping for healthy food) just isn’t relevant. Ask yourself, “Which do I MORE not feel like: working on healthy eating, or remaining overweight?”

May 10, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Achieving a really big goal (like losing and maintaining weight) is really a matter of achieving many smaller goals along the way. This week, commit to a smaller goal, like eating everything sitting down or deciding in advance when and how many treats you’ll have. Eventually, the small goals lead up to big ones!

May 7, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: It takes less willpower to stick to an eating decision that you’ve made ahead of time than it does to try to use willpower in the moment to make a good decision. This weekend, plan in advance!

May 6, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: Make sure you continually look out for ways in which you may be engaging in all-or-nothing thinking. Do you think if you can’t exercise for 30+ minutes it’s not worth doing anything? Do you think if you can’t eat or drink EVERYTHING you want to, you won’t be able to enjoy yourself? Do you think that one mistake means you’re completely off track? Remember that, in almost every scenario, there is a lot of middle ground!

May 5, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I can’t believe I gave in to that craving. I can’t do this. I should just give up.

Response: Learning to lose weight and keep it off is a process, and it takes time. I’m not going to learn it overnight, and I’m not going to be good at it overnight. Just because I gave in once, doesn’t negate all the other times I didn’t. I need to take an accurate picture of how things are really going and acknowledge that while I’m not perfect, I’m better than I was. As long as I keep working at it, I’ll keep moving forward.

May 4, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Are you buying things at the grocery store in case you might want them over the next week? Is having those things at home taxing your resistance muscle? If so, leave the struggle at the store! Stop buying them and save yourself hours of struggle over the next weeks.

May 3, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Even if you’re “only” losing half a pound a week, you’ll still be 26 pounds down by this time next year. Just keep going, the time will pass anyway!

April 30, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: What we THINK will lead to a great weekend is eating whatever we want, in whatever quantity we want, but when we do the opposite – control our eating and stay on track – that’s truly what feels so great.

April 29, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: If you think, “I’m alone so it’s okay to eat [this unplanned food],” remember that your body processes all calories the same whether you’re with 100 people or no people.

April 28, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t want to work on healthy eating right now because I just don’t feel like thinking about it.

Response: Either way I’m going to think about it. When I’m off track, I spend time thinking about needing to get back on track and feeling guilty about my eating. There’s no such thing as ‘not thinking about it.

April 27, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Remember, avoiding the scale has never gotten you to where you want to be. It’s important to prove to yourself that you face the consequences and get on the scale even when you don’t want to. Doing so may help hold you more accountable because you’ll know that you won’t let yourself stick your head in the sand.

April 23, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: You will likely have lots of opportunities to strengthen your resistance muscle (and simultaneously weaken your giving-in muscle) this weekend. If you think, “It’s okay to give in because just this one time won’t matter,” remind yourself that EVERY time matters because every time, you’re strengthening one of those two muscles.

April 22, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: Make sure you have a healthy, fast snacks readily available. If you do, chances are high you’ll eat one and feel good about it. If you don’t, chances are you’ll eat something unhealthy and not feel good about it.

April 21, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I just want to eat without consequence.

Response: Oh, well! I don’t like that I can’t eat without consequences, but I can’t change that fact (not if I want to lose weight and keep it off). I need to stop struggling against it, accept that this is the way it is, and move on.

April 20, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: How do you feel physically after you eat a big, heavy meal? How do you feel physically after you eat a reasonable, healthy meal? Our guess is you feel very differently! Next time you’re making a decision about what to eat for a meal, ask yourself, “How do I want to feel when I finish?”

April 19, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. Gaining control over your eating and eating in a (mostly) healthy way is hard but so, so worth it.

April 16, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you haven’t yet gotten in the habit of meal planning or meal prep during the weekend for the week ahead, this is the weekend to start! It’s worth it to do everything you can to maximize your chances of success, and meal planning/prep, for almost everyone, is a huge part of that.

April 15, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: If you’re in the habit of getting fast food often, think about how that food makes you FEEL (not just about how it tastes). If it ultimately doesn’t make you feel good, it’s probably worth working on cutting it out, or at least cutting down on it.

April 14, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I’ve made an eating mistake, so I shouldn’t eat anything for the rest of the day.

Response: When I make a mistake, don’t plan not to eat! I don’t deserve punishment. It was only a mistake.

April 13, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: The only bad workout is the one that didn’t happen. Commit to doing SOMETHING exercise-related this week.

April 12, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: If you’ve fallen into any bad habits (COVID-related or not), today is your day to start fresh and begin working on your goals!

April 9, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” What’s your plan to help you stay on track this weekend?

April 8, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: It’s important to pay attention to non-scale victories – things like feeling great about sticking to your plan, overcoming a craving, feeling stronger at the gym, finding it easier to move around, etc. The scale is one measure of success but it’s by no means the only one.

April 7, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t want to get on the scale because I think I’ve gained weight.

Response: Not seeing the number doesn’t change the number, it just lowers my ability to take control of the number. Getting back on the scale is an important sign that I’m committed to being on track and taking accountability. Whatever the number is, it’s not set in stone. I can and will make it go down.

April 6, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: If you celebrated Easter this past weekend, take a moment to assess the candy/junk food situation in your house. If it’s excessive, remind yourself that all that will do is tax your Resistance Muscle and make on track, healthy, in control eating a lot harder. Consider making sure your home environment is working FOR you, not against you.

April 5, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: It’s a new month, so it may be time to set some new goals. By the end of April, would you like to feel more in control of your eating, or not feel in control? Would you like to be making healthier choices, or not? While hard, these things are within your control. Start small and work up from there. Make a commitment to yourself NOW!

April 2, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you eat out this weekend and stay in control, give yourself a lot of credit. When you get home, make sure you don’t say to yourself, “I was so good; now I deserve to treat myself,” because you will undo all your hard work. Losing weight is the best treat!

April 1, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: Being accountable for your actions is a critical part of successful weight loss because it enables you to recognize mistakes, which then allows you to learn from them for the future. Next time you make a mistake, take few moments and answer these three questions: What happened/what was the situation? What were the sabotaging thoughts that got in my way? What can I say and/or do differently next time?

March 31, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m just not an exerciser.

Response: That’s just an excuse! Even if you don’t naturally enjoy exercise, it doesn’t mean you can’t learn to enjoy the physical and psychological benefits of it.

March 30, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Similar to yesterday’s tip, if you’re not doing as well with healthy eating as you’d like, ask yourself if you’re being all-or-nothing in your thinking. Chances are, SOME things are going well. Maybe even A LOT of things are going well, even though everything might not yet be fully in place. Make sure you give yourself credit for the great decisions and actions you are taking.

March 29, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: If you’re not doing as well with healthy eating as you’d like and think, “I can’t even do it now; how will I ever be able to do it?” remind yourself that not being totally on track is NOT an indication that you can’t do it (now or in the future); it’s simply a sign that you need more practice. But like any skill, the more you practice, the better you’ll get. This is no different!

March 26, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, if you think, “I’ll start working on healthy eating on Monday,” remind yourself, “How many times have I ‘started my eating plan’ on Monday? I could have lost weight and kept it off for years if I didn’t use that excuse.” Start TODAY!

March 25, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: If you think, “Eating this [unhealthy, unplanned food] will make me feel better,” remind yourself, “Nope! Eat better, feel better. Period.”

March 24, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m exhausted, but I have to work, so I can’t sleep. I’ll eat to give me energy.

Response: Even though I feel exhausted, it doesn’t mean I can’t push through and still get my work done. If I eat every time I feel tired, it’s likely I won’t be able to lose weight. Which would I rather be: Overweight AND tired, or just tired?

March 23, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: If you tend to overeat at meals, worrying that you’ll get too hungry if you don’t, remember – there is ALWAYS another meal or snack coming. There will always be more food.

March 22, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: If you’re not great at self-care, you’re likely going to be vulnerable to turning to food when you get stressed or upset because you won’t have other ways of calming down or soothing yourself. This week, focus on building other means of comfort and stress relief into your life so you have other things to turn to besides food.

March 19, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, if you think, “Life is too short, so I’m just going to eat this even though I know I shouldn’t,” remind yourself, “Actually, life is too short to be spent unhappy and unhealthy. If I want to feel great and live my life the way I want to, then I need to do what I can to feel in control of my eating.”

March 18, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: If you’re an emotional eater, remember that you learned to eat when you were feeling bad, but you can unlearn it, too. It’s not a given that food is the only way to feel better. What else are you going to do the next time you get stressed/anxious/angry/bored?

March 17, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I want to be free to eat whatever I want.

Response: I can be free to eat whatever I want, or I can stop fooling myself and finally lose weight for good. Every time matters. Being free to eat whatever I want means gaining weight and feeling out of control. It’s not worth it.

March 16, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Don’t let your end of the day self sabotage your healthy eating goals by relying on him/her to make decisions. Your morning self is a MUCH better, more reliable self to be making decisions, so let that person be your guide!

March 15, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: How are you doing with sugar? If you’re eating too much of it, consider focusing on adopting the plan of having one reasonable portion of dessert at night. Plan and portion out IN ADVANCE what dessert you’ll have (no spontaneous decisions!). Then, decide in advance what highly distracting activity you’ll do once you finish to get your mind off of food and onto something else.

March 12, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, consider the rule of one: One serving at meals, one scoop of ice cream for dessert, one serving of chips at the restaurant, etc. Sticking to just one means you get to enjoy some food and continue making progress towards your goals.

March 11, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: Another common thinking mistake people make is mind-reading – assuming they know what someone will think if they do or don’t eat something. Maybe you know, but maybe you don’t! Just because you’re hyper aware of your food actions, doesn’t mean everyone else is.

March 10, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s okay to eat because I just need to feel better NOW.

Response: While it may be true that I need to feel better, it’s not true that I need to EAT to feel better. There are other things I can do to help myself feel better that won’t cause me to take in extra calories and feel out of control. Do something else that will help me feel better now AND later.

March 9, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: If you’re someone who eats after finishing work for the day, you might be using food to de-stress and transition from work mode to home mode. Consider putting other strategies in place to achieve this, like listening to a song, reading Response Cards, deep breathing, or going for a quick walk.

March 8, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: This week, focus on your home environment. It’s easier to eliminate the need for willpower than to exert it in the moment. If there are certain foods in your house that continually sabotage you, get rid of them! Yes, your spouse or kids might grumble initially, but chances are these are unhealthy foods that they don’t need to be eating, either.

March 5, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you eat out this weekend, decide in advance what to have! In-the-moment decisions are the hardest to make well, so maximize your chances of success by not having to rely on spontaneous decisions.

March 4, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: Everyone has stress in their lives, so we can’t use feeling stressed as a reason to let go of healthy eating. Stress will be there either way. Make a list of things you can do the next time you feel stressed that will help you calm down without eating. Without a specific plan like this in place, chances are you’ll continue to turn to food to serve that purpose.

March 3, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s so unfair that I have to work on this and other people don’t.

Response: Chances are, they’re working on it, too! Many more people than I may realize are working hard to lose weight and/or maintain their weight. But in any case, what other people are eating just isn’t relevant to the goal I have for myself and losing weight.

March 2, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Make sure you have healthy, fast snacks readily available. If you do, chances are high you’ll eat one and feel good about it. If you don’t, chances are you’ll eat something unhealthy and not feel good about it.

March 1, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: It’s the first day of March, so now is a great time to set some small, achievable goals for the month! What is one goal you’re going to start working on TODAY? Drinking more water? Getting in a 10-minute walk? Meditation for five minutes?

February 26, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you’ve had a hard week, you might be tempted to eat to de-stress and make yourself feel better. Remember that you’re entitled to feel better and you’re entitled to take care of yourself, but you’re also entitled to get everything on your Advantages List, so you have to find other ways to comfort yourself.

February 25, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: If you find yourself trying to rationalize eating something: “It’s okay because I’ll just have a little; I won’t eat anything later; I had a small lunch, etc.,” consider using that as a cue to NOT eat. Remind yourself, “Once the situation has passed, I won’t be sorry I didn’t eat it.”

February 24, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I always forget to drink enough water during the day.

Response: I need to set up a reminder system! Try setting an alarm on my phone. Or putting three rubber bands on my water bottle and every time I empty it, take a rubber band off. Once I build the habit, it will get a lot easier to continue drinking water consistently.

February 23, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: When you’re eating dinner, keep the serving dishes off the table! Having more food immediately available greatly increases the chances that you’ll eat extra.

February 22, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Whenever you have an experience where you stayed in control of your eating and felt really good about it, make sure you write it down! Reading these cards will help motivate you when you’re feeling down and remind you that you CAN do it, and when you do, it feels great.

February 19, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, focus on good sleep hygiene. Getting enough sleep is one of the most important things you can do to support your weight loss efforts.

February 18, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: Negative emotions are a part of life. They’re not bad; they’re a part of being human. Often people think, “If I’m upset, I have to do something about it.” The reality is that you don’t need to do anything to make them go away. They always crest, like a wave, and then start to come down. You don’t have to be afraid of your feelings.

February 17, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I start out counting calories but always end up petering out by the end of the day.

Response: While counting SOME calories is great, chances are I won’t be able to lose weight unless I do the whole day. It’s like running 24 miles of 26.2 marathon. It’s a lot of work but unless I run the last 2.2 I don’t get my finisher’s medal. Today I’m going to do the whole thing!

February 16, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Eating too little during the day and too much at night go hand in hand. Not only are you likely overly hungry, but you may also be telling yourself, “Since I didn’t eat much all day, it’s okay to eat extra right now.” Eating reasonably throughout the day is one major thing you can start doing to control nighttime eating.

February 15, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: What are some of the advantages of staying in control of your eating? Some of the biggest ones are: FEELING BETTER! not feeling like a dark cloud is hanging over us; setting a good example for our families; feeling confident; feeling proud of ourselves.

February 12, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Your calorie budget per day is just like any other budget. If you spend more in one area, it means you spend less in another (or if you spend less in one area, you get to spend more somewhere else). This weekend, make sure you have a plan to spend your calories where they make the most sense!

February 10, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s too hard to maintain control over my eating in the evenings.

Response: While it is hard, it’s by no means impossible. With a strong plan of exactly what and when I’m going to eat, and Response Cards to help me stick to it, I know I can do it.

February 9, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: These days, many of us are eating in restaurants a lot less but getting takeout a lot more. It’s so helpful to have a list of restaurants and takeout options that work within your healthy eating guidelines so that every time you’re getting takeout, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel trying to figure out what to order.

February 8, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Remember, you don’t grow on your easiest days; you grow on your hardest days. Even if you face challenges this week, they are opportunities to learn and develop. You can do this!

February 5, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, focus on making your home environment work in your favor, not against you. Are there some foods you should just throw out? Any treats on the counter that you should put away? Go make those changes!

February 4, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: There is a difference between what your mind finds significant and what your body finds significant. Although your mind may find it significant that everyone around you is eating something (so it feels okay to eat extra, too), or that it’s a special occasion, or that you’re feeling upset, your body doesn’t know or care. It processes all calories the same.

February 2, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Are you exercising this week? Remember, you don’t have to go fast. You just have to GO.

February 1, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: It’s not about having time, it’s about making time. You CAN find time to prepare healthy food, meal plan, exercise, etc., if you make it a top priority. Maybe you don’t have time to exercise 60 minutes a day or meal prep two hours on the weekend, but ANYTHING is better than nothing. This week, focus on SOMETHING!

January 29, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Remember, come Monday morning, you’ll look back at your weekend and feel PROUD of the times you stayed in control, not regretful. You likely won’t think, “I should have had an extra slice of chocolate cake,” or “I should have had a second glass of wine.” It just will not happen!

January 28, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: If you think, “If I can’t stay on track now, how will I ever be able to do it in the future?” remind yourself, “Being off track is NOT an indication that I can’t do it (now or in the future), it’s simply a sign that I need more practice. Like any skill, the more I practice, the better I’ll get. This is no different!”

January 27, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I just want to eat without consequence.

Response: Oh, well! I don’t like that I can’t eat without consequences but I can’t change that fact (not if I want to lose weight and keep it off). I need to stop struggling against it, accept that this is the way it is, and move on.

January 26, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: If you make an eating mistake and start to catastrophize, ask yourself, “What would I say to my best friend if she told me about a mistake she made?” Chances are you’d be more compassionate to a friend than you would be to yourself. When working on changing your eating habits, you’ll make many, many mistakes. It’s important to be compassionate to yourself so that you’re able to learn from them and move on.

January 25, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Working on healthy eating is generally easy in the beginning because motivation is high, but at some point (whether in three weeks or three months), it gets harder. This is completely NORMAL, and it happens to everyone. As long as you keep at it, it will get easier again. But, if you’re still riding the new year, new you high – keep the streak going! Make that motivation last as long as possible.

January 22, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: “I really regret eating healthy today,” said NO ONE EVER! This weekend, focus on healthy eating. You won’t regret it!

January 21, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: It’s critically important to be tuned in to your thoughts, so you can learn what your common sabotaging thoughts are and come up with responses to them. The next time you eat something unplanned or that you know you probably shouldn’t, ask yourself, “What was just going through my head? What did I say to myself? ‘I know I shouldn’t eat this but it’s okay because…?’”

January 20, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s okay to eat this because it’s healthy.

Response: I can gain weight eating all healthy foods, too. Just because it’s healthy doesn’t mean it doesn’t have calories. Eating healthy foods is a great thing to strive for, but I have to make sure that whatever I eat (healthy or not) fits in with my overall day.

January 19, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Did you get off track with things like exercise, meditation, or meal planning during the busy holiday season? If so, TODAY IS THE DAY to restart!

January 18, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: If you’ve made a resolution to lose weight, remember that learning to eat healthfully is like learning to play the piano. You start out with easier skills/pieces, practice them, get better and better at them, and then move on to harder ones. If you were learning to play the piano, you would never think that hitting a wrong note was an indication that you couldn’t do it or that you should give up; you would simply accept it as part of the learning process. Losing weight is no different!

January 15, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you get off track at any point this weekend, IMMEDIATELY RECOVER! You’ll be so proud of your ability to get back on track, instead of mad at yourself for slipping up.

January 14, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: Are you reading your Advantages List and Response Cards? If you’ve let those things drop off, restart today. They’re critical tools for motivation and will help you remember why all this effort is worth it.

January 13, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: Working on healthy eating stinks because the food is so boring.

Response: First, the food doesn’t have to be boring if I take the time to prepare healthy and delicious meals. Second, even if the food is more boring for a period of time, that’s okay! Food isn’t my only source of excitement; besides, all the benefits of losing weight will be INCREDIBLY exciting.

January 12, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: It’s important to remember that you need to make eating decisions based on what works for you, not what everyone around you is doing. Remind yourself that what everyone around you is eating is irrelevant, and that if you eat extra, you’ll gain weight, regardless of whether others are overeating, too.

January 11, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Make a commitment this week to focus on the things you’re doing well, NOT the mistakes you may make. Doing so will help you feel better and more motivated daily, which will make it easier to keep moving forward. If you’ve never been someone who can focus on the positives, make 2021 the year that you start. We could all use more positivity in our lives!

January 8, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: It’s much easier to stay in control when you maintain some type of eating schedule, even during the weekend, so that you don’t wind up just grazing all day. This weekend, don’t let unstructured time become unstructured eating.

January 7, 2021/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: Did you get off track with things like drinking water, meditation, or meal planning during the busy holiday season? If so, TODAY IS THE DAY to restart!

January 6, 2021/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m just not an exerciser.

Response: Just because I haven’t been able to institute a consistent exercise routine in the past, doesn’t mean this can’t be the time I finally make it a habit. January is a great time to recommit to a REASONABLE exercise plan. I need to start somewhere – a 10-minute walk three times this week – and work up from there.

January 5, 2021/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: We know 2020 was a weird and often hard year. We can’t know what 2021 brings because so much is out of out of our control. Instead of focusing on what you can’t control, focus on what you CAN control – your eating and your exercise. Those things will make you feel good!

January 4, 2021/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: If you think, “I can’t believe how much I overate this weekend,” remind yourself: “I can’t change what I ate in the past, only what I eat today and in the future. So, instead of ruminating on past mistakes, I need to focus on making today a great day!”

January 1, 2021/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Happy New Year’s Day! This weekend, start the year off right. Instead of thinking about what you can’t have when you’re working on eating healthfully, focus on what you can have – delicious and healthy food, a reasonable amount of treats, good health, better self-confidence, a stable wardrobe, a more peaceful relationship with food, great feelings, etc.

December 31, 2020/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: If you’re making a goal to lose weight in 2021, get on the scale! See where you’re starting from! Avoiding the scale makes it easier to avoid other healthy habits. Just remember, if you felt sick, took your temperature, and saw you had a fever, you would never think, “I can’t believe I let my temperature get this high! I’m such a weak person.” The number on the scale is the same – it’s just INFORMATION about whether what you’re doing is working. It says nothing about who you are as a person.

December 30, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m in that weird zone between Christmas and New Years when everything feels a bit off, so I’m just going to go with it and let my eating be unstructured, too.

Response: Just because my time is unstructured, doesn’t mean my eating should be! Continuing to eat regular meals and giving myself food that my body can use feels great, regardless of whether or not I’m in the regular life routine right now.

December 29, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: We want to remind you after a holiday that it’s okay to get rid of leftovers! If you have highly tempting food in your house, either make a plan for how much you’ll have, and/or make a plan to get it out of the house so that it doesn’t tempt you and tax your resistance muscle.

December 28, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: While staying in control of your eating is harder during the holidays, the good news is that when you manage to do so, it feels extra great! The harder it is to stay on track, the more positive feelings you get as a result. Remind yourself that staying on track during a normal day feels good, but staying on track during a holiday feels AMAZING!

December 25, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! We hope you have a day planned with fun things and good food (that you’ll eat in reasonable portions and feel really good about once the day has passed).

December 24, 2020/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: This whole week, keep in mind: “I won’t regret the extra food I don’t eat, but I definitely will regret overeating. I never regret skipping extra food once the temptation has passed!”

December 23, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m off track anyway. I’ll just worry about my eating once the new year hits.

Response: Don’t wait! Every day I stay off track is another day I ultimately don’t feel good about myself or my eating. It’s worth it to recover RIGHT NOW and start feeling good. When I do, then I’ll start the new year in a good place, instead of in a place where I need to make lots of changes.

December 22, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: If you’re going to be preparing holiday food this week, make sure you don’t fall into the trap of eating while standing up in the kitchen. Your body processes all calories the same, whether or you’re eating standing up or not.

December 21, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: If you’ve received gifted holiday food and feel guilty about not eating it, remember that not eating it doesn’t take away the nice gesture. Make sure you keep your home environment one that works in your favor, not against you. There are enough treats tempting you almost everywhere you look this time of year; your home doesn’t need to add to that.

December 18, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Make sure you eat regular meals this weekend. Don’t allow yourself to just graze throughout the day. Grazing is the absolute best way to take in the most calories with the least amount of satisfaction. Sit down, eat real meals, and you’ll feel much more satisfied while taking in less food overall.

December 17, 2020/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: Make sure you plan to have your favorite foods this holiday season, but decide in advance when and how much! That way, if you come in contact with a food you love, you won’t have the sabotaging thought, “I never get to have this so it’s okay,” because you’ll know exactly when you get to have it.

December 16, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t want to have to work on healthy eating during the holidays.

Response: It’s true that I don’t want to think about healthy eating, but I also don’t want to: not fit into my pants, not like the way I look, avoid being in pictures, feel out of control of my eating, etc. While maintaining healthy eating this time of year is hard, it’s still much better than the alternative!

December 15, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Remember – unfortunately, your body doesn’t know or care what you don’t eat. It only knows what you do. So, just because you passed up treats four times doesn’t necessarily mean it’s okay to have the fifth.

December 14, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: While many of us are working from home these days and don’t have office kitchen treats tempting us, make sure that your home environment is working for you, not against you. This week, think about whether there’s food in your house that’s just not helpful to your goals. Instead of eating it to “get rid of it,” just get rid of it in the trashcan!

December 11, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, if you think, “It’s not fair that I can’t eat like everyone else,” remind yourself, “Thank goodness I’m not eating like everyone else! Most people gain weight during the holiday season, and my goal is the opposite.”

December 10, 2020/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: Are you drinking enough water? This is important year-round. Consider setting a water goal for yourself, like refilling a big 20 oz cup three times a day. Start out the day with three rubber bands on your cup and every time you finish it, take one off.

December 9, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I just don’t care.

Response: While it’s true that I don’t care right at this moment, I’m going to care A LOT a few minutes from now if I jeopardize my weight management. I can’t let this one moment of not caring influence how I act because I know I will care again, and when I do, I’ll be SO happy and proud I didn’t give in.

December 8, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: We’re now in the busy holiday time of year when people are more likely to drop healthy habits like exercise and meditation. Don’t fall into that trap! Especially during the holidays, exercise and meditation are extra important to provide healthy outlets and stress relief.

December 7, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: How has your eating been going so far this holiday season? If you need some extra motivation (or if things haven’t been going well), take a moment to regroup and really think about the reasons why it’s worth it to you to stay on track. Then, write them down in a special Holidays Advantages List and start reading it every day, at least once a day.

December 4, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: You might be able to get away with not reading Response Cards regularly during the week, but don’t fool yourself into thinking it will work on the weekend. For most people, weekends are a lot tougher, so make sure you use every tool in your arsenal and give yourself the best shot at staying on track. 

December 3, 2020/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: Make sure you plan to have your favorite foods this holiday season, but decide in advance when and how much! That way, if you come in contact with a food you love, you won’t have the sabotaging thought, “I never get to have this, so it’s okay,” because you’ll know exactly when you get to have it. 

December 2, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I have to eat extra of this food because I never get to have it. 

Response: There is almost no food that I can’t buy, make, or order 365 days a year. Just because I don’t normally come in contact with a specific food, doesn’t mean I can’t make the effort to do so.  

December 1, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: We’re now in the busy holiday time of year when people are more likely to drop healthy habits like exercise and meditation, simply because they have so much going on. Don’t fall into that trap! Especially during the holidays, exercise and meditation are extra important to provide healthy outlets and stress relief. 

November 30, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: It takes less willpower to stick to an eating decision that you’ve made ahead of time than it does to try to use willpower in the moment to make a good decision. This week, focus on planning in advance and you’ll save yourself a lot of struggle. 

November 27, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: How did everyone fare yesterday? If you stayed in control – GREAT! Give yourself lots and lots of credit and keep doing what you’re doing. If you got off track – move on! Make the commitment to getting back on track THIS MINUTE and give yourself lots of credit for doing so. 

November 26, 2020/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: Happy Thanksgiving! Remember, today is ultimately a day for giving thanks for the blessings in your life. What food you do or don’t eat will not take away from that. 

November 25, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t need to make a plan for Thanksgiving this year. 

Response: Of course I do! Just because Thanksgiving looks different this year doesn’t mean I should rely on spontaneous eating decisions! Plan in advance what I’m going to eat and I’ll hugely increase my likelihood of staying on track. 

November 24, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you undoubtedly won’t be able to eat all of the holiday food you want, in whatever quantities you want. HOWEVER, this doesn’t mean that you can’t have a plan for when and how you will enjoy certain treats, and in doing so you will be able to enjoy holiday food, enjoy staying in control, AND enjoy all the advantages of losing weight (or at least not gaining right now). 

November 23, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: This week, focus on giving yourself credit! Really point out to yourself and notice the things that are going well (not just the things that may still need more work). We ask you to do this several times throughout the year because it’s so incredibly important.  

November 20, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: With the holidays right around the corner, it might be time to start brushing up on some of your skills. Have you been eating everything sitting down, slowly, and mindfully? Reading your Advantages List? Responding to sabotaging thinking? Giving yourself credit? Making time and energy for dieting? If not, make a commitment to work on your basic skills this weekend to help get you in the right mindset. 

November 19, 2020/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: Thanksgiving is only a week away! If you think, “I’ll feel really deprived if I don’t get to eat everything on the table,” remind yourself, “If I keep telling myself that I’m going to feel deprived, I definitely will. Instead of concentrating on the things I’m not eating, I need to focus on enjoying what I am eating and spending time with my loved ones (if I’m able to do that this year).” 

November 18, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I’ve made an eating mistake, so I shouldn’t eat anything for the rest of the day. 

Response: When I make a mistake, don’t plan not to eat! I don’t deserve punishment. It was only a mistake. 

November 17, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: The time and energy for dieting and exercise will NEVER just magically appear, and especially not during the busy holiday season. This means that dieters may need to be more deliberate in figuring out how and when they will make the time and energy; but absolutely, 100%, it’s worth it! 

November 16, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: When you’re working on losing weight, there are a lot of hard moments. Moments when you’re having a craving, when you’re tired, when you’re feeling stressed or anxious and want to eat. But there are also so, so many great moments. When you feel great at the end of the day. When you get on the scale stress-free. When you overcome a craving and feel really proud. Make sure you pay attention to the great moments! What are some of yours? 

November 13, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, if you slip-up, recover right away. Don’t let a bad moment turn into a bad day, or a bad day turn into a bad weekend. Get right back on track! 

November 12, 2020/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: The next time you know you have a really stressful situation coming up (like a doctor’s visit for yourself or a loved one), ask yourself: how will I get through this without eating? Make a plan in advance for the ways you will deal with stress and anxiety so you don’t end up turning to food. 

November 11, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: Losing weight shouldn’t be this hard.  

Response: Losing weight is supposed to get hard from time to time. It gets harder for everyone. Remember how hard it used to be? It’s easier today than it was a year ago, and it will be a lot easier a year from today as long as I keep practicing my skills and don’t give up. 

November 10, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: You don’t cure emotional eating by removing all comfort foods. You do it by learning to comfort yourself without food. 

November 9, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Staying on track, while it can feel very difficult in the moment, is actually a stress-reducer overall because it gives you something to feel really proud about and makes you feel in control. This week, focus on giving yourself credit for all the positive decisions you’re making. 

November 6, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: How is eating sitting down, slowly, and mindfully going? If you’ve lost sight of those healthy habits, take this weekend to refocus and put them back into place. 

November 5, 2020/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: You can’t control your brain from producing sabotaging thoughts. It isn’t about not having them at all, it’s about learning to respond to them effectively. The part you can control is whether or not you give in to them.  

November 4, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I can’t get rid of all the leftover Halloween candy; that’s not fair to my kids. 

Response: Do my kids really need to be eating all of this, anyway? There is a big middle ground between letting them have no candy and letting them have way too much. Maybe they’ll be willing to keep some and can feel good about donating the rest. 

November 3, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: If healthy eating feels really painful to you, you may be giving food a bigger role than it deserves. Food is a pleasure in life, but it’s not the only one. Try building other sources of pleasure and excitement in your life. You’ll rely less on food to be “fun,” and healthy eating will be easier. 

November 2, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: What’s the candy situation in your house right now? Too much? If you think, “I can’t get rid of it because it’s a waste of money,” remind yourself that the money is already gone! Eating all the candy won’t bring the money back, it will just sabotage your goals. 

October 30, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Halloween will likely look different this year, but overeating candy will still not make you feel good. Remember that, with a reasonable plan, you can enjoy some Halloween candy and still enjoy feeling on track, feeling in control, and not feeling sick from over-indulging. If you haven’t already done so, make a plan right now. 

October 29, 2020/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: Whenever you have a big success (you overcome a craving, you don’t give in to the urge to emotionally eat, you order a healthy takeout meal, you stay on track at an event), ask yourself, “How did I do it? What was I saying to myself?” Then write it down! If it worked once, it’s likely to work again. 

October 28, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I can still eat like I used to and look the way I used to. 

Response: What’s the evidence for that? In the past, factors were likely different. I was younger, had more time to exercise, didn’t have kids, etc. I have to accept that now things are different and if I want results, I have to do things differently.  

October 27, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Did you buy Halloween candy already? Is it tempting you? If so, get rid of it. Hide it. Give it away. Do something so that it’s not hanging around and taxing your resistance muscle the rest of the week.  

October 26, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: We are heading into the holiday season. If you haven’t been on track lately, now is the time to start. Even if other holiday seasons have gotten the best of you in the past, this can be the year that you make a change. This can be the year that you get it right. And it starts TODAY!

October 23, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, get out there and move! The weather has cooled down, so now is the perfect time to get some exercise outside.

October 22, 2020/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: Are you reading Response Cards every day? If you’re not, it’s time to start! Your brain will make plenty of sabotaging thoughts all on its own. You need every bit of ammunition to respond to them.

October 21, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I just want to snack all evening long.

Response: If I get the urge to snack all evening long (especially if I’ve had a reasonable dinner), then it’s NOT about hunger! It’s about boredom, or being tired, or needing some pleasure. There are many other ways to achieve these ends without sabotaging my weight loss goals, so I’m going to find something else to do.

October 20, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: While we do believe that getting on the scale is a helpful accountability tool, we also believe that it’s just a number! It doesn’t define you or say anything about your character. You are more than that number.

October 19, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Once you have healthy habits established, eating healthfully will get so much easier because your habits will carry you to where you want to go. It can be hard to get them in place, but it’s worth the effort because the payoff is enormous!

October 16, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you haven’t been meal planning, this Sunday is a great time to start. It will make the week go so much more smoothly, and maximize your chances of staying on track, if you have food decisions figured out in advance.

October 15, 2020/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: The next time you know you have a really stressful situation coming up (like a doctor’s visit for yourself or a loved one), ask yourself: how will I get through this without eating? Make a plan in advance for the ways you will deal with stress and anxiety so you don’t end up turning to food.

October 14, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: The world is too crazy and chaotic right now. I can’t worry about my eating.

Response: I must continue to prioritize healthy eating because that means I’m prioritizing self-care. Getting off track, feeling out of control, watching the scale go up, feeling my clothes get tighter: these things will make me feel so much worse. It’s not worth it.

October 13, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: If you don’t feel like doing what you need to do to eat healthfully this week, do it anyway! Remember that you don’t base other decisions on whether or not you feel like it in the moment (doing things for your kids, putting on your seatbelt, meeting work deadlines, etc.). Put these things in the same category.

October 12, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Eat better, feel better. Period.

October 9, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, remember, when you say “no” to eating something, you’re also saying “yes” to even better things – losing weight, better health, increased self-confidence, feeling proud of yourself, and more. Focus on what you’re saying YES to! 

October 8, 2020/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: We always want to remind you that it’s okay to get rid of leftovers! If you have highly tempting food in your house, either make a plan for when and how much you’ll have, and/or make a plan to get it out of the house so that it doesn’t tempt you and tax your resistance muscle. 

October 7, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s okay to eat extra because it’s a rare treat and I never get to have it. 

Response: Just because I don’t come in contact with this food often, doesn’t mean I couldn’t seek it out; there is almost no food that I couldn’t buy or make 365 days a year. I don’t need to overdo it now, because I can ALWAYS get it again. Besides, if I overeat, it will ruin the pleasure of having it because I’ll feel guilty. 

October 6, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: There is a big difference between things that are really hard and things that are impossible. If you feel daunted by the prospect of losing and maintaining weight, remind yourself that it is a matter of learning and practicing (over and over again) necessary skills, not an impossible feat. Telling yourself it’s impossible is an excuse to give up. Telling yourself it’s hard but worth working on is a motivation to keep moving forward. 

October 5, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: No matter how the weekend went, Monday is always an opportunity for a fresh start. Starting right now, give yourself credit for every positive thing you do towards meeting your weight loss goals. It will help you feel better, raise your confidence, and give you motivation to keep going. 

October 2, 2020/hgrossman

October 1, 2020/hgrossman

September 30, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t want to stick to my restaurant plan right now; I’m too hungry. 

Response: Even if I think I’m really hungry and won’t be satisfied, that’s not true! I’m always satisfied when I leave a restaurant. 

September 29, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: At the end of the day, most people forget some (or all) of the food they ate standing up because food eaten standing up just doesn’t seem to register in the mind or body the same way as food eaten while deliberately sitting down. Working on eating every bite sitting down (and slowly and mindfully) is a comfortable way of cutting many calories from your diet because, ultimately, you likely won’t miss that food or feel any less satisfied. 

September 28, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: If you feel daunted by how long it will take to lose the weight you want to, remember that the time will pass anyway! A year from now, you’ll be a year older regardless, but do you want to be a year older and stuck at a heavier weight, or a year older and feeling SO MUCH BETTER? Either way, the time will pass. 

September 25, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Losing weight does entail turning down some food some of the time, but not all food all the time! This weekend, focus on the food that you WILL be eating, not on the food you won’t. 

September 24, 2020/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: If you think, “It’s not really that important to go to bed on time,” remind yourself, “It really is that important. Staying up too late makes me overeat both at night and the next day, because I have less mental and physical energy. Staying on track is hard enough as it is – it’s worth doing everything I can to make it easier.” 

September 23, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t want to work on healthy eating right now because I just don’t feel like thinking about it right now. 

Response: Either way, I’m going to think about it. When I’m off track, I spend time thinking about needing to get back on track and feeling guilty about my eating. There’s no such thing as not thinking about it. 

September 22, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: When you impulsively eat standing up, you’re telling yourself that it doesn’t really matter and that there won’t be any consequences – but there will be, because EVERY bite of food you eat has calories. Even if you’re only eating vegetables standing up today, tomorrow it might be chocolate. 

September 21, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: If you’ve gotten off track with your eating, don’t expect yourself to immediately be able to put everything back into place. You need to build your resistance muscle back up first! Think about what feels doable this week. Recommit to it, do it (giving yourself credit!), and then add one or more steps next week. 

September 18, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you eat out this weekend and stay in control, give yourself a lot of credit. When you get home, don’t say to yourself, “I was so good, now I deserve to treat myself,” because you will undo all your hard work. Losing weight is the best treat! 

September 17, 2020/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: Staying on track – while it can feel very difficult in the moment – is actually a stress-reducer overall, because it gives you something to feel really proud about and makes you feel in control. 

September 16, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m exhausted, but I have work to do, so I can’t sleep. I’ll eat to give me energy. 

Response: Even though I feel exhausted, it doesn’t mean I can’t push through and still get my work done. If I eat every time I feel tired, it’s likely I won’t be able to lose weight.  

September 15, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: If you make a dieting mistake, it’s important to label it as such. It’s a mistake, not a catastrophe. The worse you make it seem in your head, the harder it will be to recover from. If you recognize that it’s just a small mistake and everyone makes mistakes, it won’t be such a hard leap to get right back on track. 

September 14, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Remember, it’s a combination of all the “little” things – like resisting an unplanned snack, making it a priority to eat sitting down, going for a walk when you feel stressed – that will make you lose weight. It’s all the daily things that lead up to BIG weight loss! 

September 11, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you come in contact with food pushers this weekend, remember that in terms of your eating, you only have to answer to yourself. Don’t let comments or predicted reactions from others influence how you eat. You’re working on healthy eating because it’s an important goal for YOU. You don’t need to explain or answer to anybody else about this! 

September 10, 2020/hgrossman

Thursday Think Tip: If you think, “I’m going to try to eat extra to see what I can get away with,” remind yourself that the only thing you’ll really ‘get away with’ is either not losing weight or losing it much more slowly. 

September 9, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s okay to eat this because I’m having a bad day. 

Response: It’s not okay to eat extra, because although my mind knows I’m having a bad day, my body doesn’t. Besides, if I overeat, I’ll feel badly and guilty, which will make me even more unhappy. If I stay on track with my eating, it’s highly likely my day will start to feel better, not worse. 

September 8, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: When clients tell us, “I had a really hard week,” we ask them, “Was it hard for every single hour of every single day?” The answer is always no. Don’t let the memory of several hard times influence your perception of the week as a whole. 

September 7, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: This week, think about things you can ADD to your life, not subtract. More water? More vegetables? More healthy ways to release stress?   

September 4, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Remember that staying on track and having a fun time are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they often go hand in hand! When dieters are off track and eating whatever/whenever, they often don’t feel great. Either they’re feeling bad about it even as they’re eating, or they know in the back of their minds they’re going to feel bad when they face the consequences. Feeling good about the choices you’re making (and fueling your body with good food) feels great and leads to a VERY fun time.

September 3, 2020/hgrossman

Think Thin Thursday Tip: Whenever you stay on track during a challenging food situation (you have a night with a lot of cravings but manage to stick to your plan), it’s so important to ask yourself, “How did I do it? What did I say to myself to help me stay on track?” If it was effective once, it’s helpful to remember because likely it will be effective again.

September 2, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t want to track what I’m eating because I know I’m going to be over.
Response: My body doesn’t care whether or not I track what I’m eating. It’s keeping accurate accounting even if I’m not. Not tracking it just means I’m not holding myself accountable. If I track it, at least I’ll know what I’m doing and be in a better position to stay on track next time.

September 1, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Losing weight may be a slow process (especially if you’re not doing anything drastic), but quitting won’t speed it up.

August 31, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Losing weight takes FOCUS; it doesn’t just happen. If you’re struggling, take a moment this week to think about whether or not you’ve been putting enough time and energy into it. Remember, if it’s not a top priority, chances are excellent it’s not going to happen.

August 28, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Often, people face food pushers on weekends. If you have a particular food pusher who causes you problems, remember that if you had a severe peanut allergy and that person offered you peanut butter cookies, you would never dream of caving in. Working on your health and happiness is just as legitimate a reason to say no. Stand firm!

August 27, 2020/hgrossman

Think Thin Thursday Tip: Are you drinking enough water? Thirst can mask itself as hunger so make sure your water consumption is where it needs to be.

August 26, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I can’t believe I gave in to that craving. I can’t do this. I should just give up.

Response: Learning to lose weight and keep it off is a process, and it takes time. I’m not going to learn it overnight, and I’m not going to be good at it overnight. Just because I gave in once, doesn’t negate all the other times I didn’t. I need to take an accurate picture of how things are really going and acknowledge that while I’m not perfect, I’m better than I was. As long as I keep working at it, I’ll keep moving forward.

August 25, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: If you think, “I don’t deserve credit for my dieting tasks because I should already be doing them,” remind yourself that, no, you SHOULDN’T already be doing these things because you didn’t know how. If this was easy, nobody would be overweight (or gain weight back after they lost it). It’s imperative to give yourself credit and recognize your accomplishments so that you can build your confidence and sense of self-efficacy.

August 24, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: This is your life at stake! Feeling in control of your eating and having integrity with yourself is WORTH WORKING ON! These are big goals, and they take time and patience, but they’re worth it. Keep pushing forward.

August 21, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Is your eating environment a nice place to be? If you routinely eat at a cluttered table, it can cause a more stressful eating experience (and take away from being able to eat slowly and mindfully). This weekend, make sure you have a peaceful place to eat!

August 20, 2020/hgrossman

Think Thin Thursday Tip: The more you work on healthy habits, the easier they will get over time. It’s like playing a complicated piano piece. The first time you play it, you have to concentrate on every note and finger stroke. By the time you’ve played it 100 times, your fingers know what to do without much thought. Keep working on it!

August 19, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I just want to eat without consequence.

Response: I don’t like that I can’t eat without consequences, but I can’t change that fact (not if I want to lose weight and keep it off). I need to stop struggling against it, accept that this is the way it is, and move on.

August 18, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: We’re continuing to check in with everyone about their sleep habits. Have you started going to bed too late again? If so, now is the time to work on that! Getting enough sleep is one of the best things you can do to support your weight loss efforts, so don’t let it slide.

August 17, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Losing weight and gaining control over your eating is not going to happen overnight. It will happen incrementally, step by step. Don’t worry about the big picture, just focus on the step in front of you.

August 14, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Do yo have any (socially distant) trips planned this summer? Remember that the same thing that makes you feel good at home – feeling in control of your eating – is the same thing that will feel good on vacation.

August 13, 2020/hgrossman

Think Thin Thursday Tip: It doesn’t matter how slowly you go, as long as you don’t stop!

August 12, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s okay to have this extra food, it’s not that much compared to what I could be eating.

Response: My body doesn’t know or care how much I’m NOT eating, it only knows how much I do eat, so just because I turned down treats four times doesn’t necessarily mean it’s okay to give in the fifth time. If I take in more calories than I had planned, I’ll gain weight.

August 11, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: While we rarely work with clients on cutting out any foods altogether, we definitely work on helping them reduce some foods. If you’re currently drinking four sodas a day, consider cutting it down to three for a week or two. Then, slowly cut down from there until you’re at a level that feels more reasonable.

August 10, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: We heard the quote recently, “Mistakes are proof that you are trying,” and we love it so much! Mistakes aren’t an indication that you can’t do it, they’re an indication that you’re not giving up.

August 7, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Commit to doing at least one thing for exercise this weekend! Remember – you’ll never regret a workout.

August 6, 2020/hgrossman

Think Thin Thursday: We work with people on getting rid of weight, not losing it. By learning to change their thinking, they won’t find it again!

August 5, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: When I’m losing weight, the scale should go down quickly.

Response: When has seeing the scale go down quickly ever helped me to keep it down? If I want different results it means I have to do things differently.

August 4, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: It’s easy to conflate boredom with hunger. The next time you want to eat, really take a moment and ask yourself if you have an empty rumbling in your stomach. If not, chances are you’re not hungry. Instead of going to the kitchen, find a different fun activity to do.

August 3, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Are you stopping yourself from doing things this summer because you don’t have your “summer body?” Guess what? You do! Whatever body you have is your summer body. Appreciate what it can do.

July 31, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you were driving on the highway and missed your exit, would you say, “Forget it,” and keep driving? No! You’d get off at the very next exit and turn around. If you make a mistake this weekend, immediately turn yourself around and get right back on track. 

July 30, 2020/hgrossman

Think Thin Thursday: When it seems unfair that you can’t eat something, remind yourself this may be true. But ask yourself, is it more important not being able to eat this or not losing weight? Then work on accepting it and move on! 

July 29, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t feel like planning and measuring my food. I know what and how much I’m going to eat. I don’t need to go to so much effort. 

Response: If I only do what I feel like doing, I won’t lose weight and keep it off. Even if I don’t need these crucial skills to lose weight initially, I must learn how to make myself implement them. In the future, my motivation may not be as high as it is today. 

July 28, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: It takes less willpower to stick to an eating decision that you’ve made ahead of time than it does to try to use willpower in the moment to make a good decision. Plan in advance!

July 27, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: If you want to lose weight and keep it off, whether or not you “feel” like doing something (e.g. resisting a craving, taking time to eat breakfast, grocery shopping for healthy food) isn’t relevant. Ask yourself, “Do I feel like avoiding healthy eating or working on meeting my goals?” 

July 24, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: You’ll likely have opportunities to strengthen your resistance muscle (and weaken your giving-in muscle) this weekend. If you think, “It’s okay to give in because this one time won’t matter,” remind yourself that EVERY time matters. Every time, you’re strengthening one of those two muscles. 

July 23, 2020/hgrossman

Think Thin Thursday: If you think, “This food tastes really good. Even though I’ve had enough, it’s okay to eat more,” remind yourself, “It’s not okay because eating more will mean strengthening my giving-in muscle AND taking in extra calories. Besides, at the end of the day my mouth won’t remember if I had 10 more bites, but my body definitely will.” 

July 22, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s okay to eat this because it’s healthy. 
Response: I can gain weight eating all healthy foods, too. Just because it’s healthy, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have calories. Eating healthy foods is a great thing to strive for, but I have to make sure that whatever I eat (healthy or not) fits in with my overall day.

July 21, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Are you drinking too much alcohol? We know that many people lapsed into drinking more at the beginning of quarantine. Now might be the time to work on cutting it back to a more reasonable level. If for no other reason than alcohol has a lot of calories! 

July 20, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: If you feel alone in your struggles to limit your eating and lose weight, remember that so many other people are working at it, too. It’s a very, very small number of people who can eat whatever they want and be at a healthy weight. While it stinks that you have to work at it, you’re in VERY good company! 

July 17, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: What brings you joy? This weekend, do at least one (non-food related) thing to bring more JOY into your life.  

July 16, 2020/hgrossman

Think Thin Thursday: Don’t keep a big variety of desserts in your house. The more you have, the more you’re going to want to eat. If you have three kinds of cookies, you’ll want all three. If you only have one kind, chances are it’ll still be satisfying. Variety can really work against weight loss goals. 

July 15, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I might want chips this week, and I’m not going to the grocery store very often, so I’d better get them now. 

Response: Keeping highly tempting food in the house is never a great strategy when I’m trying to lose or maintain my weight. Even if I want chips later, I ultimately won’t be sorry for not eating them. Buy delicious, healthy food. Then what I eat will taste good AND feel good. 

July 14, 2020/hgrossman

July 13, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: People often say, “Three months from now, you’ll thank yourself” for being on track today. But guess what? TOMORROW you’ll thank yourself. TONIGHT, when you go to bed, you’ll thank yourself. The good feelings from being in control/being on track start almost immediately! 

July 10, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: So many gyms and instructors are offering free online workouts. If your exercise level hasn’t been where you want it to be, commit to doing at least ONE new exercise-related activity this weekend. You won’t be sorry! 

July 9, 2020/hgrossman

Think Thin Thursday: How is your sleep going? Are you sticking to a consistent bedtime? Getting enough sleep and practicing good sleep hygiene are some of the most important things you can do for yourself right now.

July 8, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I had a bad day, so I deserve to order takeout from my favorite restaurant and just veg out.  

Response: I can veg out without food! Lying on the couch and watching a favorite TV show is a great way to relax, even without eating.  I need to remember that treating myself after a bad day with (extra, unplanned) food is ultimately just a trick, because I’ll wake up tomorrow feeling regretful about my choices.

July 7, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: If you think, “No one is seeing me right now, so why should I care about my weight?” Remind yourself that there are still SO MANY reasons to work on healthy eating and/or weight loss: good health, feeling in control, feeling good about the food you’re eating, etc. Other people seeing what you look like is only a tiny fraction of why this is worth it.

July 6, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: We’re just over halfway through the year, so now is a great time to check in with goals you made in January. If you’re not making as much progress as you’d hoped to, now is the perfect time to recommit and restart. There’s still another half a year to go! 

July 3, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: July 4th is tomorrow! We know it might look different from other years, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still be fun. Plan to eat some delicious food – just make sure it fits in with your day as a whole.  

July 2, 2020/hgrossman

Think Thin Thursday: How much water are you drinking? Now that it’s gotten warm again, it may be time to step up your hydration.

July 1, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t have time to do all my weight loss/healthy eating tasks.

Response: It doesn’t take that much time to actually do everything. What does take time is how long I spend struggling beforehand over whether or not I’m going to do it. I need to make the decision to definitively do these things, which will reduce the time significantly.

June 30, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Have you (like many people) lapsed into eating most of your meals in front of the TV? Doing so can really deprive you of eating mindfully and getting physical and psychological satisfaction from your food. This week, consider eating some meals with no distractions.  

June 29, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Don’t do it for them, do it for yourself. While others might be a motivator in your quest to lose weight/maintain a healthy weight, ultimately do it for YOURSELF. You deserve it. 

June 26, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, get out and get moving! Even taking a short walk is way better than no movement, so commit to at least one big or small exercise activity this weekend.   

June 25, 2020/hgrossman

Think Thin Thursday: Are you getting to bed on time? We’ve been hearing that many people are struggling to get to bed at a reasonable hour because they don’t have to be in their office early the next morning. But getting enough sleep is so important, and maintaining a consistent bedtime is big part of that. If you’ve been lax at getting to bed recently, now is the time to tighten up.   

June 24, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m going to eat this food because I want it. I just don’t care about my goals right now. 

Response: While I may not feel like I care in this moment, I definitely will care very soon. Look at my Advantages List and remind myself of the huge and profound goals I’m trying to accomplish. These things matter. I really, really do care.  

June 23, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Eating more dessert in the evening than you’d planned might taste good, but it doesn’t FEEL good. Staying in control and sticking to your plan is what really feels good.  

June 22, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Even though you’re probably home more right now and don’t need to plan to bring lunch into the office, meal planning is still just as critical! Too few options is sabotaging, and too many options can be just as problematic. Consider making a meal plan this week so you go into each meal knowing what you’re going to eat (and so you don’t have to make in–the–moment decisions). 

June 19, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Our constant reminder: If you start to get off track this weekend, remember that there is no such thing as “blowing it for the day,” or “blowing it for the weekend.” There is such a thing, however, as making a mistake on Saturday and continuing to make mistakes on Sunday. But there is also the possibility of making a mistake on Saturday, getting right back on track and having a GREAT rest of the weekend. 

June 18, 2020/hgrossman

Think Thin Thursday: Eating too little during the day and too much at night go hand in hand. Not only are you likely overly hungry, but you may also be telling yourself, “Since I didn’t eat much all day, it’s okay to eat extra right now.” Eating reasonably throughout the day is one major thing you can start doing to control nighttime eating. 

June 17, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m bored, so I’m going to eat. 

Response: If hunger is not the problem, food is not the solution. If I’m bored, I should find something to do that doesn’t sabotage my weight loss/weight maintenance goals.

June 16, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Don’t fool yourself into thinking that not working on healthy eating is the “easy way out.” Is it easy feeling out of control? Is it easy worrying about your eating, weight and health? Is it easy feeling overstuffed? Is it easy not fitting into your clothes? None of those things are easy! 

June 15, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: No matter how the weekend went, Monday is always an opportunity for a fresh start. Starting right now, give yourself credit for every positive thing you do towards meeting your weight loss goals. It will help you feel better, raise your confidence, and give you motivation to keep going.

June 12, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Wouldn’t it be so great to go to bed Sunday night, and wake up Monday morning, and know you had an on-track and in control weekend?  You can make it happen! Staying on track can be hard, but it’s worth it.

June 11, 2020/hgrossman

Think Thin Thursday: Are you getting in enough steps per day? Now that you’re home more and likely not walking around an office, it’s important to make sure you’re still making a deliberate effort to move throughout the day. It’s critical for physical and mental health! 

June 10, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t need feel like planning and measuring my food. I know what and how much I’m going to eat. I don’t need to go to so much effort. 

Response: If I only do the things I feel like doing, I won’t be able to lose weight and keep it off. Even if I don’t need to do these things to lose weight initially, I have to learn how to make myself implement these crucial skills for the future, when my motivation isn’t as high as it is today. 

June 9, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Being accountable for your actions is a critical part of successful weight loss because it enables you to recognize mistakes, which then allows you to learn from them for the future. It’s not about making yourself feel bad for making mistakes, it’s about learning from them to help you keep moving forward.  Next time you make a mistake, take few moments and answer these three questions: 

1. What happened/what was the situation? 
2. Which sabotaging thoughts got in my way? 
3. What can I say and/or do differently the next time? 

June 8, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: What are some things you’re doing for self-care this week? Taking care of yourself in healthy ways (not extra food ways) is critical right now. Make sure you commit to at least one or two concrete self-care activities this week.

June 5, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Do something fun this weekend! Even though you likely can’t eat at restaurant with a friend, go to a museum or attend a party, there are still fun experiences to be had. Work on finding at least one this weekend.  

June 4, 2020/hgrossman

Think Thin Thursday: Remember that taking care of yourself is a necessity, not a luxury. If you think, “I can’t take 10 minutes to sit down and de-stress in a healthy way,” remind yourself, “Yes I can! There is no better use of 10 minutes than taking care of myself.” 

June 3, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m not able to lose weight right now, so I should just give up. 

Response: Even if weight loss isn’t possible during this pandemic, weight maintenance is SO MUCH BETTER than gaining weight! At least in maintenance I get to continue feeling in control and not worry about my health suffering or my clothes getting tight. Maintenance is so, so worth it. 

June 2, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Are you buying things at the grocery store in case you might want them over the next week? Is having those things at home taxing your resistance muscle? If so, leave the struggle at the store! Stop buying them and save yourself hours of struggle over the next weeks.  

June 1, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: This is undeniably a hard and strange time. If you’re having thoughts like, “I can’t focus on healthy eating right now,” remind yourself that healthy eating is important now more than ever! Being healthy and feeling in control is extra important when life is hard and there are so many factors out of our control. 

May 29, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: You can eat a slice of cake in 5 bites or 20 bites. Either way it’s the same amount of food, but you get to enjoy it 15 more times when you eat slowly and in smaller bites, which can greatly increase your satisfaction. This weekend: focus on eating more slowly, more mindfully, and taking smaller bites! 

May 28, 2020/hgrossman

Think Thin Thursday: If you’re having trouble getting yourself to stop eating something because it tastes really good, remind yourself that stopping comes with some huge benefits – you get to feel in control and on track, you don’t take in too many calories, you enable yourself to lose weight, you don’t ruin the ruin the enjoyment of the eating experience by overeating, etc. Stopping isn’t a negative! 

May 27, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: The scale isn’t moving. This is so discouraging, maybe I’ll give up.
Response: While it’s true it’s discouraging when the scale doesn’t move, it doesn’t mean I should give up. If I give up, it will never move down (and it’s almost guaranteed to move up). If I keep doing what I’m doing, it will eventually move down, and when it does, I’ll be so glad I stuck with it. 

May 26, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: Losing weight takes FOCUS; it doesn’t just happen. If you’re struggling, take a moment to think about whether or not you’ve been putting enough time and energy into it. Remember, if it’s not a top priority, chances are excellent it’s not going to happen. 

May 25, 2020/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: It’s undeniably true that there are disadvantages to losing weight – not eating as much as you want, whenever you want, having to watch portions, not eating or drinking the same things as other people may be, but it’s important to compare those to the advantages of losing weight – better health, improved self-confidence, increased mobility, better quality of life (in so many ways), etc. Ask yourself: which is more important to me? 

May 22, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, make sure you have reasonable expectations! If you expect to be able to eat like everyone around you, then you’ll wind up feeling deprived. Keep in mind that you are eating in a completely normal way – for someone who is trying to lose weight and/or keep it off. 

May 21, 2020/hgrossman

Think Thin Thursday: It takes less willpower to stick to an eating decision that you’ve made ahead of time than it does to try to use willpower in the moment to make a good decision. Plan in advance!

May 20, 2020/hgrossman

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s okay to eat this because I’m having a bad day. 

Response: It’s not okay to eat extra because although my mind knows I’m having a bad day, my body doesn’t. Besides, if I overeat, I’ll feel bad and guilty, which will make me even more unhappy. If I stay on track with my eating, it’s highly likely my day will start to feel better, not worse.

May 19, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: You don’t cure emotional eating by removing all comfort foods. You do it by learning to comfort yourself.

May 18, 2020/mhayes

Monday Motivation: Reminder: Getting on track with dieting can be discouraging, but it doesn’t need to be, if you have the right mindset. If you were learning to play the piano and hit a wrong key, you would never take that as a sign to give up completely. Mistakes happen in ALL areas of life but keep practicing and you’ll continue improving.

May 15, 2020/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you’re going to a party or event this weekend and think, “There’ll be so much good food there I won’t be able to resist,” remind yourself, “If I was a vegetarian and all the food had meat in it, I definitely WOULD resist, no question. I may not want to resist, but I know I can.”

May 14, 2020/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday: Remember that taking care of yourself is a necessity, not a luxury. If you think, “I can’t take 10 minutes to sit down and de-stress in a healthy way,” remind yourself, “Yes I can! There is no better use of 10 minutes than taking care of myself.”

May 13, 2020/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t feel like planning and measuring my food. I know what and how much I’m going to eat. I don’t need to go to so much effort.

Response: If I only do the things I feel like doing, I won’t be able to lose weight and keep it off. Even if I don’t need to do these things to lose weight initially, I have to learn how to make myself implement these crucial skills for the future, when my motivation isn’t as high as it is today.

May 12, 2020/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: Eating half of your (presumably much too big) meal at a restaurant and bringing the other half home is a win/win/win situation: you get to enjoy the meal twice, you pay only once for two meals, AND you get to continue working on healthy eating and healthy habits!

May 11, 2020/mhayes

Monday Motivation: Today is a new day. Yesterday is gone. It starts RIGHT NOW!

May 8, 2020/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you’re dining with other people this weekend, keep in mind that it’s very easy to get distracted by conversation and wind up overeating. It can help to immediately portion off how much you are going to eat because that way, even if you do eat it while distracted, at least you won’t consume more than you had planned.

May 7, 2020/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday: If you want to lose weight and keep it off, whether or not you “feel” like doing something (e.g. resisting a craving, taking time to eat breakfast, grocery shopping for healthy food) just isn’t relevant. Ask yourself, “Which do I MORE not feel like: working on healthy eating, or remaining overweight?”

May 6, 2020/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I can’t believe I gave in to that craving. I can’t do this. I should just give up.

Response: Learning to lose weight and keep it off is a process and it takes time. I’m not going to learn it overnight, and I’m not going to be good at it overnight. Just because I gave in once, doesn’t negate all the other times I didn’t. I need to take an accurate picture of how things are really going and acknowledge that while I’m not perfect, I’m better than I was. As long as I keep working at it, I’ll keep moving forward.

May 5, 2020/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: Achieving a really big goal (like losing and maintaining weight) is really a matter of achieving many smaller goals along the way. This week, commit to a smaller goal, like eating everything sitting down or deciding in advance when and how many treats you’ll have. Eventually the small goals lead up to big ones!

May 4, 2020/mhayes

Monday Motivation: Even if you’re “only” losing ½ a pound a week, you’ll still be 26 pounds down by this time next year. Just keep going!

May 1, 2020/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, if you think, “Life is too short so I’m just going to eat this even though I know I shouldn’t,” remind yourself, “Actually, life is too short to be spent overweight, unhappy, and unhealthy. If I want to feel great and really live my life the way I want to, then I need to do what I can to maintain a healthy weight.”

April 30, 2020/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday: Don’t fool yourself into thinking that not working on healthy eating is the “easy way out.” Is it easy feeling out of control? Is it easy worrying about your eating/weight/health? Is it easy feeling overstuffed? Is it easy not fitting into your clothes? None of those things are easy!

April 29, 2020/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t want to work on healthy eating right now because I just don’t feel like thinking about it.

Response: Either way I’m going to think about it. When I’m off track, I spend time thinking about needing to get back on track and feeling guilty about my eating. There’s no such thing as ‘not thinking about it.

April 28, 2020/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: If you’re not doing as well with healthy eating as you’d like and think, “I can’t even do it now, how will I ever be able to do it?” remind yourself that not being totally on track is NOT an indication that you can’t do it (now or in the future), it’s simply a sign that you need more practice. But like any skill, the more you practice, the better you’ll get. This is no different!

April 24, 2020/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: What we THINK will lead to a great weekend is eating whatever we want, in whatever quantity we want, but when we do the opposite – control our eating and stay on track – that’s truly what feels so great.

April 23, 2020/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday: It’s important to pay attention to non-scale victories – things like feeling great about sticking to your plan, overcoming a craving, feeling stronger at the gym, finding it easier to move around, etc. The scale is one measure of success but it’s by no means the only one.

April 22, 2020/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I can’t turn down food someone is offering me because s/he will be disappointed. Response: It’s okay to disappoint people sometimes! Your weight loss goals are more important than any very small, very fleeting disappointment someone else might have.

April 21, 2020/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: Remember, avoiding the scale has never gotten you to where you want to be. It’s important to prove to yourself that you face the consequences and get on the scale even when you don’t want to. Doing so may help hold you more accountable because you’ll know that you won’t let yourself stick your head in the sand.

April 20, 2020/mhayes

Monday Motivation: If you’ve fallen into any bad habits, today is your day to start fresh and begin working on your goals!

April 17, 2020/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” What’s your plan to help you stay on track this weekend?

April 16, 2020/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday: A common thinking error that people make is mindreading – assuming they know what someone will think. Believing that you can’t turn down food someone is offering you because they will be terribly disappointed is mindreading. Maybe they will be disappointed or maybe they won’t be, but you don’t actually know unless you have evidence.

April 15, 2020/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m exhausted but I’m at work so I can’t sleep. I’ll eat to give me energy.

Response: Even though I feel exhausted, it doesn’t mean I can’t push through and still get my work done. If I eat every time I feel tired, it’s likely I won’t be able to lose weight. Which would I rather be: Overweight AND tired, or just tired?

April 14, 2020/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: The only bad workout is the one that didn’t happen. Commit to doing SOMETHING exercise-related this week.

April 13, 2020/mhayes

Monday Motivation: If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. Losing weight is hard but so, so worth it.

April 10, 2020/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: You will likely have lots of opportunities to strengthen your resistance muscle (and simultaneously weaken your giving-in muscle) this weekend. If you think, “It’s okay to give in because just this one time won’t matter,” remind yourself that EVERY time matters because every time you’re strengthening one of those two muscles.

April 9, 2020/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday: Being accountable for your actions is a critical part of successful weight loss because it enables you to recognize mistakes, which then allows you to learn from them for the future. It’s not about making yourself feel bad for making mistakes, it’s about learning from them to help you keep moving forward. Next time you make a mistake, take few moments and answer these three questions: What happened/what was the situation? What were the sabotaging thoughts that got in my way? What can I say and/or do differently the next time?

April 8, 2020/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I just want to eat without consequence.

Response: Oh, well! I don’t like that I can’t eat without consequences but I can’t change that fact (not if I want to lose weight and keep it off). I need to stop struggling against it, accept that this is the way it is, and move on.

April 7, 2020/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: How do you feel physically after you eat a big, fattening meal? How do you feel physically after you eat a reasonable, healthy meal? Our guess is you feel very differently! Next time you’re making a decision about what to eat for a meal, ask yourself, “How do I want to feel when I finish?”

April 6, 2020/mhayes

Monday Motivation: It’s a new month, so it may be time to set some new goals. By the end of April would you like to have lost weight, gained weight, or stayed the same? The number you see reflected on the scale at the end of the month is ultimately up to you, so make a commitment to yourself NOW!

April 3, 2020/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, consider the rule of one: One serving at meals, one scoop of ice cream for dessert, one serving of chips at the restaurant, etc. Sticking to just one means you get to enjoy some food, and continue making progress towards your goals.

April 2, 2020/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday: Make sure you have a healthy, fast snacks readily available. If you do, chances are high you’ll eat one and feel good about it. If you don’t, chances are you’ll eat something unhealthy and not feel good about it.

April 1, 2020/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: Eating this [unhealthy food] will help me feel better. Response: Nope! Eat better, feel better. Period.

March 31, 2020/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: Just because you’re alone/nobody is watching you eat something doesn’t mean the calories don’t count. Whether you’re with 100 people or no people, your body processes all calories the same.

March 30, 2020/mhayes

Monday Motivation: If you haven’t checked in recently with exactly why you want to lose weight, spend some time really thinking about it today. Losing weight/maintaining weight loss is really hard, so it’s important to keep in mind exactly why you’re doing it.

March 27, 2020/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, if you think, “I’ll start working on my eating on Monday,” remind yourself, “How many times have I ‘started my diet’ on Monday? I could have lost weight and kept it off for years now, if I didn’t use that excuse.”

March 26, 2020/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: If you tend to overeat at meals, worrying that you’ll get too hungry if you don’t, remember – there is ALWAYS another meal or snack coming. There will always be more food.

March 25, 2020/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s so unfair that I have to work on this and other people don’t.

Response: Chances are, they’re working on it, too! Many more people than I may realize are working hard to lose weight and/or maintain their weight. But in any case, what other people are eating just isn’t relevant to the goal I have for myself and losing weight.

March 24, 2020/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: When you go on vacation, remember that you want to carry the good feelings of the vacation home with you. If you eat with abandon, you’ll feel out of control and discouraged. But if you stay in control, you’ll feel proud and optimistic. It’s so worth it to stay in control!

March 23, 2020/mhayes

Monday Motivation: If you’re not great at self-care, you’re likely going to be vulnerable to turning to food when you get stressed or upset because you won’t have other ways of calming down or soothing yourself. This week, focus on building other means of comfort and stress-relief into your life so you have other things to turn to besides food.

March 20, 2020/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you eat out this weekend and stay in control, give yourself a lot of credit. When you get home make sure you don’t say to yourself, “I was so good, now I deserve to treat myself,” because you will undo all your hard work. Losing weight is the best treat!

March 19, 2020/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: If you’re an emotional eater, remember that you learned to eat when you were feeling bad, but you can unlearn it, too. It’s not a given that food is the only way to feel better.

March 18, 2020/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I’ve paid for this meal, so I have to get my money’s worth by eating it all.

Response: Eating it all won’t bring the money back, it will just make me take in too many calories and jeopardize my weight loss.

March 17, 2020/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: Everyone has stress in their lives, so we can’t use feeling stressed as a reason to let go of healthy eating. Stress will be there either way. Do you want to feel stressed and bad about yourself, or stressed and better about yourself?

March 16, 2020/mhayes

Monday Motivation: Every time you go to bed after having a good eating day, you will feel great – and every morning you wake up after having had a good eating day the day before, you will feel great. This week, make a commitment to yourself to FEEL GREAT by committing to having a good eating week!

March 13, 2020/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you come in contact with free food this weekend and think, “It’s okay to have some because it’s free,” remind yourself that just because it’s free in terms of cost doesn’t mean it’s free in terms of calories! Your body doesn’t know or care how much money you spent on something, it processes all calories the same.

March 12, 2020/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: If there are certain foods in your house that continually sabotage you, consider getting rid of them! Yes, your spouse or kids might grumble initially but chances are these are not nutrition-laden foods that they need to be eating, either.

March 11, 2020/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s okay to eat because I just need to feel better NOW.

Response: While it may be true that I need to feel better, it’s not true that I need to EAT to feel better. There are other things I can do to help myself feel better that won’t cause me to take in extra calories and gain weight. Besides, if I eat to feel better now, the only thing I’ll be doing is signing myself up to feel badly later – when I feel guilty about what I’ve eaten, when I’ve reinforced bad habits, and when I’ve gain weight. Do something else that will help me feel better now AND later.

March 10, 2020/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: If you’re in the habit of getting fast food often, think about how that food makes you FEEL (not just about how it tastes). If it ultimately doesn’t make you feel good, it’s probably worth working on cutting it out, or at least cutting down on it.

March 9, 2020/mhayes

Monday Motivation: If you’re not doing as well with healthy eating as you’d like and think, “I can’t even do it now, how will I ever be able to do it?” remind yourself that not being totally on track is NOT an indication that you can’t do it (now or in the future); it’s simply a sign that you need more practice. But like any skill, the more you practice, the better you’ll get. This is no different!

March 6, 2020/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, if you think, “Life is too short, so I’m just going to eat this even though I know I shouldn’t,” remind yourself, “Actually, life is too short to be spent overweight, unhappy, and unhealthy. If I want to feel great and really live my life the way I want to, then I need to do what I can to maintain a healthy weight.”

March 5, 2020/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: If you’re someone who eats when you get home from work, you might be using food as means to de-stress from the day and transition from work mode to home mode. Consider putting other strategies in place to achieve this, like listening to a song in your car before going in the house, or reading some response cards, or doing some deep breathing, or going for a quick walk.

March 4, 2020/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I want to be free to eat whatever I want.

Response: I can be free to eat whatever I want, or I can stop fooling myself and finally lose weight for good. Every time matters. Being free to eat whatever I want means gaining weight and feeling out of control. It’s not worth it.

March 3, 2020/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: When you travel, make sure you plan for how you’ll handle food while on your trip, but also during transit! If you’re driving, will you bring food with you? If you’re flying, will you have enough time to seek out healthy food in the airport? Figure these things out in advance.

March 2, 2020/mhayes

Monday Motivation: How are you doing with sugar? If you’re eating too much of it, this week consider focusing on adopting the plan of having one reasonable portion of dessert at night. Plan and portion out IN ADVANCE what dessert you’ll have (no spontaneous decisions!). It’s fine if you ultimately want to eat less than that, but work on one dessert a day first. Once your dessert resistance muscle is stronger, you’ll be in a better position to cut down from there.

February 28, 2020/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you eat out this weekend, decide in advance what to have! In-the-moment decisions are the hardest to make well, so maximize your chances of success by not having to rely on spontaneous decisions.

February 27, 2020/Other

Think Thin Thursday Tip: Remember that taking care of yourself is a necessity, not a luxury. If you think, “I can’t take 10 minutes to sit down and de-stress in a healthy way,” remind yourself, “Yes I can! There is no better use of 10 minutes than taking care of myself.”

February 26, 2020/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s okay to eat this because it’s healthy.

Response: I can gain weight eating all healthy foods, too. Just because it’s healthy doesn’t mean it doesn’t have calories. Eating healthy foods is a great thing to strive for, but I have to make sure that whatever I eat (healthy or not) fits in with my overall day.

February 25, 2020/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: Negative emotions are a part of life. They’re not bad; they’re a part of being human. You don’t need to do anything to make them go away. They always crest, like a wave, and then start to come down. You don’t have to be afraid of your feelings.

February 24, 2020/Other

Monday Motivation: Your calorie budget per day is just like any other budget. If you spend more in one area, it means you spend less in another (or if you spend less in one area, you get to spend more somewhere else). This week, make sure you have a plan to spend your calories where they make the most sense!

February 21, 2020/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you’ve had a hard week, you might be tempted to eat to destress and make yourself feel better. Remember that you’re entitled to feel better and you’re entitled to take care of yourself, but you’re also entitled to get everything on your Advantages List, so you have to find other ways to comfort yourself.

February 20, 2020/Other

Think Thin Thursday Tip: If you find yourself trying to rationalize eating something: “It’s okay because I’ll just have a little; I won’t eat anything later; I had a small lunch, etc.,” consider using that as a cue to NOT eat. Remind yourself, “Once the situation has passed, I won’t be sorry I didn’t eat it.”

February 19, 2020/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m too stressed to worry about my eating right now.

Response: Even though I think maintaining control over my eating will make me feel more stressed, it actually makes me feel less stressed because I feel more in control in general.

February 18, 2020/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: When you’re eating dinner, keep the serving dishes off the table! Having more food immediately available greatly increases the chances that you’ll eat extra.

February 17, 2020/Other

Monday Motivation: Whenever you have an experience where you stayed in control of your eating and felt really good about it, make sure you write it down! Reading these cards will help motivate you when you’re feeling down and remind you that you CAN do it, and when you do, it feels great.

February 14, 2020/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you’re going to a party or event this weekend and think, “I want to just enjoy myself and not think about my eating,” remind yourself, “There’s no such thing as not thinking about it! If I think about it before (and while I’m there), I can plan to incorporate a special treat and feel really good afterwards. If I don’t have a plan, I’ll be thinking a lot about it when the party is over – in a negative way — and I’ll feel really mad that I didn’t control my eating. So either way I’ll be thinking about it.

February 13, 2020/Other

Think Thin Thursday Tip: Eating too little during the day and too much at night go hand in hand. Not only are you likely overly hungry, but you may also be telling yourself, “Since I didn’t eat much all day, it’s okay to eat extra right now.” Eating reasonably throughout the day is one major thing you can start doing to control nighttime eating.

February 12, 2020/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t have time to exercise.

Response: It may be hard to find the time to exercise but it’s not impossible.  Anything is better than nothing, so start small and work up from there.

February 11, 2020/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: If you want to “eat like everyone else,” remind yourself that what other people eat is completely irrelevant to what you eat.  No one else is your exact age/weight/body type with your exact weight loss goals. You have to eat in a way that works for you, not for anybody else.

February 10, 2020/Other

Monday Motivation: Are you someone who tends to take on most household responsibilities yourself? Learning to diet takes a lot of time and energy initially so if your life is already full, you’ll need to find ways to make more time.  Try delegating some tasks to other members of your family. Remember, it’s actually good for your kids. They deserve the opportunity to feel like important members of the household and learn the value of responsibility.

February 7, 2020/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you’re entertaining at your house this weekend, remember that you need a plan for what you’ll do while people are there, but also what you’ll do once you’re alone with leftovers! Sometimes that can be the more dangerous time, so make sure you plan for this in advance.

February 6, 2020/Other

Think Thin Thursday Tip: If you walk into the office kitchen and see something that looks good, walk right back out!  Remind yourself that if you hadn’t seen it, you wouldn’t have wanted it so you’re really not missing out on anything.

February 5, 2020/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I won’t be able to enjoy eating out if I can’t order “special” foods.

Response: Food is just one aspect of eating out. Even if what I get doesn’t feel as exciting every time, it’s still good food that I like. And every other part of eating out is still special (spending time with my family, not having to cook/serve/cleanup, the décor, people watching, etc.).

February 4, 2020/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: Even if you don’t always have control over what food is served to you (like when you’re at someone’s house), you always have control over what and how much you put in your mouth.

February 3, 2020/Other

Monday Motivation: What are some of the advantages of staying in control of your eating? Some of the biggest ones are: FEELING BETTER! not feeling like a dark cloud is hanging over us; setting a good example for our families; feeling confident; feeling proud of ourselves.

January 31, 2020/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, instead of thinking about what you can’t have when you’re working on eating healthfully, focus on what you can – delicious and healthy food, a reasonable amount of treats, good health, better self-confidence, a stable wardrobe, a more peaceful relationship with food, great feelings, etc.

January 30, 2020/Other

Think Thin Thursday Tip: If you felt sick, took your temperature, and saw you had a fever, you would never think, “I can’t believe I let my temperature get this high! I’m such a weak person.” The number on the scale is the same – it’s just INFORMATION about whether what you’re doing is working. It says nothing about who you are as a person.

January 29, 2020/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s okay to eat this because it’s healthy.

Response: I can gain weight eating all healthy foods, too. Just because it’s healthy doesn’t mean it doesn’t have calories. Eating healthy foods is a great thing to strive for, but I have to make sure that whatever I eat (healthy or not) fits in with my overall day.

January 28, 2020/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: There is a difference between what your mind finds significant and what your body finds significant. Although your mind may find it significant that everyone around you is eating something (so it feels okay to eat extra, too), or that it’s a special occasion, or that you’re feeling upset, your body doesn’t know or care. It processes all calories the same.

January 27, 2020/Other

Monday Motivation: Remember, you don’t grow on your easiest days; you grow on your hardest days. Even if you face challenges this week, they are opportunities to learn and develop. You can do this!

January 24, 2020/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Remember, come Monday morning, you’ll look back at your weekend and feel PROUD of the times you stayed in control, not regretful. You likely won’t think, “I should have had an extra slice of chocolate cake,” or “I should have had a second glass of wine.” It just will not happen!

January 23, 2020/Other

Think Thin Thursday Tip: It’s critically important to be tuned in to your thoughts, so you can learn what your common sabotaging thoughts are and come up with responses to them. The next time you eat something unplanned or that you know you probably shouldn’t, ask yourself, “What was just going through my head? What did I say to myself? ‘I know I shouldn’t eat this but it’s okay because….?’”

January 22, 2020/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I just want to eat without consequence.

Response: Oh, well! I don’t like that I can’t eat without consequences but I can’t change that fact (not if I want to lose weight and keep it off). I need to stop struggling against it, accept that this is the way it is, and move on.

January 21, 2020/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: Are you exercising this week? Remember, you don’t have to go fast. You just have to GO.

January 20, 2020/Other

Monday Motivation: Dieting is generally easy in the beginning because motivation is high, but at some point (whether in three weeks or three months) it gets harder. This is completely NORMAL, and it happens to everyone. As long as you keep at it, dieting will get easier again. But, if you’re still riding the new year, new you high – keep the streak going! Make that motivation last as long as possible.

January 17, 2020/Other

“I really regret eating healthy today,” said NO ONE EVER! This weekend, focus on healthy eating. You won’t regret it!

January 16, 2020/Other

Think Thin Thursday Tip: If you make a dieting mistake and start to catastrophize, ask yourself, “What would I say to my best friend if she told me about a mistake she made?” Chances are you’d be more compassionate to a friend than you would be to yourself. In dieting, you’ll make many, many mistakes. It’s important to be compassionate to yourself so that you’re able to learn from them and move on.

January 15, 2020/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: If I can’t stay on track now, how will I ever be able to do it in the future?

Response: Being off track is NOT an indication that I can’t do it (now or in the future), it’s simply a sign that I need more practice. Like any skill, the more I practice, the better I’ll get. This is no different!

January 14, 2020/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: It’s not about having time, it’s about making time. You CAN find time to prepare healthy food, meal plan, exercise, etc., if you make it a top priority.  Maybe you don’t have time to exercise 60 minutes a day or meal prep 2 hours on the weekend, but ANYTHING is better than nothing.

January 13, 2020/Other

Monday Motivation:  If you’ve made a resolution to lose weight, remember that learning to diet is like learning to play the piano. You start out with easier skills/pieces, practice them, get better and better at them, and then move on to harder ones. If you were learning to play the piano, you would never think that hitting a wrong note was an indication that you couldn’t do it or that you should give up; you would simply accept it as part of the learning process. Dieting is no different!

January 10, 2020/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you think, “I’ve never been able to keep weight off before so why should I even try this year?” remind yourself, “If I never try, there is a 0% chance I will reach my goals. I’ve tried so many times in the past because it’s so important to me!” Don’t give up on an important goal. Figure out what you can do differently this time so that you’ll have different results.  Pick one thing and start working on it right away – this weekend!

January 9, 2020/Other

Think Thin Thursday Tip: Did you get off track with things like exercise, meditation, or meal planning during the busy holiday season? If so, TODAY IS THE DAY to restart!

January 8, 2020/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: Dieting stinks because the food is so boring.

Response: First, the food doesn’t have to be boring if I take the time to prepare healthy and delicious meals. Second, even if the food is more boring for a period of time, that’s okay! Food isn’t my only source of excitement; besides, all the benefits of losing weight will be INCREDIBLY exciting.

January 7, 2020/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: January is a great time to institute a new exercise routine.  Even if you’ve never been an “exerciser” before – it’s never too late to start.

January 6, 2020/Other

Monday Motivation:  Make a commitment this week to focus on the things you’re doing well, NOT the mistakes you may make. Doing so will help you feel better and more motivated daily, which will make it easier to keep moving forward.  If you’ve never been someone who can focus on the positives, make 2020 the year that you start.

January 3, 2020/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: It’s much easier to stay in control when you maintain some type of eating schedule, even during the weekend, so that you don’t wind up just grazing all day. This weekend, don’t let unstructured time become unstructured eating.

January 2, 2020/Other

Think Thin Thursday Tip: It’s important to remember that you need to make eating decisions based on what works for you, not what everyone around you is doing. Remind yourself that what everyone around you is eating is irrelevant, and that if you eat extra, you’ll gain weight regardless of whether others are overeating, too.

January 1, 2020/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: Happy New Year’s Day! This week start the year off right. Instead of thinking about what you can’t have when you’re working on eating healthfully, focus on what you can – delicious and healthy food, a reasonable amount of treats, good health, better self-confidence, a stable wardrobe, a more peaceful relationship with food, great feelings, etc.

December 31, 2019/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: If you’re making a goal to lose weight in 2020, GET ON THE SCALE! See where you’re starting from! Avoiding the scale makes it easier to avoid other healthy habits. Just remember, if you felt sick, took your temperature, and saw you had a fever, you would never think, “I can’t believe I let my temperature get this high! I’m such a weak person.” The number on the scale is the same – it’s just INFORMATION about whether what you’re doing is working. It says nothing about who you are as a person.

December 30, 2019/Other

Monday Motivation: It’s important to both give yourself credit for the good choices you make and not berate yourself when you make a mistake. When you beat yourself up, the only thing it does is demoralize you further, making it harder to get back on track. When you give yourself credit, it makes you feel great, makes it easier to keep doing what you’re doing, helps raise your confidence, and gives you motivation to stay on track. No matter what your eating has been like lately, it’s never too late to turn things around and start giving yourself credit for small, positive changes.

December 27, 2019/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you think, “I just want to enjoy myself at holiday events this weekend and not have to think about it,” remind yourself, “there’s no such thing as not thinking about my eating! If I think about it before I go to the party (and when I’m there), I can plan to have a special treat and feel really good afterwards. If I don’t have a plan, I’ll be thinking about it a lot when the party is over (in a negative way), and I won’t be happy I didn’t control my eating. But either way I’ll think about it.”

December 26, 2019/Other

Think Thin Thursday Tip: We want to remind you after a holiday that it’s okay to get rid of leftovers! If you have highly tempting food in your house, either make a plan for how much you’ll have, and/or make a plan to get it out of the house so that it doesn’t tempt you and tax your resistance muscle.

December 25, 2019/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: To those who celebrate it, Merry Christmas! We hope you have a day planned with fun things and good food (that you’ll eat in reasonable portions and feel really good about once the day has passed).

December 24, 2019/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: This whole week, keep in mind, “I won’t regret the extra food I don’t eat, but I definitely will regret overeating. I never regret not eating something once the temptation has passed!”

December 23, 2019/Other

Monday Motivation: If you are given gifts of holiday food and feel guilty about not eating it, remember that whether you actually eat the gift in no way takes away from the nice gesture of receiving it. Make sure you keep your home environment one that works in your favor, not against you. There’s enough treats tempting you almost everywhere you look this time of year, your home doesn’t need to add to that.

December 20, 2019/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, if you think, “It’s not fair that I can’t eat like everyone else,” remind yourself, “Thank goodness I’m not eating like everyone else! Most people gain weight during the holiday season, and my goal is the opposite.”

December 19, 2019/Other

Think Thin Thursday Tip: If you think, “There’s just so much junk food at work, I can’t resist it,” remind yourself that it’s worth it not to eat junk food at work. You don’t want to be plagued by cravings. You don’t want to gain weight, and you don’t want to feel guilty afterwards. If you see treats in the office that you want, tell yourself: “I CAN have them, just not right now. I’ll enjoy the treat so much more at home when I’ve planned to have it because I’ll eat it guilt free (and I won’t have to worry about overeating because I will only have one portion with me).”

December 18, 2019/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m off track anyway. I’ll just worry about my eating once the new year hits.

Response: Don’t wait! Every day I stay off track is another day I ultimately don’t feel good about myself or my eating. It’s worth it to recover RIGHT NOW and start feeling good. When I do, then I’ll start the new year in a good place, instead of in a place where I need to make lots of changes.

December 17, 2019/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: Remember – unfortunately, your body doesn’t know or care what you don’t eat. It only knows what you do. So just because you passed up treats four times doesn’t necessarily mean it’s okay to have the fifth.

December 16, 2019/Other

Monday Motivation: While staying in control of your eating is harder during the holidays, the good news is that when you manage to do so, it feels extra great! The harder it is to stay on track, the more positive feelings you get as a result of doing so. Remind yourself that staying on track during a normal day feels good, but staying on track during a holiday feels AMAZING!

December 13, 2019/Other

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Make sure you eat regular meals this weekend. Don’t allow yourself to just graze throughout the day. Grazing is the absolute best way to take in the most calories with the least amount of satisfaction. Sit down, eat real meals, and you’ll feel much more satisfied while taking in less food overall.

December 12, 2019/Other

Think Thin Thursday Tip: Are you drinking enough water? This is important year-round. Consider setting a water goal for yourself, like refilling a big 20 oz cup three times a day. Start out the day with three rubber bands on your cup and every time you finish it, take one off.

December 11, 2019/Other

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t want to have to work on healthy eating during the holidays.

Response: It’s true that I don’t want to think about healthy eating, but I so much more don’t want to: not fit into my pants, not like the way I look, avoid being in pictures, feel out of control of my eating, etc.

While maintaining healthy eating this time of year is hard, it’s still much better than the alternative!

December 10, 2019/Other

Tuesday Reality Check: Remember that you can’t take in extra calories at every holiday event and still maintain your weight. Remind yourself that there’s a huge difference between eating no treats you want and eating every treat you want, then work on finding the middle ground.

December 9, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: If you think, “I can’t believe how much I overate at the holiday parties this weekend. That was so bad,” remind yourself, “I can’t change what I ate in the past, only what I eat today and in the future. So instead of ruminating on past mistakes, I need to focus on making today a great day!”

December 6, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you get off track at any point this weekend, IMMEDIATELY RECOVER! You’ll be so proud of your ability to get back on track, instead of mad at yourself for slipping up.

December 5, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: Make sure you plan to have your favorite foods this holiday season, but decide in advance when and how much! That way, if you come in contact with a food you love, you won’t have the sabotaging thought, “I never get to have this so it’s okay,” because you’ll know exactly when you get to have it.

December 4, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I just don’t care.

Response: While it’s true that I don’t care right at this moment, I’m going to care A LOT a few minutes from now if I jeopardize my diet and weight loss. I can’t let this one moment of not caring influence how I act because I know I will care again, and when I do, I’ll be SO happy and proud I didn’t give in.

December 3, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: We’re now in the busy holiday time of year and people are more likely to drop healthy habits like exercise and meditation, simply because they have so much going on. Don’t fall into that trap! Especially during the holidays, exercise and meditation are extra important to provide healthy outlets and stress relief.

December 2, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: How has your eating been going so far this holiday season? If you need some extra motivation (or if things haven’t been going well), take a moment to regroup and really think about the reasons why it’s worth it to you to stay on track. Then write them down in a special Holidays Advantages List and start reading it every day, at least once a day.

November 29, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: How did everyone fare yesterday? If you stayed in control – GREAT! Give yourself lots and lots of credit and keep doing what you’re doing. If you got off track – move on! Make the commitment to getting back on track THIS MINUTE and give yourself lots of credit for doing so.

November 28, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: Happy Thanksgiving! Remember, today is ultimately a day for giving thanks for the blessings in your life. What food you do or don’t eat will not take away from that.

November 27, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: Since Thanksgiving is tomorrow, it’s okay to eat whatever I want. Everybody else will be doing that, too.

Response: My body doesn’t know or care what day of the year it is, it processes calories the same NO MATTER WHAT. My body also doesn’t know or care what anybody else around me is eating, it only cares about what food I eat MYSELF.

November 26, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: The time and energy for dieting and exercise will NEVER just magically appear, and especially not during the busy holiday season. This means that dieters may need to be more deliberate in figuring out how and when they will make the time and energy; but absolutely, 100%, it’s worth it!

November 25, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: It takes less willpower to stick to an eating decision that you’ve made ahead of time than it does to try to use willpower in the moment to make a good decision. This week, focus on planning in advance and you’ll save yourself a lot of struggle.

November 22, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Remember, there is almost no food that you can’t buy/make/order 365 days a year. Just because you don’t normally come in contact with a specific food doesn’t mean you can’t if you make the effort. Don’t buy into the thought, “I need to eat extra because I never get this food.”  Chances are you can get it again another time!

November 21, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: Thanksgiving is only a week away! If you think, “I’ll feel really deprived if I don’t get to eat everything on the table,” remind yourself, “If I keep telling myself that I’m going to feel deprived, I definitely will. Instead of concentrating on the things I’m not eating, I need to focus on enjoying what I am eating and spending time with my loved ones.”

November 20, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I’ve made a dieting mistake, so I shouldn’t eat anything for the rest of the day.

Response: When I make a mistake, don’t plan not to eat! It just doesn’t work and I don’t deserve punishment. It was only a mistake.

November 19, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you undoubtedly won’t be able to eat all of the holiday food you want, in whatever quantities you want. HOWEVER, this doesn’t mean that you can’t have a plan for when and how you will enjoy certain treats, and in doing so you will be able to enjoy holiday food, enjoy staying in control, AND enjoy all the advantages of losing weight.

November 18, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: When you’re working on losing weight, there are a lot of hard moments. Moments at parties, at events, when you’re having a craving, when you’re feeling stressed or anxious and want to eat. But there are also so, so many great moments. When you bend over and your stomach doesn’t get in the way. When you get a compliment. When you feel great at the end of the day. When you get on the scale stress-free. When you overcome a craving and feel really proud. Make sure you pay attention to the great moments! What are some of yours?

November 15, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: With the holidays right around the corner, it might be time to start brushing up on some of your skills. Have you been eating everything sitting down, slowly, and mindfully? Reading your Advantages List? Responding to sabotaging thinking? Giving yourself credit? Making time and energy for dieting? If not, make a commitment to work on your basic skills this weekend to help get you in the right mindset.

November 14, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: If you get busy, it may also mean that you get stressed. If this happens, even though you’re busy it’s essential that you keep up with self-care activities (like exercising and talking to friends) so that you don’t turn to food to help you unwind.

November 13, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s not really that important to go to bed on time.

Response: It really is that important. Staying up too late makes me overeat both at night and the next day. Besides, on the days I do go to bed, I feel so much better the next day – rested and alert. I’ll be so happy tomorrow morning I made myself get in bed.

November 12, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: You’re an adult. It’s your responsibility to make decisions that are in line with goals that are important to you. It’s not your responsibility to make decisions that make others feel good about what they’re eating or drinking.

November 11, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: It may not be realistic to lose weight between now and January 1^st (although it may be!) but that doesn’t mean gaining is inevitable. It might be helpful to set more of a maintenance goal for the time being – so you can feel good about staying the same weight instead of frustrated for not going down. But regardless of your goal, make sure to keep getting on the scale consistently!

November 8, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: You might be able to get away with not reading Response Cards regularly during the week, but don’t fool yourself into thinking it will work on the weekend. For most dieters, weekends are a lot tougher, so make sure you use every tool in your arsenal and give yourself the best shot at staying on track.

November 7, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: The next time you know you have a really stressful situation coming up (like a doctor’s visit for yourself or a loved one), ask yourself: how will I get through this without eating? Make a plan in advance for the ways you will deal with stress and anxiety so you don’t end up turning to food.

November 6, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: Since it’s almost the holidays, I can’t possibly work on healthy eating at this time.

Response: That’s just a sabotaging thought. While it may be more difficult at this time of year with all of the extra treats around, I’m ultimately in charge of every bite of food I eat so the holidays don’t have to derail my healthy efforts.

November 5, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: If you think, “I can’t get rid of all the leftover Halloween candy; that’s not fair to my kids,” ask yourself, “Do my kids really need to be eating all of this, anyway?” There is a big middle ground between letting them have no candy and letting them have way too much. Maybe they’ll be willing to keep some and can feel good about donating the rest.

November 4, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: Consistency is the only way to build your resistance muscle! When you’re on track some of the time but off track other times, you’ll just end up spinning your wheels and not really getting anywhere. This week, focus on goals you can be 100% consistent with (even if that means backing on some things you think you “should” be doing but just can’t get yourself to do right now) and make progress towards strengthening your resistance muscle.

November 1, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you think, “I just don’t want the burden of thinking about dieting this weekend,” remind yourself: Eating right is a burden, but being overweight is a burden too (physically, psychologically, financially, etc.) EITHER WAY I’M BURDENED, but at least in one way I get to be thinner, healthier, and feel good about myself.

October 31, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: Happy Halloween! Remember that with a reasonable plan you can enjoy some Halloween candy and still enjoy feeling on track, feeling in control, and not feeling sick from over-indulging. If you haven’t already done so, make a plan right now.

October 30, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: Dieting shouldn’t be this hard. Response: Dieting is supposed to get hard from time to time. It gets harder for everyone. Remember how hard it used to be? It’s easier today than it was a year ago, and it will be a lot easier a year from today as long as I keep practicing my skills and don’t give up.

October 29, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: It’s always a good strategy to NOT BUY the Halloween candy that you like best. Just because it’s your favorite, doesn’t mean it’s everybody else’s. It’s usually just not worth it to have the most tempting food (in large quantities) hanging around the house. Don’t do that to yourself!

October 28, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: This time of year we always start reminding you that the holidays are right around the corner (in fact, Halloween is almost here!). Check in with yourself: How are you doing with practicing your skills? If some have gotten loose, NOW is the time to tighten up. Make sure you go into the holiday season with a really strong resistance muscle.

October 25, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Halloween is on Thursday, but maybe you shouldn’t buy Halloween candy this weekend! It may be too early, and having it around the house all weekend may make it hard to resist. If you’ve ever gotten off track with early Halloween candy before, commit to buying it on Wednesday night or sometime on Thursday; there will still be plenty left in stores.

October 24, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: If healthy eating feels really painful to you, you may be giving food a bigger role than it deserves. Food is a pleasure in life, but it’s not the only one. Try building other sources of pleasure and excitement in your life, and in doing so, you’ll rely less on food to be “fun” and healthy eating will be easier.

October 23, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I just don’t have time to exercise right now.

Response: I may not have an hour a day to exercise, but there’s a huge range between doing 60 minutes and 0 minutes of exercise.  Even if I only have 5 minutes, 5 is better than nothing! At least it will reactivate my exercise habit and chances are I’ll be able to work up from there.

October 22, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: You don’t cure emotional eating by removing all comfort foods. You do it by learning to comfort yourself without food.

October 21, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: One of the most important aspects of healthy eating and weight loss is improved quality of life. Our dieters find that once they gain control of their eating they feel SO MUCH BETTER both mentally and physically, in ways they hadn’t even conceived of when they initially started out.

October 18, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you’re eating out at restaurants, decide in advance what you’re going to have and then don’t even look at the menu when you get to the restaurant! Remind yourself, “I’ve already decided what to order so I don’t even need to look at the menu or consider what else I might want. The decision has been made, and sticking to this decision will make me feel so much better. It’s worth it.”

October 17, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: Staying on track, while it can feel very difficult in the moment, is actually a stress-reducer overall because it gives you something to feel really proud about and makes you feel in control.

October 16, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I have to eat when I feel negative things.

Response: Negative emotions are uncomfortable but not dangerous. I don’t have to “fix” them. I’ve had lots of times when I’ve felt very upset but I haven’t eaten. I’ve never exploded or lost control. The worst thing that will happen if I don’t eat is that my distress will peak and then the intensity of my emotions will go down.

October 15, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: If you make a dieting mistake and start to catastrophize, ask yourself, “What would I say to my best friend if she told me about a mistake she made?” Chances are you’d be more compassionate to a friend than you would be to yourself. In dieting, you’ll make many, many mistakes. It’s important to be compassionate to yourself so that you’re able to learn from them and move on.

October 14, 2019/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Dieting is generally easy in the beginning because motivation is high but at some point (whether it’s in three weeks or three months) it gets harder. This is completely NORMAL and it happens to everyone. As long as you keep at it, it will get easier again.

October 11, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you encounter food pushers this weekend, remember that it’s not their job to stop pushing food on you. They’re food pushers, that’s what they do. It IS your job to start saying no!

October 10, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip:  If you felt sick, took your temperature, and saw you had a fever, you would never think, “I can’t believe I let my temperature get this high! I’m such a weak person.” The number on the scale is the same – it’s just INFORMATION about whether what you’re doing is working. It says nothing about who you are as a person.

October 9, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t want to stick to my restaurant plan right now; I’m too hungry.

Response: Even if I think I’m really hungry and won’t be satisfied, that’s not true! I’m always satisfied when I leave a restaurant.

October 8, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: It’s not always reasonable in every situation to lose weight, or even to maintain weight. If the scale goes up, it doesn’t mean you didn’t do well; it just means it wasn’t reasonable not to gain a little.

October 7, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: If you’ve been off track, take some time to reflect on just how good being on track and in control feels. It’s not always easy, but it always, always feels good at the end of the day. It’s worth it and you can do it!

October 4, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, if you get off track, don’t get discouraged. Remind yourself that mistakes are part of the process, and get right back on track.

October 3, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: If, for example, you’re drinking soda 7 days a week and want to cut it out, remember that there’s a huge difference between drinking it every day and never drinking. For many people, it’s too hard to go from all to none. Instead, start small. Go from 7 days to 5 or 6. Do that for a week or two, and slowly cut down from there. Eventually you’ll get to where you want to be, but you’ll do it in a more reasonable and manageable way.

October 2, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s okay to eat this because it’s healthy.
Response: I can gain weight eating all healthy foods, too. Just because it’s healthy doesn’t mean it doesn’t have calories. Eating healthy foods is a great thing to strive for, but I have to make sure that whatever I eat – healthy or not – fits in with my overall day.

October 1, 2019/hgrossman

Tuesday Reality Check: If you think, “I don’t deserve credit for my dieting tasks because I should already be doing them,” remind yourself that no, you SHOULDN’T already be doing these things, because you didn’t know how. If this was easy, nobody would be overweight (or gain weight back after they lost it). It’s imperative to give yourself credit and recognize your accomplishments, so that you can build your confidence and sense of self-efficacy.

September 30, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: Is your eating environment a nice place to be? If you routinely eat at a table that is cluttered with other things, it can cause a more stressful eating experience (and take away from being able to eat slowly and mindfully). This week, take the time to make sure you have a peaceful place to eat!

September 27, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Remember, your body does not know or care that it’s a weekend; it processes calories the same regardless of the day of the week. If your goal is to lose weight and keep it off, then weekends are a break from work, NOT a break from healthy eating.

September 26, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: If you’re feeling discouraged by getting off track, remind yourself that you ARE capable of major change. You can do this. It’s not always easy, but the most important thing is that you persevere. You will get there!

September 25, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: Getting off track from time to time is okay because at least I get to eat my favorite foods.
Response: There’s no food I can eat when I’m off track that I can’t also eat when I’m on track. As long as I keep thinking that there are foods I can’t eat when I’m on track, I’ll constantly be tempted to get off track. And remember, when I eat on track, I enjoy what I’m eating more because I don’t feel guilty about it. Guilt tastes bad!

September 24, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: If you think, “I’ll start my diet tomorrow,” remember that putting it off strengthens that resistance muscle because you’re allowing yourself not to do what you know you need to. Starting RIGHT THIS MOMENT strengthens your resistance muscle and increases the chances that tomorrow you’ll be able to keep it going!

September 23, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again – losing weight initially takes a LOT of time and energy. If you want it to happen, it means you have to put it FIRST. Remember – you deserve to put yourself first.

September 20, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: While “going with the flow” might be a great attitude to have toward many things in life, it just doesn’t work with food when you’re trying to lose weight. Doing so means you have to make too many “in the moment” decisions, which are the ones most likely to get you into trouble. This weekend, commit to planning in advance and NOT going with the flow, food-wise.

September 19, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: A great skill to work on is not taking seconds. If you portioned yourself a reasonable amount the first time, then eating seconds will be purely because your mouth wants more, not because your body needs more food. Work on eating your food slowly and mindfully and remind yourself that when you’re done, you’re done.

September 18, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I just want to eat without consequence.

Response: Oh, well! I don’t like that I can’t eat without consequences, but I can’t change that fact (not if I want to lose weight and keep it off). I need to stop struggling against it, accept that this is the way it is, and move on.

September 17, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: If you’re tracking something (calories, points, carbs, etc.), it’s really important to track AS YOU EAT, not at the end of the day. If you wait, you’re telling yourself it’s okay not to do something that you know you should do, which exercises your giving-in muscle. Plus, if you wait, it’s likely you may end up forgetting something you ate and/or realize at the end of the day that you’re over calories/points/carbs because you didn’t know where you stood before dinner.

September 16, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: Initially, dieters often feel a sense of unfairness about what they’re not eating. However, along the way as they learn new skills and start to feel in control of their eating, they start to feel proud of what they don’t eat – not deprived. If you feel deprived, keep in mind that it’s HIGHLY likely this won’t always be the case. Stick with it!

September 13, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Dieters are over prone to grazing a lot on the weekend. It’s helpful to remember that you’re always better off if you sit down with a defined snack and eat it mindfully. Doing so is ultimately so much more satisfying (physically and psychologically) than grabbing little things here and there – and it also means you’ll probably take in fewer calories.

September 12, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: It’s important to eliminate the words, “I’ve blown it for the day,” from your vocabulary. Telling yourself that just gives you an excuse to continue overeating. Instead of thinking, “I’ve blown it,” remind yourself that you made a MISTAKE, but you’ll recover right away and have a great rest of the day.

September 11, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I can’t believe I gave in to that craving. I can’t do this. I should just give up.

Response: Learning to lose weight and keep it off is a process and it takes time. I’m not going to learn it overnight, and I’m not going to be good at it overnight. Just because I gave in once, doesn’t negate all the other times I didn’t. I need to take an accurate picture of how things are really going and acknowledge that while I’m not perfect, I’m better than I was. As long as I keep working at it, I’ll keep moving forward.

September 10, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: If you’re following a diet plan that has some “free” foods on it, remember that all food has calories and if you eat too much of it (even if it’s “free”), you won’t be able to lose weight.

September 9, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: Consistency is the only way to build your resistance muscle! When you’re on track some of the time but off track other times, you’ll just end up spinning your wheels and not really getting anywhere. This week, focus on goals you can be one-hundred percent consistent with and make progress toward strengthening your resistance muscle.

September 6, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: What are you doing this weekend to enhance your weight loss or maintenance efforts? Here are some examples: exercising; catching up on sleep; planning for the week; food shopping; food prep; de-stressing in healthy ways; reading Response Cards, etc.

September 5, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: Whenever dieters make an alcohol plan (like “maximum two beers”) and they end up not sticking to it, they almost never come back and say, “that was so worth it! The extra beer made my night!” Usually it’s just the opposite. They find out that the extra alcohol didn’t give them much more fun, but it did give them more calories both from the beer and the food they ended up eating after consuming a third beer. It’s not worth it!

September 4, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I feel sorry for myself that I can’t eat whatever I want, whenever I want.

Response: I’d feel so much sorrier for myself if I overate and didn’t fit into my clothes. I’d feel so much sorrier for myself if my blood pressure went back up and I had to go back on medication. I’d feel so much sorrier for myself when I looked in the mirror and saw myself in pictures.

September 3, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: Were you busy having fun this weekend and forgot to meal plan/prep for the week? If so, take five minutes RIGHT NOW and figure out what you’re going to eat today, and how you’re going to find the time to plan for the rest of the week.

September 2, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: Today is a holiday for many people in US. If you have the day off work, enjoy it! But don’t make the mistake of thinking that enjoying the day means you have to get off track. If you stay on track and control your food, you get to go to bed at night feeling GREAT about the day.

August 30, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you’re going to a barbeque or a party this long weekend, consider adopting this guideline: Only eat it if it’s on your plate. Grabbing handfuls here and there from big bowls makes it extremely difficult to keep track of how much you’re eating. If you’re deliberate about putting everything on a plate and then sitting down to have it, you’ll be much more accountable and aware of everything you eat. It helps!

August 29, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: If you feel like you’ve had a hard week, remember that likely not every minute of every hour of every day was hard. There definitely were SOME hard minutes but many, many, MANY minutes were likely easy or neutral. Keep a realistic perspective!

August 28, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s okay to eat this without counting it because I don’t know how many calories are in it.

Response:Even if I don’t know the calories, it still HAS calories, so of course it counts. Estimating the calories is so much better than not counting at all, because at least I’m still being accountable for everything I eat.

August 27, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: You’re an adult. It’s your responsibility to make decisions that are in line with goals that are important to you. It’s not your responsibility to make decisions that make others feel good about what they’re eating or drinking.

August 26, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: Dieters often think, “I wish I could eat whatever I want and as much as I want.” However, when they eat in this unrestricted way, they ultimately feel bad and out of control (and worry about gaining weight). By contrast, when they control and limit their eating, they feel GREAT. Remember – what you may think you want in terms of eating may not be what actually feels good.

August 23, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, if you think, “It’s not fair that I can’t eat like everyone else,” remind yourself, “Thank goodness I’m not eating like everyone else! Most people gain weight every year and my goal is the opposite.”

August 22, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: Just because you feel a sensation in your body, it doesn’t mean you’re hungry! It could be stress, boredom, tiredness, thirst, a craving, or something else. It can be helpful to ask yourself, “Where am I feeling it?” If it’s in your stomach, that may be hunger. If it’s anywhere else in your body, it’s likely not.

August 21, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I’ve never been able to keep weight off before so why should I even try?
Response:If I never try, there is a zero percent chance I will reach my goals. I’ve tried so many times in the past because it’s so important to me! Don’t give up on an important goal. I need to figure out what I can do differently this time, so that I have different results.

August 20, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: The next time you know you have a really stressful situation coming up (like a doctor’s visit for yourself or a loved one), ask yourself: how will I get through this without eating? Make a plan in advance for the ways you will deal with stress and anxiety, so you don’t end up turning to food.

August 19, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: Whatever you did or didn’t eat over the past weekend is irrelevant now. What is relevant is what you eat from this point moving forward. No matter what, today is an new opportunity to have a great eating day.

August 16, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, if you think, “I’m off track anyway, I’ll just worry about my eating on Monday,” remind yourself, “Don’t wait! Every day I stay off track is another day I ultimately don’t feel good about myself or my eating. It’s worth it to recover RIGHT NOW and start feeling good. When I do, I’ll start the new week in a good place, instead of in a place where I need to make lots of changes.”

August 15, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: Staying on track – while it can feel very difficult in the moment – is actually a stress-reducer overall, because it gives you something to feel really proud about and makes you feel in control.

August 14, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s not really that important to go to bed on time.
Response: It really is that important. Staying up too late makes me overeat both at night and the next day, because I have less mental and physical energy. Staying on track is hard enough as it is – it’s worth doing everything I can to make it easier.

August 13, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: If you think, “There’s so much junk food at work right now, I just can’t resist it,” remind yourself, “It’s worth it not to eat junk food at work. I don’t want to be plagued by cravings, I don’t want to gain weight, and I don’t want to feel guilty afterwards. IF I see a treat in the office that I want, remember: I CAN have it, just not right now. I’ll enjoy the treat so much more at home when I’ve planned to have it, because I’ll eat it guilt free (and I won’t have to worry about overeating, because I will only have one portion with me).”

August 12, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: Remember – how hard or easy dieting feels today is NOT how hard it will feel tomorrow and in the future. The more you practice your skills and the more habitual they get, the easier it becomes to keep doing them.

August 9, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: You will likely have lots of opportunities to strengthen your resistance muscle (and simultaneously weaken your giving-in muscle) this weekend. If you think, “It’s okay to give in because just this one time won’t matter,” remind yourself that EVERY time matters, because every time you’re strengthening one of those two muscles.

August 8, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: We always want to remind you that it’s okay to get rid of leftovers! If you have highly tempting food in your house, either make a plan for when and how much you’ll have, and/or make a plan to get it out of the house so that it doesn’t tempt you and tax your resistance muscle.

August 7, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t want to stick to my restaurant plan right now; I’m too hungry.

Response: Even if I think I’m really hungry and won’t be satisfied, that’s not true! I’m always satisfied when I leave a restaurant.

August 6, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: Remember that you can’t take in extra calories at every summer event and still maintain your weight (let alone lose weight). Remind yourself that there’s a huge difference between eating no treats you want and eating every one you want. Work on finding the middle ground.

August 5, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: If you had the thought today, “I can’t believe how much I overate this weekend. That was so bad,” remind yourself that you can’t change what you ate in the past, only what you eat from this point forward. Instead of ruminating on past mistakes, focus on making today a great day!

August 2, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: It takes less willpower to stick to an eating decision that you’ve made ahead of time than it does to try to use willpower in the moment to make a good decision.  This weekend, increase your chances of success by planning in advance.

August 1, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: All-or-nothing simply doesn’t work. When dieters are all-or-nothing about being on a diet – believing they are either totally perfect on their diet or totally off of it – it makes it much more likely that one mistake will spiral into more. When dieters are all-or-nothing about food – believing that there are some foods they should cut out entirely when they’re dieting – it makes it much more likely that once they start eating a “bad” food, they won’t be able to stop, because they’ll have the thought, “I don’t know when I’ll allow myself to eat this food again, so I better eat as much of it as I can right now.”

July 31, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I’ll never be able to get to the weight I was when I was younger. I should stay where I am, it’s good enough.

Response: If I’m at a healthy weight then maybe I SHOULD stay where I am and work on acceptance. If I’m not at a healthy weight, then it’s NOT good enough because my health is suffering. Yes, it’s true that I may never return to my younger weight, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still be healthy, feel good about myself, and achieve everything on my Advantages List. Having unreasonable expectations gives me an excuse to not even try, when I can still improve my life so much by working hard and losing weight.

July 30, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: There is a big difference between things that are really hard and things that are impossible. If you feel daunted by the prospect of losing and maintaining weight, remind yourself that it is a matter of learning and practicing (over and over again) necessary skills, not an impossible feat. Telling yourself it’s impossible is an excuse to give up. Telling yourself it’s hard but worth working on is a motivation to keep moving forward.

July 29, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: If you’re having trouble getting yourself to stop eating something because it tastes really good, remind yourself that stopping comes with some huge benefits – you get to feel in control and on track, you don’t take in too many calories, you enable yourself to lose weight, you don’t ruin the enjoyment of the eating experience by overeating, etc. Stopping isn’t a negative!

July 26, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Eating half of your (presumably much too big) meal at a restaurant and bringing the other half home is a win/win/win situation: you get to enjoy the meal twice, you pay only once for two meals, AND you get to continue working on healthy eating and healthy habits!

July 24, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s okay to eat extra because it’s a rare treat and I never get to have it.

Response: Just because I don’t come in contact with this food often, doesn’t mean I couldn’t seek it out; there is almost no food that I couldn’t buy or make 365 days a year. I don’t need to overdo it now, because I can ALWAYS get it again. Besides, if I overeat, it will ruin the pleasure of having it because I’ll feel guilty.

July 23, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: Being accountable for your actions is a critical part of successful weight loss because it enables you to recognize mistakes, which then allows you to learn from them for the future.  It’s not about making yourself feel bad for making mistakes, it’s about learning from them to help you keep moving forward.

July 22, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: No matter how the weekend went, Monday is always an opportunity for a fresh start. Starting right now, give yourself credit for every positive thing you do towards meeting your weight loss goals. It will help you feel better, raise your confidence, and give you motivation to keep going.

July 19, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, remember, when you say “no” to eating something, you’re also saying “yes” to even better things – losing weight, better health, increased self-confidence, feeling proud of yourself, and more.  Focus on what you’re saying YES to!

July 18, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: If you think, “I’m going to try to eat extra to see what I can get away with,” remind yourself that the only thing you’ll really ‘get away with’ is either not losing weight or losing it much more slowly.

July 17, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I don’t want to work on healthy eating right now because I just don’t feel like thinking about it this summer.

Response: Either way I’m going to think about it. When I’m off track, I spend time thinking about needing to get back on track and feeling guilty about my eating. There’s no such thing as ‘not thinking about it,’ summer or otherwise.

July 16, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: A common thinking error that people make is “mindreading” – assuming they know what someone will think.  Believing that you can’t turn down food someone is offering you because they will be terribly disappointed is mindreading.  Maybe they will be disappointed or maybe they won’t be, but you don’t actually know unless you have evidence.

July 12, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you come in contact with free food this weekend and think, “It’s okay to have some because it’s free,” remind yourself that just because it’s free in terms of cost doesn’t mean it’s free in terms of calories! Your body doesn’t know or care how much money you spent on something – it processes all calories the same.

July 11, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: At the end of the day, most people forget some (or all) of the food they ate standing up because food eaten standing up just doesn’t seem to register in the mind or body the same way as food eaten while deliberately sitting down. Working on eating every bite sitting down (and slowly and mindfully) is a comfortable way of cutting many calories from your diet because, ultimately, you likely won’t miss that food or feel any less satisfied.

July 10, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I can’t believe I gave in to that craving. I can’t do this. I should just give up.

Response: Learning to lose weight and keep it off is a process and it takes time. I’m not going to learn it overnight, and I’m not going to be good at it overnight. Just because I gave in once, doesn’t negate all the other times I didn’t. I need to take an accurate picture of how things are really going and acknowledge that, while I’m not perfect, I’m better than I was. As long as I keep working at it, I’ll keep moving forward.

July 9, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: There’s a difference between physical satisfaction and psychological satisfaction.  If you’ve eaten a reasonable portion of food and you want more, remind yourself that while you may be experiencing a lack of psychological satisfaction, physically you’ve had enough so it’s time to stop eating.

July 8, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: If you feel daunted by how long it will take to lose the weight you want to, remember that the time will pass anyway! A year from now you’ll be a year older regardless, but do you want to be a year older and stuck at a heavier weight, or a year older and feeling SO MUCH BETTER? Either way, the time will pass.

July 5, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-Up: If you come in contact with food pushers this weekend, remember that in terms of your eating, you only have to answer to yourself. Don’t let comments or predicted reactions from others influence how you eat. You’re working on healthy eating because it’s an important goal for YOU. You don’t need to explain or answer to anybody else about this!

July 4, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: Happy 4th of July! If you think, “It’s the Fourth of July, I should be able to eat whatever I want,” remind yourself, “I can eat whatever I want – if I’m okay with getting off track, reinforcing bad habits, jeopardizing weight loss, possibly feeling uncomfortably full, etc. Remember that the things that ultimately make me feel good on a normal day (eating reasonable portions and staying in control) are the same things that will make me feel good on a holiday.”

July 3, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: It’s okay to eat this because I’m having a bad day.

Response: It’s not okay to eat extra, because although my mind knows I’m having a bad day, my body doesn’t. Besides, if I overeat, I’ll feel badly and guilty, which will make me even more unhappy. If I stay on track with my eating, it’s highly likely my day will start to feel better, not worse.

July 2, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: If you make a dieting mistake, it’s important to label it as such. It’s a mistake, not a catastrophe. The worse you make it seem in your head, the harder it will be to recover from. If you recognize that it’s just a small mistake and everyone makes mistakes, it won’t be such a hard leap to get right back on track.

July 1, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: Let’s check in – we’re halfway through the year.  How are your weight loss/weight maintenance/healthy eating goals going?  Whether you’ve achieved what you want to, are on the road to achieving it, or have veered off onto another road entirely, there’s still an entire HALF YEAR to get to where you want to be!  By January 1 you could be a healthier, happier version of yourself and it starts TODAY. Right this moment!

June 28, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-Up: We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: If you want to lose or maintain your weight loss, you can’t use weekends as an excuse to overeat because you will continually undo all your hard work from the workweek. Make a commitment to staying on track this weekend!

June 27, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: Remember that taking care of yourself is a necessity, not a luxury. If you think, “I can’t take 10 minutes to sit down and de-stress in a healthy way,” remind yourself, “Yes I can! There is no better use of 10 minutes than taking care of myself.”

June 26, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: Getting off track from time to time is okay because at least I get to eat my favorite foods.

Response: There’s no food I can eat when I’m off track that I can’t also eat when I’m on track. As long as I keep thinking that there are foods I can’t eat when I’m on track, I’ll constantly be tempted to get off track. And remember, when I eat on track, I enjoy what I’m eating more because I don’t feel guilty about it. Guilt tastes bad!

June 25, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: Remember, it’s a combination of all the “little” things – like not eating a cookie from the cafeteria, making it a priority to eat sitting down, walking by the candy dish and not dipping in – that will make you lose weight. It’s all the daily things that lead up to BIG weight loss!

June 24, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: If you’ve gotten off track with your eating, don’t expect yourself to immediately be able to put everything back into place. You need to build back up your resistance muscle first! Think about what feels doable this week. Recommit to it, do it (and give yourself so much credit for doing so!), and then add one or more things next week.

June 21, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-Up: If you’re going to a party or event this weekend and think, “There’ll be so much good food there I won’t be able to resist,” remind yourself, “If I was a vegetarian and all the food had meat in it, I definitely WOULD resist, no question. I may not want to resist, but I know I can.”

June 20, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: When dieters tell us, “I had a really hard week,” we ask them, “was it hard for every single hour of every single day?” The answer is always, “no.” Don’t let the memory of several hard times influence your perception of the week as a whole.

June 19, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m exhausted, but I’m at work so I can’t sleep. I’ll eat to give me energy.

Response: Even though I feel exhausted, it doesn’t mean I can’t push through and still get my work done. If I eat every time I feel tired, it’s likely I won’t be able to lose weight. Which would I rather be: Overweight AND tired, or just tired?

June 18, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: If you think, “My life is so busy, I just don’t have the time to diet correctly,” remind yourself, “I don’t have time because I’m not making time. If I had to get dialysis every morning, I would make the time for it NO MATTER WHAT. Dieting takes a lot of time in the beginning, so I have to make it a top priority or it will not happen. As it gets easier, it will take less and less time – it’s all a matter of priorities.”

June 17, 2019/hgrossman

Monday Motivation: Often dieters say they’ll start doing more things once they lose weight. We say DON’T WAIT! Start working on improving your life NOW because doing so will enable you to enrich your life and feel happier, which will bolster your weight-loss efforts. What new things are you going to try this summer?

June 14, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you eat out this weekend and stay in control, give yourself a lot of credit. When you get home, don’t say to yourself, “I was so good, now I deserve to treat myself,” because you will undo all your hard work. Losing weight is the best treat!

June 13, 2019/hgrossman

Think Thin Thursday Tip: Sometimes dieters fear what their lives will be like once they lose a lot of weight, and have thoughts like, “I’m afraid I won’t know who I am after losing so much weight.” If this comes up for you, remind yourself, “It’s true, things will look and feel very differently. It may require some renegotiation on my part to figure out where I fit in, and renegotiations with others to figure out our relationships, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.  It’s better than the alternative of staying overweight and continuing to be stuck in an unhappy and unhealthy place.”

June 12, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m going to eat this because I really want some comfort food right now.

Response:It may be comfort now, but it won’t be comfort later when I’m feeling badly and guilty about it. Instead of overindulging, I need to find something healthy and satisfying to do that will make me feel good now AND later.

June 11, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: When you impulsively eat standing up, you’re telling yourself that it doesn’t really matter and that there won’t be any consequences – but there will be, because EVERY bite of food you eat has calories. Even if you’re only eating vegetables standing up today, tomorrow it might be chocolate.

June 10, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: There’s probably never a “good” time to start dieting (the summer’s not a great time, but neither is the holidays, and the fall is when my kids start school, so that’s too crazy, etc. etc. etc.), so why not just start today? Think about how much better you’ll feel next Monday morning if you have a whole week of healthy eating and feeling good about yourself under your belt!

June 7, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Losing weight does entail turning down some food some of the time, but not all food all the time! This weekend, focus on the food that you WILL be eating, not on the food you won’t.

June 6, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: If you’re traveling this summer, MAKE A PLAN! Figure out what you’ll eat, when you’ll eat it, what food you need to bring with you (and what food you don’t need to bring with you! Who needs all those extra treats hanging around the hotel room? NO ONE!). Just “winging it” rarely, if ever, works out.

June 5, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m going to eat this because I just don’t care.
Response: While it’s true I may not care right in this moment, I absolutely will care later on – so I can’t let this one moment of not caring dictate my actions.

June 4, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: Remember, avoiding the scale has never gotten you to where you want to be. It’s important to prove to yourself that you face the consequences and get on the scale even when you don’t want to. Doing so may help hold you more accountable, because you’ll know that you won’t let yourself stick your head in the sand.

June 3, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: If you’re questioning whether or not the effort to stick to a diet is really worth it, chances are you’re not 100% on track. When dieters are fully on track, feeling great about their eating, feeling very in control, and reaping the benefits, there’s no question whatsoever that it’s worth it. So instead of spending energy deciding whether or not it’s worth it, spend the energy to get completely on track, and the question will go away.

May 31, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: If you want to be able to lose weight (or maintain your weight), it’s critical to watch your alcohol consumption on weekends. Don’t fool yourself – alcohol has a lot of calories and can really sabotage weight loss efforts in a number of ways. Just as you would have a plan for what you would eat at an event, it’s important to also have a plan for how much (if any) you’ll drink.

May 30, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: If you have the incredibly common sabotaging thought, “I’ll start my diet tomorrow,“ remind yourself, “Waiting for tomorrow just doesn’t work! The longer I put it off, the harder it will be because I’ll only strengthen my giving-in habit. If I wait for the ‘right time’ to start dieting, or if I wait for ‘tomorrow,’ I may never start! Besides, today is yesterday’s tomorrow, which means I should start RIGHT NOW!”

May 29, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I can’t (or shouldn’t have to) control my eating on vacations.
Response: When I let my eating get out of control on vacation, it makes the vacation worse, not better, because I end up feeling guilty and bad. Staying in control of my eating on vacation makes the whole trip better because I feel so much better – and then I won’t have to worry about getting back on track when the vacation is over, because I will have been on track the whole time.

May 28, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: If your kids are ending school for the year, be prepared to handle the transition between school year and summer. It may take some renegotiation and new planning to make sure your healthy food and exercise stays in place.

May 27, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: If you’re going to a barbeque today with lots of food, remember that at such events you have two options: You can eat smaller portions of more things, or bigger portions of fewer things. Most people psychologically find it more satisfying to eat bigger portions of fewer things, but whatever you decide, be deliberate with your choices.

May 24, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: For those of us in the US, this weekend is Memorial Day weekend. If you have parties and events planned for this weekend, MAKE A PLAN! Don’t leave it up to chance, because chances are it won’t go well (or as well as you’d like). You can enjoy yourself AND feel in control of your eating!

May 23, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: If you have the urge to just eat and eat and eat, remember – while doing that might feel (somewhat) pleasurable in the moment, it never feels good physically to feel overly stuffed. Remind yourself before you start how you’ll feel when you finish.

May 22, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: Life is too short, so I’m just going to eat this even though I know I shouldn’t.
Response: Actually, life is too short to be spent overweight, unhappy, and unhealthy. If I want to feel great and really live my life the way I want to, then I need to do what I can to maintain a healthy weight.

May 21, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: there’s no such thing as “blowing it” for the day. Every bite of food you continue to eat has extra calories, and the more calories you eat, the more weight you’ll gain. Getting back on track at any point puts you in a better position than if you wait even one moment longer.

May 20, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: You might not always have control over what food is served to you, but you always, always have the ability to control what food you put in your mouth. Even very difficult dieting circumstances can be managed, because there is always at least that degree of control you can exert. You’re never powerless!

May 17, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: This weekend, make sure you continue to read your Advantages List and your Response Cards. Continually remind yourself why you’re doing this and what you’ll get in return. Doing so will hopefully motivate you to stay on track!

May 16, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: Sometimes dieters give in to the sabotaging thought, “I just don’t care.” If this is you, remember, “Even when I tell myself I don’t care about losing weight, I really do. There’s NEVER a time when I wouldn’t choose weight loss over anything I was about to eat.”

May 15, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I can’t believe I gave in to that craving. I can’t do this. I should just give up.
Response: Learning to lose weight and keep it off is a process and it takes time. I’m not going to learn it overnight, and I’m not going to be good at it overnight. Just because I gave in once, doesn’t negate all the other times I didn’t. I need to take an accurate picture of how things are really going and acknowledge that while I’m not perfect, I’m better than I was. As long as I keep working at it, I’ll keep moving forward.

May 14, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: Don’t compare your eating to anybody else’s. No one else is exactly your height/weight/activity level WITH your exact same weight loss goals. Just because someone can eat something (or can’t), doesn’t mean you can (or can’t!). Make decisions based on what you need to do for YOU, not on what anyone else is eating or not eating.

May 13, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: It’s important to keep in mind that dieting and losing weight is SUPPOSED to get hard from time to time. It’s not easy (or even neutral) all the time. It gets harder for everyone, and then it gets easier again. These are life-changing goals you’re working toward; it’s worth putting up with some “hard” in order to achieve them.

May 10, 2019/mhayes

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Old habits are hard to break and easy to slip back into. This is why in dieting every single time DOES matter because every single time you’re either reinforcing the old, adverse habit or the new, helpful habit. This is especially true on weekends when bad habits tend to be most rampant. This weekend don’t be fooled – this time matters!

May 9, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: There’s a difference between physical satisfaction and psychological satisfaction. If you’ve eaten a reasonable portion of food and you want more, remind yourself that while you may be experiencing a lack of psychological satisfaction, physically you’ve had enough so it’s time to stop eating.

May 8, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I can’t believe I gave in to that craving. I can’t do this. I should just give up.
Response: Learning to lose weight and keep it off is a process and it takes time. I’m not going to learn it overnight, and I’m not going to be good at it overnight. Just because I gave in once, doesn’t negate all the other times I didn’t. I need to take an accurate picture of how things are really going and acknowledge that while I’m not perfect, I’m better than I was. As long as I keep working at it, I’ll keep moving forward.

May 7, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: It’s important to separate eating from exercise. Exercise to be physically and mentally healthy, not so that you can take in extra calories.

May 6, 2019/mhayes

Monday Motivation: Remember, it’s a give and take. In giving up some food, some of the time, you’re getting all the benefits of losing weight. It’s not as if you’re limiting your food for nothing or to punish yourself – it’s just the opposite. It’s important to continually remind yourself of everything you get in return!

May 3, 2019/hgrossman

Friday Weekend Warm-up: Don’t let a big variety of food fool you into thinking you should eat more. If you’re at a party this weekend and there are 10 kinds of dessert, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should eat all 10. Keep in mind that if there were only one kind, you would have some and be satisfied.

May 2, 2019/mhayes

Think Thin Thursday Tip: There are so many good (free!) apps and websites out there to help you work on mindfulness meditation, which has been proven to be enormously effective in getting through cravings of all kinds. If you’re not using this powerful tool, now is the time to start!

May 1, 2019/mhayes

Wednesday Sabotage: I’m so angry; I’m going to eat to make this feeling go away.
Response: While eating might temporarily distract me from feeling angry, ultimately the only thing it will do is INCREASE my anger because I’ll compound it by being angry about going off of my plan. I need to find another coping mechanism – like going for a walk or doing some mindfulness meditation – that will be effective and won’t sabotage other goals.

April 30, 2019/mhayes

Tuesday Reality Check: We find that for most dieters, motivation is cyclical. Sometimes they feel very motivated, and other times much less so. Harness those motivated periods to really get some weight off, and if you’re in a period of lower motivation, it might be reasonable to have the goal of maintaining for a few weeks. Your higher motivation will return – it always does!

April 29, 2019/mhayes

Most dieters get to the point where they leave events and feel good about what they didn’t eat, not deprived. Because of this, it’s important to remind yourself that you don’t have to worry about feeling deprived in the future because it’s very likely that you won’t.

April 26, 2019/mhagner

If you think, “I’m discouraged by the weight I’ve gained so far this year,” (or by the weight you’ve failed to yet lose) remind yourself that this weekend is a GREAT time to get back on track and recommit yourself to healthy eating. It doesn’t matter what you did or didn’t eat over the past few weeks. What matters now is what you eat today and every day going forward.

April 25, 2019/mhagner

Sometimes when dieters go through a stressful situation (like a family member’s illness or a demanding work situation), they do extraordinarily well because they are extra vigilant, knowing it’s 100% necessary. When the stressful time passes, they relax and can stray off track because their guard has gone down. Remember, successful weight loss and maintenance isn’t only a matter of how well you do during hard times, it’s also about every day in between.

April 24, 2019/mhagner

Sabotage: I’m too stressed right now to work on healthy eating.

Response: Even during times of stress, I brush my teeth, put on my seatbelt, take care of my kids, etc. Since I don’t let stress be an excuse to stop doing these things, I also can’t let it be an excuse to stop practicing my dieting skills.

April 23, 2019/mhagner

Do you have extra candy (Easter or otherwise) hanging around your house? Remember, your home environment can work in your favor if there’s nothing that’s going to overly tempt you or it can work really against you if you’re constantly having to fight cravings.  Make it work for you!

April 22, 2019/mhagner

Remember – eating extra one day won’t necessarily make you gain weight, but continuing to eat extra definitely will. If you ate extra on Easter, make sure to return to normal eating today to ensure you stay on track and feel great.

April 19, 2019/mhagner

This is a Holiday weekend for some of you.  PLAN IN ADVANCE how you’re going to handle any food events you have on the schedule!  Leaving decisions up to chance greatly increases the changes things go south, and making decisions in advance exponentially increases the chances of things going well.

April 18, 2019/mhagner

In terms of your eating, you only have to answer to yourself. Don’t let comments or predicted reactions from others influence how you eat. You’re working on healthy eating because it’s an important goal for YOU. You don’t need to explain or answer to anybody else about this!

April 17, 2019/mhagner

Sabotage: I don’t want to work on healthy eating right now because I just don’t feel like thinking about it.

Response: Either way I’m going to think about it. When I’m off track, I spend time thinking about needing to get back on track and feeling guilty about my eating. There’s no such thing as ‘not thinking about it.

April 16, 2019/mhagner

If you want to lose weight and keep it off, whether or not you “feel” like doing something (e.g. resisting a craving, taking time to eat breakfast, grocery shopping for healthy food) just isn’t relevant. Ask yourself, “Which do I MORE not feel like: working on healthy eating, or remaining overweight?”

April 15, 2019/mhagner

This week, consider the strategy of deciding in advance to not take seconds. This way, you won’t have to struggle after you finish eating about whether or not to get more, and you’ll likely avoid the very uncomfortable sensation of feeling overly full.

April 12, 2019/mhagner

If you’re dining with other people this weekend, keep in mind that it’s very easy to get distracted by conversation and wind up overeating.  It can help to immediately portion off how much you are going to eat because that way, even if you do eat it while distracted, at least you won’t consume more than you had planned.

April 11, 2019/mhagner

It takes less willpower to stick to an eating decision that you’ve made ahead of time than it does to try to use willpower in the moment to make a good decision. Plan in advance!

April 10, 2019/mhagner

Sabotage: The scale isn’t moving. This is so discouraging, maybe I’ll give up.
Response: While it’s true it’s discouraging when the scale doesn’t move, it doesn’t mean I should give up. If I give up, it will never move down (and it’s almost guaranteed to move up).  If I keep doing what I’m doing, it will eventually move down, and when it does, I’ll be so glad I stuck with it.

April 9, 2019/mhagner

A common thinking error that people make is mindreading – assuming they know what someone will think.  Believing that you can’t turn down food someone is offering you because they will be terribly disappointed is mindreading.  Maybe they will be disappointed or maybe they won’t be, but you don’t actually know unless you have evidence.

April 8, 2019/mhagner

If you’re having trouble getting yourself to stop eating something because it tastes really good, remind yourself that stopping comes with some huge benefits – you get to feel in control and on track, you don’t take in too many calories, you enable yourself to lose weight, you don’t ruin the ruin the enjoyment of the eating experience by overeating, etc. Stopping isn’t a negative!

April 5, 2019/mhagner

You can eat a slice of cake in 5 bites or 20 bites. Either way it’s the same amount of food, but you get to enjoy it 15 more times when you eat slowly and in smaller bites, which can greatly increase your satisfaction. This weekend: focus on eating more slowly, more mindfully, and taking smaller bites!

April 4, 2019/mhagner

If you have the urge to just eat and eat and eat, remember that while doing that might feel (somewhat) pleasurable in the moment, it never feels good physically to feel overly stuffed. Remind yourself before you start how you’ll feel when you finish.