“Stan Spencer gives an excellent accountof why people so often overeat. Evenmore helpful are his many tips on ways toeat smarter and live better.”

—Kent Berridge, PhD, Professor ofPsychology, University of Michigan

“An absolute must for anyone who wantsto learn how to lose weight permanently.It is the first fat loss book I have read thatI cannot fault or disagree with.”

—Liam Sartorius, fitness and weight losscoach

“This book is information-packed! Thereare hundreds of books written on thesetopics, but this one brings it all together inone place in a logical format. I willrecommend it to my patients.”

—Darrin Bang, DC

“Dr. Spencer’s book presents a commonsense, safe, and enduring weight lossprogram that presents the essentialelements of a healthy lifestyle.”

—James E. Gangwisch, PhD, College ofPhysicians and Surgeons, Columbia

University

“An excellent book that is well writtenand evidence based. It will help dispel alot of the myths that surround weightmanagement.”

—Gary Mendoza, PhD, RNutr

“Very informative, and right on target.”—Wayne Westcott, PhD, Fitness Research

Director, Quincy College

The Diet Dropout’s Guide to Natural Weight Loss: FindYour Easiest Path to Naturally Thin

Copyright © 2013 by Stan Spencer

Published by Fine Life Books, Riverside, Californiafinelifebooks.com

All rights reserved. No part of this work may bereproduced in any form without written permission fromthe author, except by a reviewer, who may quote briefpassages in a review.

ISBN 978-0-9835717-0-4 (paperback)ISBN 978-0-9835717-1-1 (ebook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011928360

This book contains the opinions and ideas of the author.Nothing in this book is intended to constitute or replacemedical or professional advice. Consult a medicalprofessional regarding your specific dietary, exercise, andmental health needs. The publisher and authorspecifically disclaim all responsibility for any liability, loss,or risk that is incurred as a consequence of theapplication of any of the contents of this book.

The cup measurement used in the recipes is 240 mL, the

tablespoon is 15 mL, and the teaspoon is 5 mL. Acalorie, as the term is used in common speech and inthis book, is equal to a kilocalorie or Calorie (with acapital C), as those terms are used in scientific research.A Calorie is 4.2 kilojoules.

To Amy, who is a beautifultestament to the power of theprinciples presented in this

book.

Contents

AcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Why the Weight?

A Less-Active LifestyleThe Fattening Food EnvironmentThe Solution

2. Why Diets Fail3. Emotional Eating

Focus on the PresentRelax Your MindThink HealthfullyInteract SociallyDo Something Productive

4. Beat Temptation

Two Keys to Avoiding TemptationsNine Ways to Calm CravingsHow to Keep a Slip from Becominga BingeSelf-Therapy for Cravings

5. How It Adds UpThe Simple Math of Weight LossMetabolism Made EasyWhat Makes Your MetabolismUnique?

6. Eat LessEat More Natural Weight Loss FoodsEat a Solid Breakfast, Lunch, andDinnerEat Less Junk FoodEat Junk Food Only with MealsEat MindfullyLimit Restaurant Meals

Get Enough SleepWatch Less Television

7. Be ActiveTurn Work and Play into ExerciseGet Away from the Screen

8. Boost Your Metabolism9. Myths10. Your Easiest Path

As Simple as One, Two, ThreeNaturally Thin HabitsMeasuring Success

Appendix A. Simple Vegetable RecipesRoasted VegetablesVegetables in Fried EggsSteamed VegetablesSteamed GreensDipped Vegetables

Stir-Fried VegetablesMint and Honey CarrotsFun Green SaladsInstant Tomato SoupGarden Vegetable SoupBaked Winter Squash

Appendix B. Simple Whole GrainRecipes

Seasoned Brown Basmati RiceBrown Basmati Rice for BreakfastOatmealFried OatmealHulled MilletBulgurLight and Crunchy Granola

Appendix C. Simple Yogurt RecipesEasy Homemade YogurtGreek Yogurt

Tzatziki (Cucumber Yogurt Sauce)Low-Fat Yogurt Dip or SauceLow-Fat Yogurt Salad DressingQuick Light Salad DressingYogurt ParfaitYogurt Fruit Dip or Fruit SaladMango Lassi (Mango Yogurt Drink)Yogurt Chicken Stroganoff

References

AcknowledgmentsI am indebted to many friends, familymembers, associates, and professionalsfor their contributions to this book’sdevelopment.

My sincere thanks to Michelle Bidwelland Marcia Bang for their careful andskillful editing. Thanks to Tina Campbellfor bringing the book cover and graphicsto life.

I’m grateful to Karen Kuhn, DaleChadwick, Marilyn Wenzel, LiamSartorius, Dr. Gary Mendoza, JohnJurkiewicz, Chris Smith, Diana Silkwood,Lisa Powell, Julie Rogers, Bill Mercado,Kama Perry, Cindy Clarke, PatriciaLowther, and Betty Kelly Sargent forreading the manuscript and providing

helpful comments and encouragement.Dozens of scientists kindly reviewed

those portions of the manuscript referringto their published papers, and severalgave additional helpful advice forimproving the book. I am especiallygrateful to Doctors Jack Hollis of KaiserPermanente, Paul Rozin of the Universityof Pennsylvania, David Stensel ofLoughborough University, J. WayneAldridge and Kent Berridge of theUniversity of Michigan, Michael Speca ofAlberta Health Services, Ronette Briefelof Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.,Graham Horgan of the University ofAberdeen, and Andrew Walley ofImperial College London. Any mistakes ordeficiencies that remain are my own.

I thank my mother, Melva Spencer, for

her example of healthy cooking withnatural ingredients. Thanks to her and myfather, George, for supporting andencouraging me in my studies and writingover the years.

Thanks and apologies to my children.The older ones provided helpfulcomments on the manuscript, and allendured my lack of attention as I spentcountless hours researching and writing.

My deepest gratitude goes to my wife,Amy, for tirelessly reviewing andcritiquing the manuscript, and for herenduring patience, support,encouragement, and love throughout thisproject.

IntroductionThis is not a diet book. You can loseweight on almost any diet. But diets end,and when they do, the weight returns.

This book is about natural, permanentweight loss. Natural weight loss simplyconsists of changing the situations, habits,and thought patterns that caused you togain weight in the first place. If you makethose changes permanent, your weightloss will be permanent also. That’s it.You don’t need supplements, speciallyformulated shakes, surgery, fancy exerciseequipment, or any other weight lossproduct. You don’t even need to trackcalories, follow detailed meal plans, orlearn complex recipes. If your ancestorscould be thin without following a special

diet or buying the latest weight lossproduct, you can too.

Hundreds of scientific studies relevantto natural weight loss have beenconducted over the past few years. Thisbook takes the most useful informationfrom those studies and presents it simply,cutting through diet hype and weight lossmyths to provide practical advice forlasting weight loss.

In the short time it will take you to readthis book, you will learn thinking andlifestyle habits to help you slim downnaturally. With this information, you willbe able to create your own weight lossplan — your easiest path to naturally thin— in about five minutes. As you followthe path, you will gradually stop gainingweight and start losing it. And the best

part is, because of the permanent lifestylechanges you are making, the weight won’tcome back!

Is this book a good match for you? Itprobably is if:

you want to get to the root of theproblem and address the real reasonsfor your extra weight, whether theybe poor food choices, slowmetabolism, emotional eating, out-of-control cravings, or lack of exercise; you want to lose weightpermanently, even if it takes a while;and you appreciate books that are briefand to the point.

This book may not be a good match foryou if:

you are looking for a diet or exerciseplan; or your main goal is to lose weightquickly, even if the weight eventuallycomes back.

1Why the Weight?

If this were the early 1960s instead of the2010s, you might not need a weight lossbook. Most people were thin then.

Not now. Even with all the dieting wedo, more than two thirds of US adults arenow overweight, and the rate of obesityhas almost tripled since 1960.1

The extra weight isn’t natural, nor is ithealthy. It not only affects our looks andphysical abilities, it increases our risks ofdeveloping diabetes, heart disease, stroke,high blood pressure, gallbladder disease,osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, highcholesterol, complications of pregnancy,

menstrual irregularities, and cancers of theuterus, breast, colon, and kidney.1

So what is behind this weight gainepidemic?

A Less-Active LifestyleOur bodies are designed for manual laborand long-distance walking. Many of us,however, enjoy door-to-door motorizedtransportation to and from a desk jobfollowed by hours of television or otherpassive entertainment. Such a lifestyle notonly burns few calories but can alsoencourage us to eat more than we would ifwe were busy with physical activities.

The Fattening Food EnvironmentBefore processed foods became the norm,our ancestors filled their dinner plates

with minimally processed vegetables,fruits, and whole grains. Meats wereunprocessed and lean. These naturalfoods, combined with an active lifestyle,promoted a slim, healthy body.

In contrast to the healthy foods enjoyedby our ancestors, the foods on our grocerystore shelves today are often highlyprocessed and have added fat and sugar.These processed foods are packed withcalories and are so convenient andtempting that it’s easy to eat too much ofthem.2,3 As a result, the average adulttoday eats more calories than in pastdecades, with most of the extra caloriescoming from carbohydrate-rich foods suchas sweets, soft drinks, potato products,pizza, bread, pasta, and white rice.4,5

_____________The average adult today eats more

calories than in past decades._____________

There are ten important aspects of ourfood environment that encourage us to eattoo much.

Foods that Don’t SatisfyFood processing produces calorie-heavy,low-nutrient, low-fiber foods that digestquickly. These foods leave us with loadsof calories, soon-empty stomachs, andcravings for more.

Highly Palatable FoodsHighly palatable is a term used by

scientists for foods that taste so good thatwe are tempted to eat them even when ourstomachs are full. Most of these areprocessed foods high in fat, sugar, orrefined flour. Such foods have becomemore abundant and affordable in recentdecades, resulting in greater temptationsto overeat. We often eat these foods forcomfort or pleasure, not because we arehungry.

Highly palatable foods affect the partsof the brain that are responsible for drugaddiction and cravings.6 The authors of ascientific study of the brain’s response tohighly palatable foods concluded that“overconsumption of palatable foodtriggers addiction-like … responses inbrain reward circuits and drives thedevelopment of compulsive eating.”7 In

other words, junk food can be addictive.

Calorie-Heavy FoodsWhile the vegetables, fresh fruits, andwhole grains our ancestors ate were highin nutrients and low in calories, theprocessed foods that fill our grocery storeshelves are just the opposite — high incalories and low in nutrients. The result isthat a typical meal of modern processedfoods has more calories than we need andoften too few nutrients. Calorie-heavyfoods are believed to be a major factor inthe weight gain epidemic.8

Cheap, Convenient FoodThere is inexpensive, ready-to-eat foodalmost everywhere we go. We have candyjars at work and cookie jars at home. We

stock our refrigerators with soft drinksand our pantries with packaged snacks.Just seeing junk food can make us hungry,and food within easy reach is harder toresist than food that requires a little moreeffort to obtain.9,10 Eating too much hasnever been easier.

Large PortionsIn the US, portion sizes of many foodshave increased two- to five-fold since the1970s.11 We tend to keep eating until theportion in front of us is gone, no matterwhat its size. Similarly, we tend to eatmore when eating a snack food directlyout of a large package (such as a bag ofpotato chips) than when served individualportions.10

Passive EntertainmentWatching television or movies burns veryfew calories. It also encourages needlesseating. If we eat during such entertainment,our distraction with the storyline cancause us to continue eating past the pointat which we would normally besatisfied.10

Convenient Substitutes for WaterSports drinks, sugary soft drinks, fruitjuices, and alcoholic drinks are readilyavailable in our homes and elsewhere.These drinks quickly add calories withoutlasting satisfaction. Their consumption isbelieved to be a major factor in the weightgain epidemic.2,12

Misleading Labels and Advertising

A picture of a slender athlete on a packageof fresh fruit might make sense. The samepicture on an “energy bar” consistingmostly of corn syrup and puffed rice doesnot. Advertisements often inaccuratelydepict the health benefits of the foods theyare promoting.

Unhealthy Snack FoodsCommon snack foods tend to be higher incalories and lower in nutrients than thekinds of foods usually eaten with meals.12They are quick to add calories but slow tosatisfy.

RestaurantsWe eat out more now than in decadespast.12 Restaurant food tends to be higherin calories and served in larger portions

than food cooked at home. As a result, onerestaurant meal might have enoughcalories for an entire day.

The SolutionThink of excess fat as a collection of badhabits. Lose the fat-promoting habits, andyou will lose the excess fat. Each time yougive up one of these bad habits (all otherthings being equal), you will lose fat untilyour body naturally settles at a lowerweight. At that point you will need to giveup another bad habit to lose more weightand keep it off.

_____________Think of excess fat as a collection of

bad habits._____________

Permanent weight loss requirespermanent lifestyle changes.13 Theinformation in this book will help youreplace bad habits with good ones andmake the lifestyle changes required forlasting weight loss. You will learn howsmall adjustments in your eating andexercise habits can result in a bigdifference in body fat over time, whymany of the things you hear about gainingor losing weight are false, and whypopular diets rarely produce permanentweight loss. You will also learn how tochange your personal environment so it’sno longer fattening, boost your metabolismwithout drugs or supplements, give yourbody the exercise it needs without wasting

time, eat fewer calories without countingthem or going hungry, and beat temptationwith the willpower you already have.

Often, the hardest part of forming newhabits is just getting started. Watch for theQuickStart Tips as you read through thebook. They will prompt you to pause andtake solid steps down the path to yournaturally thin potential.

2Why Diets Fail

Besides emptying your pocketbook, themain problem with most popular diets isthey give you an excuse to put off makingt he permanent changes in lifestyle andthinking you need for lasting weight loss.1

You can lose weight with any diet thatrestricts calories, and all you have to doto keep the weight off is stay on the diet.In reality, though, most diets are sounpleasant, inconvenient, boring, complex,or expensive that they are difficult to stickwith for very long.2 As you fall back intoold habits, you regain the weight. Afterslipping back to the same old weight two

or three times, you start to believe that itmust be your “natural” weight, and youquit trying altogether.

_____________Most diets are difficult to stick with for

very long._____________

A group of University of Californiaresearchers reviewed scientific studies ofthe long-term effects of dieting. Theyfound that most of the weight dieters lostwas regained within four or five years. Infact, in some of the studies they analyzed,a history of dieting appeared to lead tomore weight gain, not less, over time.They concluded that dieters who manage

to keep the weight off “are the rareexception rather than the rule” and that“there is little support for the notion thatdiets lead to lasting weight loss or healthbenefits.”3

Top health experts agree that lastingweight loss for most people is bestaccomplished by making permanentchanges in eating habits and physicalactivity.4 Changing habits takes time, butwithout real lifestyle changes, any weightyou lose will soon return.

3Emotional Eating(And How to Quit)

When we eat highly palatable foods(foods high in fat, sugar, or refined flour),our brain’s reward circuitry is activated,producing pleasure and desire.1,2 Theseeffects motivated our ancestors to load upon high-calorie foods in times of plenty inorder to endure times of food scarcity. Forthem, taking advantage of available high-calorie food was a matter of survival. We,on the other hand, don’t usually need theextra calories. This reward circuitrymotivates us to keep eating anyway, justas it motivates the drug addict to continue

his self-destructive behavior.3,4When we are surrounded by highly

palatable foods, it’s easy to overuse thisreward circuitry. We use the natural highsthat these foods give us to comfortourselves when we are stressed, anxious,bored, sad, frustrated, or depressed. Weoften eat to regulate our emotions, notbecause we are hungry. This is calledself-medicating or emotional eating.While using food for emotional comfortonce in a while is not necessarily a badthing, making a habit out of it is a recipefor continued weight gain.

Finding better ways to manage youremotions can help you overcome a habitof emotional eating. In this chapter youwill learn five ways to improve youremotional well-being: focusing on the

present, mental relaxation, healthythinking, social interaction, and doingsomething productive.

Focus on the PresentHarvard psychology researchers did astudy with over two thousand iPhone usersto find out what kinds of thoughts andactivities make people happy. Theresearchers created an iPhone app toprompt the study participants at randomtimes as they went about their daily lives.5Each time they were prompted, theparticipants reported what they weredoing, thinking, and feeling. Participantswho had been mentally focused onwhatever they were doing or experiencinggenerally reported feeling happier thanthose whose minds had been wandering.

Even daydreaming about pleasant topicswas less often associated with happinessthan was focusing on the present task orexperience.

Whether you are at your job, doinghousework, playing a sport, or taking awalk, focusing your mind on your presentactivity or experience can help elevateyour mood.

As you focus on the present, try to keepan accepting, nonjudgmental attitudetoward whatever you are experiencing atthe moment. This practice, calledmindfulness, has been taught in Easterntraditions for centuries, and isincreasingly used in Western medicine totreat anxiety, depression, addictions,eating disorders, and stress-relatedconditions.6

You can practice mindfulness now bytaking a moment to look around and noticethe colors, sounds, and other details ofyour environment. As you become caughtup in the present, you free your mind fromthe worries and unhealthy thought patternsthat depress your mood.

Try to practice mindfulness throughoutthe day. When you are actively engaged ina task, keep your mind on that task insteadof letting your thoughts wander. When youare not actively engaged in a task, focusyour thoughts on your present experienceor surroundings.

The most difficult part of focusing onthe present is just remembering to do it.You can use a card like the sample one atthe end of the chapter as a reminder. Placeit where you will see it often, and move it

around every day or two so it doesn’t fadeinto the background.

Relax Your MindWhen you are in a stressful situation, yourbody experiences a stress response (oftencalled the “fight or flight” response). Yourheart rate and blood pressure increase,your air passages open up, and glucosepours into your blood stream. Bloodvessels that feed your skin and digestivesystem constrict, sending extra blood toyour muscles, heart, and brain. Thesechanges prepare your body and mind foraction. You are on edge, ready to fight orflee.7

The stress response is natural andsometimes beneficial. It enables you tofocus your physical and mental abilities in

a sudden dangerous or challengingsituation. The constant activation of thestress response, however, is not natural,and can cause various mental and physicalproblems.8

Your body also has a relaxationresponse that opposes the stress response.The relaxation response occurs naturallywhen your mind is at ease, but it can’toccur when you are worrying, judging, oranalyzing. You can deliberately producethe relaxation response by freeing yourmind from these kinds of thoughts. Oneway to do this is by meditating. Sleeping,lounging around, and watching televisionare often less helpful because they may notfree your mind from disturbing or arousingthoughts.

Regular activation of the relaxation

response can reduce stress, anxiety, anddepression and promote healing fromstress-related physical illnesses.8,9 Dailymental relaxation will increase yourability to tolerate the stressful events inyour life as they occur, so you are lesstempted to turn to food for comfort.8

There are several ways to activate therelaxation response. Three of the easiestand most powerful techniques are sensoryfocus, basic meditation, and repetitivephysical exercise. These all involvefocusing your mind on something simpleand non-arousing. This gives your brain anintellectual and emotional break, allowingthe relaxation response to occur. Here’show to get started on a more relaxinglifestyle:

1. Read the rest of this section, thenchoose a mental relaxation technique(sensory focus, basic meditation, orrepetitive physical exercise) andmake it a daily habit. 2. Choose a set time each day for yourrelaxation session, such as after yourmorning shower or during anafternoon break. 3. To allow the relaxation response tofully engage, make your dailyrelaxation session last for at leasttwelve minutes.9 If you don’t havetime for a twelve-minute session, doat least a five-minute session so youdon’t get out of the habit. 4. Use one or more of these mentalrelaxation techniques to calm

yourself any time you start to feelstressed or anxious throughout theday.

Sensory FocusSensory focus is a way of focusing on thepresent (as discussed previously) inwhich you limit your focus to a physicalsensation or perception.

You are practicing sensory focus whenyou are engrossed by the colors of asunset or carried away by the sounds ofocean waves. The object of your focus,however, doesn’t need to be asspectacular as a sunset or ocean waves.Here are some simple ways to do sensoryfocus:

Watch the dancing flames of a

fireplace or candles. Listen to calming instrumental musicsimply to enjoy it, without analyzingor judging it. Enjoy the warmth of a bath. Touch with your fingertips thevarious surfaces within your reach,noticing the texture and temperatureof each. Slide your fingers alongeach surface and notice any changesin form or texture.

As your sensory focus displaces otherthoughts, you will begin to relax.Inevitably, however, your mind willwander and thoughts of other matters willintrude, especially in the beginning.Instead of analyzing or trying to suppressthese thoughts, simply think, “Oh, well,”

and return your attention to your sensoryfocus.9 Don’t worry about how well youare doing. The important thing is to justkeep returning your attention to yoursensory focus whenever your mindwanders.

_____________Daily mental relaxation will increaseyour ability to tolerate the stressful

events in your life as they occur._____________

Progressive muscle relaxation isanother form of sensory focus. It consistsof focusing on the feelings of tension andrelaxation in your muscles as you flex andrelax different muscle groups. Start by

tensing the muscles in your toes and feetfor a few seconds. Now let them relax,noticing the release of tension. Do thesame with the muscles of your calves,thighs, abdomen, hands, arms, shoulders,neck, and face, tensing and then relaxingeach set of muscles in turn.

Basic MeditationMeditation is sustained mental focus on athought or sensation. For your meditationto be relaxing, the thought or sensationshould be neutral or positive. Therelaxation response occurs naturally asyour meditation clears your mind of thethoughts and worries that keep youstressed.

Basic meditation is simply a particularway of doing sensory focus: it is usually

done by focusing on your breathing whilesitting in a quiet place with your eyesclosed.

Before you begin a meditation session,it may be helpful to do a minute or two ofprogressive muscle relaxation. This willhelp you get physically comfortable andbreak away from your current train ofthought.

When you are comfortable, begin yourmeditation by directing your attention toyour breathing. Notice each breath as itenters and then leaves your body. Don’ttry to control your rate of breathing. It willbecome slower on its own as you relax.Whenever your mind wanders, think, “Oh,well,” and return your attention to yourbreathing.

_____________Meditation is sustained mental focus on

a thought or sensation._____________

You can help yourself maintain focusduring basic meditation by silently sayinga positive or neutral focus word, such aspeace or one, each time you breathe out.A focus word is like a broom that sweepsintruding thoughts from your mind eachtime you repeat it. Draw the focus wordout (“onnnnne”) to match the length of thebreath.

Continue meditating for at least twelveminutes, then remain seated a little longerto enjoy the relaxation before yougradually transition into your next activity.

Take a moment now and then throughoutthe day to direct your attention to yourbreathing and recall the relaxation youexperienced during your meditationsession.

If you are finding it difficult to focus onyour breathing during a meditationsession, try focusing on tactile sensationsinstead. Place a hand on an article of yourclothing and slowly move your fingers oneat a time in rhythm with your breathing. Asyou move each finger, notice the texture ofthe fabric and repeat your focus word.

When first trying basic meditation, mostpeople experience one of three outcomes:mental relaxation, sleepiness, or anxiety.

Mental relaxation is, of course, thedesired outcome. Your ability to relaxwhile meditating will improve with

practice.If you have trouble staying awake, try

meditating at a different time, andcertainly not just before bedtime. Sit upand keep your back straight. You want aposition that is comfortable but not onethat signals to your brain that you arepreparing for sleep. Be patient. It may takestruggling through several meditationsessions to get your brain out of the habitof entering sleep mode whenever youslow down and close your eyes.

Anxiety can result from the thoughts thatintrude as you try to meditate: thoughts ofthings you forgot to do, wish you hadn’tdone, or are afraid might happen. Everytime such thoughts arise, simply returnyour focus to your breathing or othersensory anchor. Tell yourself that this is

your time to relax; the distracting thoughtscan wait.

Anxiety may also result from worryingabout how well your meditation is going.Don’t worry. Simply sitting down andgoing through the motions of meditation isbeneficial, however frustrating it may be.Every time you practice you’ll get a littlebetter at ignoring the distracting thoughtsand staying focused.

Meditation-based therapy has beenused successfully in the treatment ofchronic pain, stress, anxiety, anddepression.10 The effects of meditation onthe brain are real and persist beyond themeditation session. In a 2010 study,researchers used magnetic resonanceimaging (MRI) to look at the brains oftwenty-six people before and after

participation in an eight-week meditationclass.11 Participants practiced meditationfor about twenty minutes a day during theeight-week period. At the end of the class,participants reported that their stresslevels had decreased substantially, andMRI images showed actual physicalchanges in an area of their brainsassociated with stress and anxiety.

Repetitive Physical ExerciseThere is growing evidence that exercise isan effective treatment for both depressionand anxiety, and that it can provideprotection from the harmful consequencesof stress.12,13 The reasons for thesebenefits aren’t entirely clear,14 but it’slikely that they are partly due to the abilityof exercise to activate the relaxation

response.Focusing your mind on any simple,

repetitive movement or sensation canactivate the relaxation response. Whenyou have such a focus during exercise itbecomes meditation in motion.

While doing almost any exercise, youcan focus your attention on your musclescontracting, your body’s movements, orthe rhythm of your breathing. To help keepyour mind free of distracting thoughts,repeat a focus word or phrase with eachrepetition or stroke of your exercise.

Work activities such as hoeing weeds,mowing a lawn, or vacuuming a floor canalso provide the simple focus needed toactivate the relaxation response. Physicalactivities that require intenseconcentration or bursts of energy, such as

basketball and tennis, are not aseffective.9

Forms of exercise that emphasizemindfulness, such as yoga, tai chi, andqigong, may be especially helpful. Takinga class in one of these techniques can alsogive you the benefit of group support.

Think HealthfullyNegative emotions such as sadness, fear,anger, and concern are natural and canserve useful functions by motivating us totake action. Often, however, weexperience these emotions needlessly orexcessively because of unhealthy thinkinghabits. When negative emotions areextreme or chronic, they are not helpfuland can increase the temptation to self-medicate with food.

Thoughts influence emotions, andirrational thinking can lead to unhealthyemotional states. When something doesn’tgo your way, it’s easy to fall into one ofthe following irrational thought patterns:

Demanding fairness or justice.“That shouldn’t have happened.” “Itwasn’t fair.” “Why me?” Life oftenisn’t fair. Things often won’t go yourway, and people who wrong you willoften go unpunished, no matter howmuch you seek justice. Expecting lifeto always be fair is not onlyirrational but also addsdisappointment to the injustices yousuffer. Catastrophizing. “It’s awful that thishappened.” When something

unfortunate happens, focusing on howbad it is doesn’t help your emotionalstate or your ability to handle thesituation. It’s better to think ofmisfortune in shades of gray ratherthan black or white. It could havebeen better or worse. Hopelessness. “I can’t stand it.” “Ican’t handle this.” The truth is thatyou have been able to standeverything that has happened in yourlife so far. You are living proof ofthat. Condemning or blaming. “I’m sostupid.” “What an idiot he is.”Condemning or assigning blamedoesn’t fix anything. No matter whois to blame for an unfortunatesituation, you are the one responsible

for your emotional reaction to it.

As you free yourself from theseirrational thought patterns and practice amore rational, healthy way of thinking,your mental state will improve and youwill be less controlled by emotions. Thereare three attitudes that can help youdevelop healthy thinking habits: emotionalindependence, perspective, andacceptance.

Emotional IndependenceYour emotions are not determined by whatothers think, say, or do. Your anger,chronic anxiety, and depression are notcaused by other people or even by yourcircumstances, but by how you think aboutthose people or circumstances. No one

can make you feel any emotion withoutyour consent.

Don’t take the thoughtless behavior ofothers personally, even if you believe itwas meant to be personal. You can takethings seriously (i.e., learn from them)without taking them personally (i.e.,allowing them to control how you feelabout yourself).

PerspectivePut negative situations in perspective andbe grateful for what you have. A littlechange in perspective can make a bigemotional difference.

When something “bad” happens to you,how bad is it really? Let’s use an analogyof damage to your physical body. What isone of the worst things that could happen

to your body? Losing all four limbs? Let’scall that 100 percent bad. How abouthaving both hands cut off? Maybe 50percent bad. A disfiguring facial scar?Maybe 40 percent. Two broken legs and acrushed foot? Maybe 20 percent. Asmashed finger? Maybe 2 percent. Astubbed toe? Probably less than 1 percent.

Now use this scale to rate anyundesirable situation you find yourself in.What “percent bad” is it? Mostundesirable things that happen in thecourse of a week will probably rate lessthan 1 percent bad. Compared with realtragedies, 1 percent isn’t that bad, is it?You can certainly handle 1 percent bad.When something happens that is not yourpreference, ask yourself how bad it reallyis, and be happy that things are not worse.

Another way to quickly gainperspective is to stop and think about thegood things in your life. Make a list of tenthings you are thankful for and keep itwhere you can refer to it when you arefeeling down. See the sample card at theend of the chapter. Think of how easilyyou could lose some of those things, andhow blessed you are to have them. Chooseto see the glass as half full rather than halfempty.

Ask yourself if what you are stressingover today will matter a year from now.

AcceptanceThere are some things you can’t change.The past is one thing that can’t bechanged, no matter how much you dwellon it. There are other things that could be

changed but aren’t worth the effort or cost.If you can’t or choose not to changesomething, accept it as it is.

Nobody’s perfect. Accept imperfectionin yourself, others, and circumstances,even as you work to make positivechanges. When you are feeling bad aboutyourself, repeat, “I accept myself,imperfect though I am, fully andcompletely.” Accept other people in thesame way.

Acceptance also means accepting youremotions. It’s OK to be sad sometimes, orangry, lonely, frustrated, or hungry. Theseemotions are part of what it means to behuman. We aren’t meant to be comfortableand content all of the time. When you feelunpleasant emotions, remind yourself thatemotions change, and you will probably

feel better soon.

Change Your Way of Thinking in OneDayYour ultimate goal is to control youremotional reaction to a situation bychanging the way you look at it. The three-step routine below can help you kick yourhabit of irrational thinking and become ahappier person in a single day.

Choose a day to practice. On that day,every time you find yourself dwelling onan unpleasant situation or having irrationalthoughts, stop and take a few minutes toapply each of the three healthy attitudes:

1. Emotional independence. Remindyourself that your emotions arecaused by your own thoughts and that

no one can make you feel anyemotion without your consent. 2. Perspective. Ask yourself what“percent bad” the situation is. Begrateful for what you have, and thatthings are not worse. 3. Acceptance. Decide what aspects ofa negative situation can berealistically changed, and accept therest as your new reality. Remindyourself that no one is perfect, andeveryone has difficulties. Acceptyourself even as you try to do better.Accept others the same way. Acceptyour emotions as the temporarymanifestations that they are.

Going through these three steps everytime you have irrational thoughts will be

time-consuming and inconvenient. That’sOK; do it anyway. You will soon noticeyourself stopping irrational thoughtsbefore they are fully formed, just to avoidthe bother of going through the routine.You will also quickly improve yourhealthy thinking skills.

_____________You can kick your habit of irrational

thinking and become a happier person ina single day.

_____________

Be a Card-Carrying Healthy ThinkerNo matter what you do, unpleasant thingshappen in your life. When they do, choosenot to think, “That never should have

happened; it’s awful that it did; I just can’thandle this; someone should suffer for it!”Train yourself to instead think, “Iwouldn’t have chosen it, but it happened,and now it’s my new starting point,whether justice is done or not. It’s only Xpercent bad, and I can handle that. I alonedetermine how this situation will affectme emotionally.”

Use a card like the one at the end of thechapter as a reminder to practice healthythinking. A habit of healthy thinking willhelp you handle daily challenges andannoyances without needing to turn to foodfor comfort.

Interact SociallyHumans are naturally social creatures. Tobe happy, we need to interact with others.

Here are some ways to get more socialinteraction:

Visit with a family member or friend. Join a team or club. Help others. Reaching out to serveothers can help you keep your mindoff your own troubles and lift yourspirits. Get together with other people whoshare your interests, or develop somenew interests that you can enjoy withothers. Join a twelve-step recovery program.Being active in a twelve-step groupcan help you feel connected andunderstood. Get a pet to interact with and care

for.

Do Something ProductiveThe personal fulfillment you feel whenyou develop a new skill, create somethinguseful or beautiful, or help others canincrease your self-esteem, brighten youroutlook, and improve your emotionalhealth. Doing something productive canalso make you a more interesting person,expanding your opportunities for socialinteraction. Make an effort to develop newinterests and have new experiences.Variety and change are important forkeeping yourself refreshed and excitedabout your activities.

4Beat Temptation(With Minimal Willpower)

In the previous chapter, you learned howto manage your emotions in order to avoidthe need to eat for emotional comfort(emotional eating). In this chapter, youwill learn how to avoid eating in responseto external temptations, such as the sightor smell of a favorite food, sometimescalled external eating. Not surprisingly,habitual external eating is associated withexcess weight gain.1

If you have a habit of external eating,you can overcome it by learning to avoidfood temptations and to quickly calm your

cravings whenever you are tempted.

Two Keys to Avoiding TemptationsIt’s usually easier to avoid temptationsthan to resist them. The best way to avoidfood temptations is to clean up yourenvironment. Another way is to decide inadvance what you will do in situationsthat normally tempt you.

Clean Up Your Personal EnvironmentThere are many little things you can do toremove temptations from yourenvironment. Here are a few:

Keep junk food out of the house asmuch as possible.If you must have junk food in yourhouse, keep it out of sight.

Remove temptations from your spaceat work.Start a grocery list of healthy foodchoices. Read chapter 6 and theappendices at the back of the bookfor ideas.Designate an eating area and don’teat anywhere else, then stay out ofthe eating area as much as possiblewhen it isn’t mealtime.Avoid places where you will betempted by unhealthy foods. This maymean changing your route to work,the places you shop, or the aisles youwalk down in the grocery store.Expose yourself to fewercommercials for unhealthy foods bywatching less television.

Decide in AdvanceNext time you walk by the candy jar onyour coworker’s desk, are you going totake a sample? Don’t wait until you are inthe midst of temptation to decide. Decidenow.

Efforts at resisting temptation are oftenundermined by rationalizing. (“Just onepiece of candy won’t hurt. I’ve been goodall morning. I deserve a reward.”) Whenyou have already made a firm decisionand rehearsed your response ahead oftime, you can act quickly in a temptingsituation, leaving no time for rationalizing.

A temptation is a decision that has notyet been made. Once you have trulydecided that eating candy at work isn’t anoption, the candy jars will fade into thebackground and won’t be so tempting.

Another reason to make food decisionsin advance is that the mere sight or smellof highly palatable foods can bring oncravings that reduce your ability to thinkclearly and make choices you won’t regretthe next day.

Here are some examples of decisionsyou may want to make in advance:

How many servings of sweets willyou eat each day? What will you do instead of eatingwhen you feel stressed? Will you snack while watchingtelevision or reading? Will you snack at all? If so, when?What will you eat? How often will you buy junk food?

What will you do when offered apiece of candy or other unhealthysnack between meals? Politelydecline it? Accept it, but save it toeat with your next meal?

Once you have made these decisions,write them down, and put the list whereyou will see and notice it. Review yourdecisions often. Your aim is to make yourresponses to previously temptingsituations automatic.

_____________A temptation is a decision that has not

yet been made._____________

If you don’t always follow through withyour decisions, don’t beat yourself upover it. Nobody is perfect. Just keep upthe effort. You haven’t failed until you’vegiven up. Every bit of improvement willhelp you in your weight loss goals.

It can also be helpful to decide whatyou will eat for each meal a day inadvance, and get as much of it ready asyou can ahead of time, before you gethungry.

Nine Ways to Calm CravingsOne way external temptations lead toovereating is by causing cravings,2 whichcan wear down even the strongest resolve.Knowing how to calm cravings quicklycan make a big difference in your eatinghabits. Here are some important facts to

remember about food cravings:

Cravings are normal, especially forthose who are dieting or attemptingto restrict particular foods.3 They arenothing to feel guilty or concernedabout. Having a craving doesn’t meanyou’re hungry. One differencebetween food cravings and hunger isthat food cravings tend to be highlyspecific, involving intense desiresfor specific foods, while hungerproduces a more general desire to eatalmost any food that is available.Chocolate, ice cream, cookies,bread, and salty snacks arecommonly craved foods. If only icecream will do, it’s a craving, not

hunger. Common cravings are generally notindicative of specific nutritionalneeds, but are better explained byvarious psychological theories.3Your body doesn’t need the food youcrave. It is only that your braindesires it. Cravings don’t last forever. Youdon’t need to give in to a craving,and you don’t need to completelyeliminate it. All you really need to dois outlast it. Outlasting a cravingdoesn’t have to be difficult. You justneed the right tools.

If you do an Internet search for“cravings,” you will find dozens ofsuggestions for calming them: take a walk,

take a nap, eat some nuts, write in yourjournal, visit with a friend, exercise. Mostof those ideas may work fine if you aren’tdriving to work through the doughnutdistrict or sitting in a staff meeting in frontof a plate of chocolate chip cookies. Hereare eight mental tools you can use to calmcravings anywhere, anytime, and a ninthtool (taking a brisk walk) that works verywell when you are able to use it.

Focus Your Thoughts on SomethingElseA craving is generally prompted by thesight or smell of a favorite food, or by anunpleasant emotion that brings on thoughtsof a comfort food. When you continue tothink of the craved food, you keep thecraving alive. Your thoughts usually

involve visual images — if you arecraving doughnuts, you probably have animage of a doughnut in your mind. Nowhere’s the key to calming the craving: thepart of your mind that holds visual imagescan hold only one image at a time. If youdeliberately imagine something else, thenew image will displace the image of thecraved food, and your craving willgradually diminish.4

Sometimes, however, your craving isso strong you are unable to think aboutanything else long enough for the cravingto subside. In those situations, use asensory focus technique from chapter 3.Next time you have a food craving, trythis. Without looking at your hand, touchan article of your clothing. Find a seamand move your fingers across it. Notice

the changes in form and texture that youfeel. As you do so, images of the fabricwill enter your mind and displace themental image of the food you are craving.Continue this exercise for about a minute,or until the craving is gone.

Remember What You Really WantIf you don’t really want to lose weight,you won’t have much success, no matterhow much effort you put into it. You willfind ways to sabotage your own effortsand keep the weight on.

Perhaps you are afraid of the attentionor higher social expectations that having amore attractive body might bring. Maybeyou are afraid that if you lose weight, youwill no longer fit in with your friends, orthat you will be rejected by family

members. Maybe the extra weight helpsyou feel safe. Maybe being thin justdoesn’t seem to be worth the extra effortthat will be required. If you don’t reallywant to have a slimmer body, this bookwon’t do you much good.

On the other hand, if you really do wantto lose weight, the emotional power ofthis desire can help you counter yourcravings. Spend a few minutes and putyour specific weight loss goal, andreasons behind your goal, on paper. Writeon a small card what you really want (tobe a certain weight or size, for example)and why you want it. Your motives mightinclude health, relationship, or emotionalbenefits, physical goals (such as a desiredhiking vacation), or other reasons. See thesample card at the end of this chapter.

When you experience a craving, look atthe card, think about what you really wantand why, and ask yourself if giving in tothe craving would help you get there. Giveit some serious thought for at least aminute, or until the craving is gone.

You can also use this tool to head offcravings before they occur. If you knowyou are going to be in a situation thatprompts cravings, look at your card andspend a minute or so remembering yourweight loss goal and reasons, then keepthose motivating thoughts in mind as youpass through the tempting situation.

See the Food in a Different LightAdvertisers often use imagery tomanipulate your perception of foods andinduce cravings. You turn the page of a

magazine and see a picture of a chocolate-glazed doughnut bathed in soft light, overa white tablecloth, poised next to a pair ofluscious red lips. You can almost taste theglistening icing. You suddenly cravedoughnuts.

You can use your own mental imageryto see the doughnut in a different, lessflattering light, so it no longer seems sodesirable. Try this. In your imagination,replace the red lips with a pair ofdoughnut-devouring maggots. (I’m makingthis up, and so can you.) Imagine a spot ofgreen mold on the side of the doughnut.Replace the white tablecloth with a dirtysidewalk, the doughnut surrounded byflattened, blackened pieces of discardedchewing gum. Now imagine taking a biteof it. Taste the bitter mold. Keep this up

for about a minute, or until the craving isgone.

Imagine Eating More than You WantCarnegie Mellon University researchersconducted a pair of experiments thatdemonstrated how your imagination canaffect your cravings.5 In one experiment,they instructed a group of participants toimagine moving three M&M’s candies,one at a time, from one bowl to another. Asecond group of participants wasinstructed to imagine moving thirtyM&M’s. After completing their assignedvisualizations, all of the participants wereallowed to eat as much as they wantedfrom a bowl of real M&M’s. As you mightexpect, the participants who had imaginedmoving thirty M&M’s ate more real

M&M’s, on average, than those who hadimagined moving only three. After all,they had spent more time thinking aboutthe candies and were probablyexperiencing stronger cravings.

In the other experiment, researchersinstructed one group of participants toimagine eating three M&M’s, one at atime, and a second group to imagine eatingthirty. The participants were then allowedto eat as many real M&M’s as theywanted. This time the results weredifferent: the participants who hadimagined eating thirty M&M’s ate fewerreal M&M’s than those who had imaginedeating only three.

This study showed that, while simplythinking about junk food can increase yourdesire for it, thinking about eating enough

of the food can have the opposite effect,so that you end up eating less.

Are you still craving that chocolate-glazed doughnut from the previoussection? If so, imagine eating one: take abite, chew it, smell it, taste it, swallow it,and feel it sitting heavily in your stomach.Now take another bite. When you arefinished with that doughnut, imagine eatinganother one, and another. Keep this upuntil you are thoroughly bored with theexercise. Has your craving diminished?

If you want to speed things along,combine this tool with the previous one.At the end of every imagined mouthful,visualize a bit of mold and imagine tastingsomething bitter. You will get your fill ofdoughnuts sooner.

Count the Exercise CostA 20-ounce (591-mL) bottle of sugarysoda contains about 250 calories, whichwould take nearly a half hour of jogging oran hour of brisk walking to burn off (for a150-lb or 70-kg adult). The 40 calories inone medium-sized bite of chocolate wouldtake about ten minutes of brisk walking toerase.

In a 2012 study, researchers created asign with the words “Did you know thatworking off a bottle of soda or fruit juicetakes about 50 minutes of running” andposted it in a corner store frequented bythirsty adolescents. The presence of thesign reduced the odds that an adolescentwould purchase a sugar-sweetened drinkby about 50 percent.6 If it works for thirstyteenagers, maybe it will work for you.

Amount of moderate exercise needed toburn the calories in a 20-ounce (591-mL)sugary soft drink or a glass of water

When you are tempted by junk food,make a rough estimate of the exercise cost,and then ask yourself if the pleasure ofeating the food would be worth it. It youranswer is yes, commit to the extraexercise before you take the first bite. Ifyou have junk food in the house, you canalso use a marker to write your best guessof the exercise cost on each package.

You can use an exercise calculator tofind the exercise cost of eating junk food.To find an online exercise calculator,search for calories burned calculator.Look on the food package to see howmany calories it contains. Then use theexercise calculator to figure out how manyminutes of your favorite exercise it wouldtake to burn that many calories.

Say You’re Not InterestedWhen it comes to addiction, curiosity isoften the last demon to overcome. You tellyourself that you need to take a bite of atempting food just to see what it tasteslike. Then, after one bite, you lose allcontrol and eat the whole thing. This tooltargets the curiosity demon directly.

When temptation calls, give it the same

response you would a pesky salesman onyour doorstep: “I’m not interested.” If itkeeps talking, repeat the same response, ahundred times if necessary, until it stops:“I’m not interested. I’m not interested. I’mnot interested. I’m not interested.”Eventually the message will get through tothe part of your brain producing thecraving, and it will quiet down.

Positive SpinIf politicians can use it, you can, too.Instead of letting temptations get youdown, tell yourself that they are simplyopportunities to weigh less. When you aretempted to eat a cookie, say to yourself,“If I don’t eat that cookie, I will weighless. What an opportunity!” It is true that ifyou don’t eat a cookie, you will weigh

less than you would weigh if you did eatit. Reminding yourself of this in a positiveway can help you say no to temptationwithout feeling sorry for yourself.

Mindfully Accept the CravingMindful acceptance is being aware ofyour own thoughts and desires (includingyour cravings) without taking them tooseriously, judging them, feeling guiltyabout them, or reacting to them in anautomatic or habitual way.9,10 Mindfullyaccepting a craving does not mean that youare happy about it, but only that you see itand accept it for what it is: a naturaloccurrence that will soon pass, is not acause for concern, and does not require aresponse.11 As you take them lesspersonally and less seriously, the

psychological power of your cravingswill diminish, and your ability to makecalm, rational food decisions willincrease.

So how do you develop a mindfullyaccepting attitude toward your foodcravings? Whenever you feel a cravingcoming on, use the RAD (Recognize,Accept, Defuse) method to mindfullyaccept it. The RAD method helps younotice a craving and accept it withoutgiving in to it. There are three steps:

1. Recognize — “I’m having acraving.” 2. Accept — “It’s OK. It’s natural andnothing to feel guilty about. It doesn’tmean I’m hungry.” 3. Defuse — “It’s only a passing

emotion. I don’t have to follow it.”

When you finish step three, go back tostep one, and start again. Keep this up forat least a minute, or until the craving isgone. You may want to write these threesteps on a card to carry with you as areminder. See the sample wallet-sizedcard at the end of this chapter.

Take a Brisk WalkScientists at the University of Exeterconducted a pair of experiments thatdemonstrated a brisk walk can makechocolate less tempting. In oneexperiment, they instructed a group ofchocolate lovers to either take a briskwalk or rest for fifteen minutes beforebeginning work. The chocolate lovers

were then allowed to snack on as muchchocolate as they wanted while working.Those who had taken the walk ate onlyhalf as much chocolate as those who hadrested instead.7 In the other experiment, afifteen-minute walk was found tosignificantly reduce chocolate cravings.8If it works for chocolate, it should workfor just about anything!

At the first sign of a craving, stand upand head for the door. If brisk walkingisn’t convenient, try a different exercise.Be sure to exercise with enough intensitythat your heart rate increases. If you can’tspare fifteen minutes for exercise, do tenminutes or even just five. When you finish,focus your mind on something else.

Also try this technique as a preventivemeasure. Take a brisk fifteen-minute walk

before your usual craving time.This technique not only calms your

cravings, but also gives you the addedbenefit of burning calories and improvingyour emotional well-being. Using it fourtimes a day would give you a well-spenthour of fat-burning, mood-enhancing,craving-reducing exercise. What tool canbeat that?

Getting StartedThe biggest step in calming your cravingsis the first one: learning a technique thatworks for you. Different techniques forcalming cravings are effective fordifferent people.12 For the best results, tryall of the techniques outlined in thischapter a few times to see which ones aremost helpful.

How to Keep a Slip from Becoming aBingeIt’s important not only to mindfully acceptyour cravings but also your occasionalfailures to resist them. If you give in to acraving and then feel guilty or hopeless,you may end up eating more junk food justto help yourself feel better or because youhave given up trying.

Remind yourself that nobody is perfect,making mistakes is normal, and your slipwas not the end of the world. Instead ofbeating yourself up over it, changedirection. Every second that passes is achance to begin to recover from your

mistake. It’s never too late to do the rightthing.

First, limit the damage — stop eatingthe craved food. Giving in to a cravingdoesn’t have to turn into a binge. It’snever easy to stop eating somethingyou’ve been craving. It can be as thoughyou’re on a highway going fast in thewrong direction. What you need to do isslow down and look for an exit.

_____________It’s never too late to do the right thing.

_____________

Here’s a trick that may help you stopeating after you have given in to a craving.As soon as possible, curl the toes of one

foot and repeat to yourself, “I am exitingnow,” or, “I don’t really want to eat this.”The discomfort of your curled toes and theirony of your self-talk will help anchoryou to reality. Keep repeating the phraseand keep your toes curled until you havethe presence of mind to stop eating. Thenimmediately use one of the tools from theprevious section to calm your craving.

Second, evaluate what went wrong andmake a plan for next time so you won’tmake the same mistake again. Rehearseyour plan a time or two before you aretempted again.

Self-Therapy for CravingsDoes chocolate sing to you? Do you hear asymphony whenever you walk past thecandy aisle of a grocery store? Do

cookies scream your name? You willprobably always be tempted by the foodsyou crave most, but there is a way to turndown the volume of those temptations.

The basic approach is to calm youremotional reaction to thoughts of the foodsyou most often crave. You want to makethose foods less exciting, or even boring,to think about, so your thoughts are lesslikely to trigger cravings. Here’s how youwould use self-therapy to treat anaddiction to chocolate chip cookies. Youcan use the same steps for any food youfind particularly tempting:

1. Visualize chocolate chip cookies in asituation that you frequently findtempting. This might be, for example,a plate of cookies that a coworker

has brought to the office to share. 2. To this mental image, add one thingthat would make the cookies lessdesirable. This might be a hairsticking out of one of the cookies, ora bit of mold. Keep yourvisualization realistic and don’t beoverly dramatic. Your objective is tomake the cookies boring, notdisturbing; less emotionally arousing,not more. Also, imagine only onenegative thing at a time. It’simportant to keep the mental imagesimple. 3. Hold this mental image in your mindfor a minute or two. 4. Repeat steps one throught three atleast twice each day for a week.

5. Whenever you are in a real-lifetempting situation with chocolatechip cookies, immediately imaginethe hair or mold to make the realcookies less desirable.

Go through this entire process as oftenas you need to for any food that you findparticularly tempting. Each time you do,you are training yourself to think aboutthose foods without getting excited aboutthem. It’s the excitement that gets in theway of rational thinking and causes you togive in to temptation.

5How It Adds Up

The Simple Math of Weight LossYour body burns calories to supply theenergy that you need to live, work, andplay. If you eat more calories than youneed for your daily activities, your bodystores the extra calories as fat. As long asyou continue eating more calories than youneed, your calorie reserves (fat) continueto grow.

The equation below summarizes whathappens to the calories in the food you eat.Neither your genetics nor your foodenvironment can change this simplemathematical truth:

Calories stored = calories eaten –calories burned.

Think of calories as money. If you earn

(eat) just a little more than you spend(burn), your savings (fat) will graduallygrow over time.

When you eat fewer calories than youneed for your daily activities, your bodydips into the savings and some of your fatis burned to supply the needed energy.When this happens, you begin to loseweight.1 Even a small change in youreating or exercise habits, if continued longenough, can make a big difference in yourweight over time.

Metabolism Made EasyYour body burns calories through a

process called metabolism. Metabolismsupplies energy for physical activity, todigest food, to keep your body warm, andfor organ function and repair.

The number of calories your body burnseach day just for organ function and repairis called your resting metabolic rate(RMR). Your RMR is often referred to incasual speech as your resting metabolismor simply metabolism. This is the numberof calories your body would burn in a dayif you did nothing but sleep.

Your RMR is mostly determined byhow much muscle tissue you have, andhow big your organs (heart, liver, brain,etc.) are. The greater the mass of yourmuscles and organs, the faster your RMR.Body fat also increases your RMR, but toa lesser degree.

Although there are various ways tocalculate your RMR, the following simpleequation gives a good rough estimate:2

RMR = fat-free weight x 10 + 500

For example, if you weigh 160 pounds,and 25 percent of that weight is from fat,then your fat-free weight is 120 pounds.You would calculate your RMR like this:

RMR = 120 x 10 + 500 = 1,700 calories

Thus, you would burn about 1,700calories (about three cheeseburgers) eachday without even getting out of bed. If youweigh yourself in kilograms instead ofpounds, replace the 10 with 22 in theabove equations.

To calculate your own RMR, you

would, of course, need to know yourpercentage of body fat. Skinfoldmeasurements provide a reasonablyaccurate way of doing this. The easiestway to take skinfold measurements is withbody fat calipers, which can be purchasedonline and usually come with detailedinstructions for calculating percentage ofbody fat.

My point here, however, is not toadvocate calorie counting as a tool fornatural weight loss. It is to help youunderstand the relationship betweenmetabolism and weight loss. Your restingmetabolism mostly reflects the amount oforgan and muscle tissue you have, and isabout the same as the metabolism of thenext man or woman who has the sameamount of muscle and organ tissue. If that

next man or woman seems to have aneasier time keeping the weight off than youdo, a faster metabolism is probably notthe reason.

What Makes Your Metabolism Unique?Women generally have slower RMRs thanmen, mostly because of their typicallysmaller frames and less muscle mass.People who are naturally larger framedand muscular have relatively fast RMRs.Thus, the most important genes affectingyour metabolism are the ones thatinfluence your frame size and musclemass.

Having a slower RMR than someoneelse is not a problem unless you try to eatas much as they do. Your body simplydoesn’t need as many calories to function.

The RMR of a non-exercising adulttypically decreases 2 to 5 percent everydecade, mostly due to lack of physicalactivity and loss of muscle and organmass. This trend is reversible. You canboost your metabolism at any age withmuscle-building exercises.3

Losing weight can also decrease yourRMR, primarily because when you loseweight, you usually lose some muscle aswell as fat, and the lost muscle and fat areno longer using calories. Proper muscle-building exercises during a period ofgradual weight loss can help preserveyour muscle mass and keep yourmetabolism up.

_____________

You can boost your metabolism at anyage with muscle-building exercises.

_____________

Your daily activities also affect yourmetabolism. In addition to the caloriesburned by resting metabolism, a non-exercising adult will burn about 20percent more calories each day movingaround, digesting food, and maintainingbody temperature. A moderately activeadult (for example, one who plays anactive sport or exercises three to five daysa week) will burn a total of about 50percent more calories.4

6Eat Less(Without Going Hungry)

Even a small change in the amount of foodyou eat each day can make a bigdifference in your weight over time. Forexample, eating one hundred caloriesmore than you need each day (a very smallsoft drink or the mayonnaise on asandwich) can cause you to gain severalpounds each year. You can burn off thosehundred calories each day by walkingbriskly for about a half hour (if you weighabout 150 lbs or 70 kg). Alternatively, youcan save yourself the trouble by makingsome minor changes to your eating habits,

such as eating your sandwich with mustardinstead of mayonnaise, or drinking icewater instead of a sugary soft drink.

We usually don’t intend to eat toomuch. We overeat, often without thinking,because of poor food choices, bad habits,and the temptations around us. In thischapter, you will learn how changes inyour food choices, habits, and personalenvironment can help you eat fewercalories without going hungry.

Eat More Natural Weight Loss FoodsResearchers at Harvard Universityconducted a study in which they monitoredthe weight and habits of 120,877 adultsover a twenty-year period. They found thatstudy participants who increased theirconsumption of fruits, nuts, vegetables,

whole grains, or yogurt tended to loseweight, while those who decreased theirconsumption of any of these foods tendedto gain weight.1

Eating more of these natural weight lossfoods can help you lose weight also.Unprocessed fruit, nuts, vegetables, andgrains digest relatively slowly because ofthe fiber they contain and because theirtissue structure hasn’t already been brokenup by processing. Foods that digest slowlyreach your blood stream gradually, so youremain satisfied longer after a meal ends.2As a result, you are less tempted to snackbetween meals or overeat during the nextone.

It isn’t entirely clear why yogurt isassociated with weight loss. It may simplybe that adding yogurt to a meal makes it

more satisfying so you end up eating lessoverall. Yogurt may also slow thedigestion of the meal so you don’t gethungry again so soon.

As you eat more fruits, nuts, vegetables,whole grains, and yogurt, reduce theamount of less-healthy foods in your dietby eating them less often and in smallerportions.

Fresh FruitIn the Harvard study, fruits wereassociated with weight loss while fruitjuices were associated with weight gain.Fresh whole or cut-up fruit is preferableto fruit juices or other processed fruitbecause it usually has more fiber, digestsmore slowly, and has fewer calories. A12-ounce (355-mL) glass of orange juice,

for example, has about 170 calories. Amedium orange has only 60. Here aresome ways to eat more fresh fruit:

Eat a small handful of nuts and apiece of fruit along with a glass ofwater for a snack. Add a piece of fresh fruit tobreakfast, lunch, or dinner. Buy a variety of whole, cut-up, andfrozen fruit. People tend to eat whatthey have in the house, so keep yourhouse well-stocked with good food. Keep a bowl of fresh fruit on thetable. Keep a container of cut-up fruit in therefrigerator. To keep the fruit fromturning brown, add some lemon

juice. Add fruit to cereal for breakfast. Make a yogurt parfait or dip cut-upfruit in low-fat yogurt for breakfastor a snack. Top a bowl of cut-up fruitwith yogurt for an easy dessert. Make a fruit salad with grapes orberries and cut-up fruit. Add plain orflavored yogurt if you like it creamy.Top it with shredded coconut orchopped nuts. Add cut-up fruit, grapes, berries,orange sections, raisins, or driedcranberries to a green salad. If oranges and other acidic fruit makeyour teeth sensitive, try eating themwith yogurt.3

NutsAlthough nuts are relatively high incalories, they also contain fiber, fat, andprotein, which slow digestion and provideenduring satisfaction. You need only asmall handful with a meal or snack to getthe weight loss benefits. Because nuts aredry, be sure to eat them with a glass ofwater to get the full effect. Here are someways to get more nuts into your diet:

Buy a large container of nuts anddivide them into handful-sizedportions. Keep these portions handyto add to packed lunches or snacks. Eat a small handful of nuts withbreakfast, lunch, or dinner. Add nuts to cereal or low-fat yogurt

for breakfast. Eat a yogurt parfait with nuts as asnack or with a meal. Add nuts to green salads, vegetabledishes, and fruit salads.

VegetablesThe US government’s Dietary Guidelinesfor Americans 2010 recommends that halfof the food on your plate be fruits andvegetables.4 Here are some ways to eatmore vegetables:

Stock up on frozen vegetables forsimple, fast side dishes. Keep a container of baby carrots,celery sticks, sliced green peppers orcucumber, or other ready-to-eat

vegetables in a see-through containerin the refrigerator for lunches andsnacks. Put carrots and celery sticksin a container of water so they staycrisp. If you don’t care for vegetables, eatthem when you are hungriest so theywill taste better, and you willgradually learn to enjoy them more. Add cut-up vegetables to a packedlunch, or take some along to add to apurchased lunch. Add vegetables prepared two orthree different ways (cut-up raw,steamed, roasted, etc.) to dinner. Sprinkle cooked vegetables withfeta, Parmesan, vinegar, or otherstrong flavors to make them more

interesting. Include a green salad and low-calorie dressing with dinner everyevening. Try a large green salad topped withsliced boiled eggs or chicken breastfor lunch. Try low-fat yogurt seasoned with dillweed, mint, or other herbs as a dipfor cut vegetables. Top fried or scrambled eggs withtomato salsa, nopales, or freshavocado. Decorate dinner plates withvegetable slices. Add grated or chopped vegetables tosome of your usual recipes. Zucchini,carrots, tomatoes, and spinach can be

added to many dishes. Add steamed vegetables to soups. When you eat out, request additionalvegetables. For example, ask forextra tomatoes, pickles, or lettuce ona sandwich, or extra vegetabletoppings on a pizza. Grill vegetables such as onions,mushrooms, and green peppers aspart of a barbeque meal.

See appendix A for some easyvegetable recipes. The recipes in thisbook are custom-made for people whodon’t like to cook, or who like to cook butdon’t have much time. Each has only a fewingredients and requires minimal cookingskills. With them, you can quickly makesimple dishes that you won’t soon tire of

and that will help you lose weight.

Recommended proportions of food groupsin a meal (US Department of Agriculture,ChoosMyPlate.gov)

Whole and Slowly-Digesting GrainsA whole grain is a grain that still has thebran and germ. The bran of a grain is theouter, high-fiber layer. The germ is thehigh-fat, high-protein embryo of the grainplant. A refined grain has the bran andgerm removed. Processing refers to anyalteration of a grain, including removal ofthe bran and germ in the refining process,

grinding of grain into flour, bleaching offlour, or treatment of a grain so it cooksmore quickly.

Unlike the minimally processed graineaten by our ancestors, most of the grain inthe modern diet is in a highly processedform — much of it as refined flour. Theprocess of converting wheat to refinedflour increases its caloric density by over10 percent, reduces its fiber content byabout 80 percent, and reduces its proteincontent by almost 30 percent.5

The less processing a grain goesthrough before you eat it, the more slowlyit digests, so it keeps you satisfied longerand you don’t get hungry so soon. Becauseflour is ground so finely and is so low infiber, fat, and protein, it digests veryquickly. Whole wheat flour is better, but

still digests rather quickly if it is finelyground. Food products made of coarselyground flour digest more slowly becauseof the extra time required for breakingdown the larger particles.6,7 Foodproducts with a high proportion ofcracked, sprouted, or intact grains digesteven more slowly.8 Brown rice generallydigests more slowly than white rice.

Besides differences in levels ofprocessing, differences in the grainsthemselves affect the rate of digestion. Forexample, high-amylose varieties of rice,such as basmati, digest more slowly thanlow amylose varieties. Low amylose ricetends to be sticky and digests ratherquickly, whether it is white or brown.Converted rice digests slowly, eventhough it’s not brown. Genuine rye bread

digests more slowly than wheat bread.9Pasta made of semolina digests moreslowly than other pasta and most bread.Pasta cooked al dente, meaning that it isstill firm, digests more slowly than pastathat is overcooked.

When shopping for whole grainproducts, check the list of ingredients.Whole grain foods usually have one of thefollowing as the first ingredient: brownrice, buckwheat, bulgur, millet, oatmeal,quinoa, rolled oats, whole-grain barley,whole-grain corn, whole-grain sorghum,whole-grain triticale, whole oats, wholerye, whole wheat, or wild rice. Thefollowing usually do not indicate whole-grain ingredients: wheat flour, wheat,stone-ground, multigrain, and 100%wheat. Here are some ways to eat more

slowly-digesting grains:

For breakfast, eat hot cereal made ofa minimally processed grain such asflaked or cracked wheat, old-fashioned rolled oats, steel-cut oats,bulgur, quinoa, brown basmati rice,or hulled millet. To save time, cookup a large batch and warm a portionin the microwave for breakfast everyday. If you prefer cold cereal, try thegranola recipe in appendix B. Use brown basmati rice, bulgur,hulled millet, or quinoa in a side dishrecipe for dinner. When you eat out, request wholegrain options. For example, requestbrown rice instead of white rice, orwhole wheat bread instead of white

bread. Buy bread made of whole grains or,even better, of sprouted or crackedgrains. Buy semolina pasta, and cook it aldente. Use whole grain flour or oatmeal forsome or all of the flour in pancakes,waffles, cookies, bread, muffins,scones, and other flour-basedrecipes. For baking, try medium-groundwhole cornmeal, coarse or mediumground whole wheat flour, wholespelt flour, or whole rye flour. Lookfor these products in the naturalfoods section of your grocery storeor in a health food store.

Buy a portable home mill and grindyour own flour, using a coarsesetting.

See appendix B for some easy grainrecipes.

YogurtYogurt in your meal will make it moresatisfying. Yogurt also makes a quick,satisfying snack. Plain low-fat yogurt hasrelatively few calories.

As with most any habit, the hardest partof adding yogurt to your snacks and mealsis just getting started. We tend to eat whatwe have on hand, so buy a quart or two ofplain low-fat yogurt as well as someready-to-eat portions of your favoriteflavored low-fat, low-sugar yogurt, and

put them in your refrigerator. Here aresome more ideas:

Make a yogurt parfait for breakfast ora snack by mixing plain yogurt withfruit and granola or whole-grainbreakfast cereal. Eat plain yogurt as a topping in placeof sour cream on just about any hotdish. Try it on vegetables. Mix plain yogurt into your favoritesalad dressing to make it lower-calorie. Use plain Greek yogurt in recipes inplace of sour cream or cream cheese. Eat yogurt as a lunch or dinner sidedish. Enjoy yogurt sweetened with a little

jam or honey in place of less healthydesserts.

See appendix C for some easy yogurtrecipes.

Eat a Solid Breakfast, Lunch, andDinnerSkipped or unbalanced meals can leaveyou hungry or unsatisfied and tempted tosnack on junk food or overeat later in theday.

In a balanced meal, according to theDietary Guidelines for Americans 2010,about half (45–65 percent) of the caloriesare from carbohydrates and the remainderare split between protein (10–35 percent)and fat (20–35 percent).4 Keeping eachmeal within the recommended ranges for

carbohydrates, protein, and fat will helpkeep you satisfied between meals. Whilethe carbohydrates will help you feelsatisfied quickly, the fats, proteins, andfiber will serve to slow the digestion ofthe meal so that you don’t get hungry sosoon.10,11 A combination of carbohydrates,fat, and protein will also help your bodyget the nutrients and constant supply ofenergy it needs for good health andcalorie-burning physical activities.

The carbohydrate portion of a mealshould consist mostly of minimallyprocessed vegetables, beans, and wholegrains.

The protein portion of a meal shouldcome from nuts, beans, soy products, eggs,fish, milk products, whole grains, or leanunprocessed meats.

Keep in mind that there are more thantwice as many calories in a gram of fat asthere are in a gram of protein orcarbohydrate. This means that the amountof fat needed for a balanced meal isrelatively small. Common sources of fat ina meal include salad dressing, milk, meat,nuts, beans, whole grain, bakery goods,and cooking oil.

The best drink to have with your mealis water. It doesn’t add any calories, yet incombination with the fiber in foods it canhelp you feel full.

A good, solid breakfast is especiallyimportant to help prevent hunger andcravings, so you are less tempted to snackon junk food during the day.

A study by scientists at VirginiaCommonwealth University and Hospital

de Clinicas Caracas in Venezuela foundthat dieters who ate a moderately-sizedbreakfast (610 calories of a 1,240 dailycalorie diet) each day initially lost lessweight than dieters who ate a smallbreakfast (290 calories of a 1,085 dailycalorie diet), but were more successful atkeeping the weight off. Although thedieters who ate the small breakfasts lostmore weight at first, they gained much of itback before the end of the eight-monthstudy, apparently because they were lesssuccessful at resisting food temptations.By the end of the study, dieters who atethe moderately sized breakfasts had lostabout four times as much weight as theother group. They also reported lesshunger and fewer cravings throughout theday.12

A bowl of cold cereal for breakfastisn’t enough. Instead, try to include awhole grain, some unprocessed fruit orvegetables, and a protein source such aseggs, nuts, or low-fat yogurt. Make up forthose extra breakfast calories by snackingless or by eating less at dinner, then go tobed before you start to get hungry again.You need more calories in the morning forenergy and insurance against foodtemptations, and fewer in the eveningwhen you are relaxing or about to go tobed.

Eat Less Junk FoodEat less of refined-floury and sugaryfoods, potato-based foods, white rice,high-calorie dressings and toppings, andsugary and alcoholic drinks. These are the

common junk foods of the modern westerndiet. You can cut back on these foodswithout feeling hungry if you eat more ofthe natural weight loss foods discussedpreviously.

Refined-Floury and Sugary FoodsMost processed foods have been“predigested” to a degree during grinding,juicing, or other processing, so they digestrather quickly, leaving you with a load ofcalories and a soon-empty stomach.Processed foods high in refined flour oradded sugar, such as bread, candy, coldbreakfast cereals, cookies, cake,doughnuts, pancakes, pastries, pizza, andwaffles are not only implicated in theweight gain epidemic, but also in therecent dramatic increase in diabetes.13

Refined flour is any flour that is notwhole grain. Sugars commonly added tofood include sucrose, maltose, glucose,fructose, brown sugar, molasses, honey,maple syrup, agave nectar, corn syrup,raw sugar, and corn sweetener. Any ofthese added sugars will contribute toweight gain, no matter how “natural” theyare. Refined flour and added sugarprovide energy (i.e., calories), but little inthe way of nutrients. If you areoverweight, you are already consumingtoo much energy. Refined flour and sugaralso encourage overeating by enhancingthe flavor of foods to an unnatural degree.Here are some ways to eat less of thesefoods:

Buy bread made of sprouted grain

instead of flour. Beware of ready-to-eat breakfastfoods that are high in sugar andrefined flour. For a better breakfast,try whole grain hot cereal or toastedbread made of sprouted grain. Avoidcold breakfast cereals unless they areunsweetened and made of wholegrains. Set reasonable limits. You don’tneed to eliminate desserts and othersweets entirely. Allowing yourselfone small dessert a day, with moreallowed on special occasions, canhelp keep your spirits up anddecrease the temptation to cheat. If you have an urge for somethingsweet, eat fruit.

When you eat pasta, make sure it issemolina or whole grain, and cookedal dente. When you buy a burger, discard halfof the bun. Eat sandwiches open-face. Read the ingredients on foodpackages. Any food that has refinedflour or an added sugar as the firstingredient should be eaten sparingly. Prepare your own meals. At least youwill know what’s in them. Have plenty of fruits or vegetables ineach meal. Filling your stomach withthese relatively low-calorie foodswill help you feel satisfied withouteating so much of the higher-caloriefoods.

Have a light (not creamy) soup withlunch or dinner. This will slow downyour eating, giving your stomachmore time to produce feelings ofsatisfaction. Don’t shop when you are hungry, anddecide ahead of time what you willbuy. Decide what you will have for eachmeal a day in advance so that you arenot left deciding what to eat whenyou are already hungry. Write yourdecisions down. Prepare mealsahead of time, when possible, tofurther limit last-minute decisions.

Potato-based FoodsA few unprocessed foods, such as

potatoes, digest quickly. Potatoes withadded fat, such as french fries, hashbrowns, and potato chips, digest moreslowly but are much higher in calories. Inthe Harvard study,1 potato-based foodshad a greater association with weight gainthan any other food category. Here aresome ways to eat less of potato-basedfoods:

At a restaurant, order a side salad,low-fat yogurt, or fresh fruit insteadof fries. Skipping the fries can saveyou the trouble of having to work off350 to 400 extra calories (for amedium order). Substitute sweet potatoes, parsnips,carrots, turnips, or other vegetablesfor regular potatoes in your meals.

Snack on fresh fruit, celery sticks, orbaby carrots instead of potato chips. Avoid temptation by keeping potatochips and other potato-based snackfoods out of the house.

White RiceWhite rice has had the outer layers and thegerm of the grain removed. What is left ismostly starch, which digests directly tosugar. White rice digests quite quickly,especially if it is sticky (low amylose),leaving you with a load of calories butlittle lasting satisfaction.

To eat less white rice, try substitutingbrown basmati rice or converted rice. Ifyou don’t like the flavor of brown rice, tryadding a little lemon juice.

High-Calorie Dressings and ToppingsSalad dressings, mayonnaise, butter, andsour cream pack a lot of calories in a littlespace. Having some fat in your meal isimportant, but don’t overdo it.

It makes no sense to pour 300 caloriesof dressing on a 30-calorie salad. Almostall of the calories are coming from thedressing. If you cut the amount of dressingin half, you will reduce the total caloriesyou are eating by almost half. Here aresome more ways to eat less of high-calorie dressings and toppings:

When you order a salad, get dressingon the side so you can take just whatyou need. When eating at home, makeyour favorite salad dressing lighterby mixing it with plain low-fat

yogurt. When you order a burger orsandwich, request it with only a littlemayonnaise, or with mustard instead. Buy low-fat dressings or make yourown. See appendix C for saladdressing recipes using low-fatyogurt.

Calories in 2 tablespoons (30 mL) ofregular ranch dressing or low-fat yogurtdressing

Sugary and Alcoholic Drinks

Sugary and alcoholic drinks are high incalories and low in nutrients. Drinkingcalories is a fast way to gain body fatbecause you can ingest hundreds ofcalories in just a few minutes. DietaryGuidelines for Americans 2010recommends careful monitoring of sugar-sweetened drinks, fruit juices, andalcoholic drinks, because they are high incalories and easily over consumed.4

Water is the only drink the human bodyrequires, and is needed in generousamounts for optimal body function andweight loss. Water has no calories andwon’t spark your appetite like other drinkscan. Here are some ways to cut down onliquid calories:

Don’t have high-calorie drinks in

your house where they can tempt you.Stick with water or low-caloriedrinks such as tea without sugar.Most sports drinks are high-calorie. Drink water when you are feelinghungry or thirsty between meals. Fruit juices are high-calorie. Eatfresh fruit instead. When you eat out, request ice wateror a low-calorie drink instead of asugary soft drink to avoid having towork off about 150 calories or more(for a small soft drink). If you don’t like the flavor of plainwater, add a squeeze of lemon juice.

The Power of HalfIf you don’t want to entirely eliminate

some of these junk foods, a good goalmight be to eat them half as often as younow do, and in portions half the usualsize. This approach won’t leave youfeeling deprived, but will greatly decreaseyour calorie intake. Eating half as much,half as often, will reduce yourconsumption of these foods — and theircalories — by a full 75 percent. That’s alot of calories you won’t have to burn.

Eat Junk Food Only with MealsEat junk food only as part of a meal. Drink

only water between meals. For snacks, eatfruit, nuts, vegetables, minimallyprocessed grains, or low-fat yogurt. Youwill be less likely to overeat whensnacking on healthy, unprocessed foods,and they will keep you satisfied longer. Ifyou eat solid, balanced meals, you won’tget as hungry between meals and may notneed to snack at all.

_____________Water is the only drink the human body

requires._____________

Junk foods tend to be nutritionallyunbalanced and highly processed. As aresult, they tend to digest rather quickly,

leaving you soon hungry. Eating your junkfood with an otherwise healthy meal willhelp you eat less of it. The other foods inthe meal will also help buffer the effectsof the junk food on your blood sugarlevels, so you remain satisfied longer afterthe meal ends and are less likely toexperience cravings later in the day.

Eat MindfullyMindfulness, remember, means payingattention to your present experience.Mindful eating means keeping yourattention focused on what and how muchyou are eating. It is the opposite ofmindless eating, which is what mostpeople do most of the time. When you eatmindlessly, you put food in your mouthbecause it’s there, not because you need it

or necessarily even want it. Mindfuleating will not only enable you to getgreater enjoyment from a smaller amountof food, but will also give your body moretime to feel satisfied so you are lesstempted to overeat. There are five steps tomindful eating:

1. Decide how much you will eatbefore you start. Remember, if youeat foods that digest more slowly andthat provide more nutrients, you don’thave to eat as much each meal toavoid feeling hungry before the nextone. Most fruits and vegetables don’tcontain many calories, so they can beeaten in greater quantities than otherfoods. Put everything you plan to eaton your plate, then put away or

discard the remainder. 2. Avoid distracting influences. Don’twatch television or read whileeating. We tend to keep eating untilthe end of the story, whether we arehungry or not. 3. Take and savor little bites. Much ofour eating is not out of hunger but toenjoy the flavors and textures of ourfavorite foods. You can eat lesswhile enjoying it just as much, if youeat slowly and deliberately. Takesmall bites and consciously savoreach one, making a point to hold thefood in your mouth a little longer andnotice the textures and flavors. Aftera while your taste buds will begin totire of the flavor, and you will beless tempted to overeat.

4. Put your fork or spoon down or takea small sip of water between bites.This will slow your eating down,giving your stomach time to producefeelings of fullness and satisfactionand allowing you to pay betterattention to those feelings. 5. Listen to your stomach. When empty,your stomach is about the size of yourfist. It only holds a couple ofhandfuls of food comfortably. If youeat more than that, it stretches to thepoint that it begins to put pressure onother organs. Let the feeling of yourstomach rather than the flavor of thefood tell you how much to eat. Stopeating when your stomach feels alittle heavy. If it feels tight, stretched,or topped off, you’ve had too much.

Don’t feel that you have to finish allof your food. Your mother waswrong. It’s OK to leave food on yourplate, especially if you have beenserved too much. Don’t treat yourselflike a garbage disposal just to get ridof extra food.

Limit Restaurant MealsLimit fast food and restaurant dining.Restaurants are generally focused onmaking food that tastes good, not that isgood for you. The sugar, fats, and refinedcarbohydrates they use to make the foodhighly palatable also make it high-calorie.Also, the sizes of restaurant meals haveincreased in recent decades to the pointthat they are often enough for two or morepeople. Since our natural tendency is to

keep eating until the portion in front of usis gone, we end up eating too much.14Here are some ways to eat less restaurantfood:

Take a few minutes to prepare a mealand take it with you instead of eatingout. When eating at a restaurant, selectsmall or mini options whenavailable. Regular sized portionsthese days are already “super sized”compared to portions twenty or thirtyyears ago.15 A “bargain” isn’t abargain when it’s more than you wantor need. The first few bites ofanything usually taste the bestanyway. Split a meal with a companion, or

ask for a box before you start eatingand put aside part of the meal to takehome. Don’t feel that you have to finishyour food. Getting your “money’sworth” by finishing your mealdoesn’t make much sense when youconsider the medical and lifestylecosts of obesity-related diseases orthe time and effort you’ll need toburn off the extra calories. Eat at home when you can. Use someof the simple recipes from theappendices at the back of this book tomake quick, healthy meals.

Get Enough SleepStudies have found that sleeping less thansix or seven hours a night is a risk factor

for becoming obese. This may be partlydue to the role of sleep in determining thelevels of hormones that control hunger.16Here are some ways to get more andbetter sleep:

Plan your bedtime before it getsclose. Don’t arrive at home without aplan. Try to arrange your schedule so youcan get to bed at about the same timeevery night, even on weekends. Itwill be easier to turn bedtime into ahabit if it’s at a consistent time. Don’t go to bed hungry, or full.Eating close to bedtime can disruptsleep, but being too hungry can makeyou restless also. Eat a solid dinnerand then go to bed before you get

hungry again. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotinein the evening. If you are havingtrouble falling asleep or sleepingsoundly, any of these substancesmight be to blame. Exercise. Exercising regularly canhelp you sleep better. Exercising inthe evening, however, may make itharder to fall asleep. Keep it cool and dark. Warmth andlight signal daytime and wakefulnessto your body. Cool and dark signalnight and sleep. Keep pets and kids out of the bed.The extra wiggles make sleep moredifficult. Relax your mind. Going to bed with

heavy thoughts makes it moredifficult to fall asleep, and to sleepsoundly. Avoid television, computerwork, intense reading, or anythingelse that overly engages yourthoughts or emotions before bedtime.Use meditation, light stretching, awarm bath, or another relaxingactivity to leave behind the worriesof the day. Make a list of things tothink about the next day, then forgetabout them and go to sleep.

Watch Less TelevisionTelevision takes time away from sleepand physical activity. It leaves less timefor preparing meals, so you are morelikely to eat unhealthy prepared foods.Television viewing also encourages

snacking on junk food. Many calories areeaten and few are burned in front of thetelevision.

Not surprisingly, television watchingwas associated with weight gain in theHarvard study.1 People who spend a lot oftime watching television are more likelyto be overweight than moderate viewersor non-viewers. A study of over fourteenhundred successful weight lossmaintainers revealed that most watchedten or fewer hours of television per week,compared to the US national average oftwenty-eight hours of television viewingfor adults.17

Television can be addictive, so cuttingback may be difficult at first, but with timeother activities will become moreenjoyable and television will seem less

important.18

_____________Many calories are eaten and few are

burned in front of the television._____________

Turn off the television and fill yourleisure time with activities that burncalories and that make snacking lessconvenient. Here are some ways to watchless television:

Plan your weekly television scheduleahead of time, and then stick with it. Fill your week with productiveactivities so you won’t have time towatch television. Plan activities

ahead of time. Don’t arrive homewithout a plan. Don’t leave the television turned onwhen no one is watching it. If silenceis unbearable, play music or turn onthe radio. Unplug your television and cover itwhen it isn’t being used. Pin a note tothe cover listing several things youcould be doing instead of watchingtelevision — meditating, exercising,playing catch with a child, enjoying ahobby, learning a new skill, visitingwith a friend. Put remotes out of easy reach. Don’t turn the television on becauseyou are bored or just to see what’son. Find another cure for boredom.

Remove television sets frombedrooms and eating areas. If all efforts at self-control fail,donate your television to charity.

Many of these ideas also apply to othertime-burners such as recreational Internetuse, video games, and videos.

7Be Active(Without Wasting Time)

The human body is designed to be movingand working throughout the day. Sitting forlong periods in an automobile, at a desk,or on a couch is an unnatural situation. Itshould not be surprising, then, that regularphysical activity has many potential healthbenefits. These include better cognitivefunction; improved sleep quality; healthierbones and joints; greater muscle strengthand endurance; and lower risks ofdepression, heart disease, stroke,metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure,diabetes, osteoporosis, and some cancers.

It is also important for maintaining ahealthy weight.1

Regular exercise isn’t required forlosing weight; just about any diet will dothat. Regular exercise is needed to keepthe weight off. The National Weight LossRegistry is a long-term study ofindividuals who have lost thirty or morepounds and kept it off for at least a year.To maintain their weight loss, registrymembers report burning about 370calories per day by exercising. Thisequates to about thirty-five to forty-fiveminutes of vigorous exercise or sixty toseventy-five minutes of moderateexercise.2 These numbers are onlyaverages. You may be able to get by withless, especially if you make use of muchof the other advice in this book. It is

unlikely, however, that you will be able tolose weight and keep it off without aregular exercise program.

_____________Regular exercise is needed to keep the

weight off._____________

The US government’s 2008 PhysicalActivity Guidelines for Americansrecommends at least thirty minutes ofmoderate exercise five or more days aweek for basic health, and suggests thatsixty or more minutes a day may beneeded to reach or maintain a healthybody weight. The daily exercise may bedone all at once or divided into smaller

blocks, but each block should be aminimum of ten minutes. Fifteen minutesof vigorous exercise may be substitutedfor every thirty minutes of moderateexercise.1

Turn Work and Play into ExerciseGetting thirty minutes of moderateexercise each day can be as simple astaking a brisk walk when you get up in themorning or during your lunch hour. Othermoderate exercise options include hiking,light weight training or calisthenics, yoga,shooting baskets, recreational swimming,bicycling, or playing actively withchildren. Vigorous exercise might includeracquetball, basketball, doubles tennis,running or jogging, fast ballroom orsquare dancing, fast bicycling, skiing,

hiking hills, swimming laps, jumping rope,or heavy weight training.1 Find an activitythat you enjoy. Staying with an exerciseprogram is easier if you make it fun. Seethe list at the end of chapter 8 for ideas formaking your exercise program a success.Here are some more ways to be active:

Join an exercise group. Get a gym membership and use it. Organize a group of friends orneighbors for morning or eveningwalks. Take stairs instead of elevators. Walk instead of drive, or park adistance from your destination andwalk the rest of the way.

Get Away from the ScreenLimit television and other leisure screentime such as videos and recreationalInternet use. These activities take timeaway from active recreation, burn veryfew calories, and leave you feeling lessenergetic.

Limiting leisure screen time to a fewhours a week can facilitate your efforts toget more physical activity. Getting awayfrom the screen and living an active life isalso kind of like starring in your ownreality show. Enjoy it!

To cut down on your leisure screentime, try some of the suggestions forwatching less television at the end ofchapter 6.

8Boost Your Metabolism(Without Drugs)

Endurance exercises such as fast walking,biking, swimming, and running canincrease your total daily metabolism byburning calories directly, by increasingyour resting metabolic rate (RMR),1,2 andby boosting your energy levels so you aremore inclined to do other physicalactivities.

Strength-building exercises can have aneven greater effect on RMR by addingmuscle mass.3 They can replace musclelost due to physical inactivity and alsohelp prevent additional muscle loss as you

eat fewer daily calories.4Keep in mind that a given volume of

muscle weighs more than the same volumeof fat. This means that if you are buildingmuscle at the same time you are losing fat,you may become more slender withoutactually losing much weight.

Some women worry that strengthtraining will make them look bulky. It willnot unless they have very unusualgenetics.5 Instead, strength training canhelp support a pleasing posture and addmuscle tone and definition for a moreslender and attractive appearance.

Strengthening exercises can provideyou with many health benefits at any age,but particularly as you get older. Properlyconducted strength training can be avirtual Fountain of Youth by increasing

muscle mass, metabolic rate, and bonedensity and by reducing body fat, restingblood pressure, low back pain, arthriticpain, depression, and age-related muscleloss. It can also improve glucosemetabolism, which is important for thosewith type 2 diabetes.6,7

_____________Properly conducted strength trainingcan be a virtual Fountain of Youth.

_____________

You don’t need weights or any specialequipment to strength train. Push-ups, armand leg lifts, bridges, planks, abdominalcurls, and other body-weight exerciseswill take you a long way.8 Choose a

combination of exercises that work allyour major muscle groups, including yourcore abdominal muscles.

To avoid injury, start easy and increasethe intensity of your exercises gradually soyour body has a chance to adjust to eachnew exercise. Be sure to warm up beforeeach exercise session and to use properform. For most exercises, proper formincludes keeping your abs tight and yourback straight, with a slight inward curvein your lower back. One way to warm upis to begin each exercise by doing severalrepetitions with about half the weight thatyou normally lift. If you are doing a body-weight exercise instead of lifting weights,warm up by first doing several repetitionsof an easier version of the exercise. Forexample, do some pushups on your knees

before beginning pushups on your toes.Strength train two or three days a week,

leaving at least one day between eachexercise day for your muscles to recover.9Choose a time of day to exercise whenyou are most energetic so you can workyour muscles harder.

If you are lifting weights, use weightsthat are light enough that you can do atleast eight repetitions of an exercise inproper form.10 Stay at that weight until youcan do twelve or more repetitions of theexercise for two consecutive exercisedays. Then you can add about 5 percentmore weight the next day you exercise. Besure to perform each repetition of anexercise slowly and smoothly through afull range of motion, taking at least six fullseconds to complete it. One set of each

exercise is enough as long as it thoroughlyfatigues your muscles.11

After completing each exercise, stretchthe target muscles for twenty or thirtyseconds to promote muscle developmentand flexibility.12 Breathe normally duringthe stretch. To avoid injury, move slowly,and stretch only to the point where youfeel a moderate stretching sensation.Stretching should not be painful.

Consult your doctor before beginningan intensive exercise program, and getproper training before working with heavyweights or doing unfamiliar exercises.

For many, the hardest part of anexercise program is getting started. Hereare some ideas for getting started with,and consistently following, a strengtheningexercise program:

Schedule two or three times a weekfor strengthening exercises. Write your exercise schedule on apiece of paper and put it where youwill see it every day. Even better, putit where you will have to move itevery day, such as on your car seat orkitchen table. Choose three or four exercises tobegin with. You can add more or trydifferent ones later. There are manyexcellent exercise websites,magazines, and books that can giveyou ideas and teach you properexercise techniques. If you haven’tdone strengthening exercises for awhile, start with some easy ones. Commit to spend at least five minutes

exercising during your scheduledtime, even if you don’t feel like it.Chances are that after five minutes,you will feel motivated enough tocontinue and complete your session. Have a backup plan to do a simplerexercise session if you are unable todo your regularly scheduled one. Forexample, if your basic plan is toexercise at a gym, have a backupplan to do some bodyweightexercises at home for a few minutesif you can’t make it to the gym. If you miss an exercise session, don’tgive up or beat yourself up over it.Just commit to make your next one. Lay your exercise clothes out thenight before your scheduled exercise

session so they are ready and waitingfor you. Exercise with a friend. Agreeing toexercise with another person canmake a big difference in yourmotivation. If you can’t find a partnerto exercise with, join an exercisegroup or hire a personal trainer. Hold yourself accountable forfollowing through with your exercisesessions. There are different ways todo this. You can make a commitmentto report regularly on a fitness website, on your own Internet blog, or toa friend. Another option is to create amonthly chart to fill in as youcomplete each exercise session. Reward yourself at the end of the

month if you have met your goals.Don’t require perfection of yourself,but choose a realistic goal to callsuccess. For example, completing atleast two out of three sessions eachweek for a month may be a goodenough goal to start with.

9Myths

When it comes to weight loss advice,myths abound, and distinguishing fact fromfallacy can be difficult. It helps that manyweight loss myths have been the subjectsof scientific studies. Here are a fewcommon myths, along with the facts.

“People who have difficulty controllingtheir weight often have naturally slowmetabolisms.”Although some earlier scientific studiesincorrectly reached this conclusion,1 morerecent and better-designed studies havegenerally found that obesity-prone

individuals have resting metabolic ratesas fast as those of other people withsimilar muscle and organ mass.1,2 Studiesshow that even in infancy and youth,excess weight gain generally results fromexcess eating rather than slow restingmetabolism.3,4 The faulty conclusions ofthe earlier studies were at least partiallydue to the tendency of overweight studyparticipants to underestimate the numberof calories they consume by 20 to 50percent.5,6,7

Gaining weight actually increases yourmetabolic rate. When you gain much fat,you usually gain some extra muscle aswell to help move the extra weightaround. Both the extra muscle and fatincrease your RMR, and more energy isrequired to move a bigger body. If you are

overweight, therefore, you probably havea faster metabolic rate than people ofsimilar frame size who are notoverweight. This increase in metabolicrate works against additional weight gainand stabilizes your weight unless you eateven more daily calories than before.

“Some people are genetically fat.”In fact, we are all “genetically fat” whenwe are in a fattening food environment andlive a physically inactive lifestyle. Just asa squirrel is genetically programmed topack away nuts when they are available inorder to survive a hard winter, we aregenetically programmed to pack on fatwhen surrounded by high-calorie, highlypalatable food in order to survive times offood scarcity. Weight gain under such

conditions is the result of normal genesfunctioning correctly.8 The only problemis, the highly palatable food is alwaysaround us, and the slimming times of foodscarcity never come. If squirrels werealways surrounded by nuts they would beoverweight too.

_____________We are all “genetically fat” when we

are in a fattening food environment andliving a physically inactive lifestyle.

_____________

Our food environment and lifestyles arebroken, not our genes. The modernfattening food environment is verydifferent from the food environment that

existed through most of human history. It isfar from natural, and combined with aless-active lifestyle, it promotes weightgain for almost anyone who doesn’tactively resist it.9

The Pima group of American Indiansare believed to be genetically fine-tunedfor conserving calories. Even this group,however, should not be considerednaturally fat. While the Pima living in theUnited States are one of the mostoverweight populations in the world, thePima living in remote regions of Mexico,where the environment is physicallydemanding and more traditional foods areeaten, are lean like non-Pima Mexicansliving in the same environment.10

Scientists have found only a fewgenetic defects that influence body fat

enough to be noticeable on an individualbasis. These genetic defects are rare andgenerally act by increasing your tendencyto overeat, most often through their effectson hormones that control appetite.11 Thereis little evidence for major genetic defectsthat cause weight gain by slowingmetabolism.12

Although your individual genetics maymake weight loss more difficult, no genecan stop you from losing weight if you areeating fewer calories than you burn. Foralmost all of us, the genes that are causingmost of our weight gain are our normalgenes, not our defective ones. We all havegenes that are designed to store extracalories as fat. The best way to preventyour genes from causing weight gain is tomake your personal environment less

fattening and to become more physicallyactive.13

“Some people are naturally plump androunded.”Although individuals may be naturallyshort, stocky, or muscular, no one isnaturally plump. The primary function offat is storage of excess energy in times ofplenty so that it is available for use whenfood is scarce. An abundance ofpermanent fat doesn’t suit this purpose,but is an unnatural condition resultingfrom the overabundance of highlypalatable food in the modern environment.

In order to reach a more natural bodyform, you must either change yourenvironment or compensate for theoverabundance of highly palatable food in

some other way. The bottom line is that ifyou consume more energy (calories) thanyour body needs, you gain fat, and if youconsume less, you lose it. That is thenature of fat.

“Gaining weight is a natural part ofaging.”The only way to gain fat is to eat morecalories than you burn. Older people tendto have more fat than younger people forthe same reason they tend to have moremoney: they have had more time toaccumulate it. Also, most of us live in amore fattening food environment and areless active than in our younger years.

Although the resting metabolic rate ofmost adults slows with age due to loss ofmuscle and organ mass,14 this can be

reversed with strengthening and enduranceexercises.15–18 Alternatively, if you don’twant to go to the effort of keeping yourmetabolism up, you can prevent weightgain by eating fewer calories to matchyour slower metabolism.

“You have a natural weight that yourbody returns to when you are notdieting.”You do not have a single natural weight.The weight that is natural for your bodydepends on how many calories you eatand how physically active you are.

If you begin eating more calories eachday or become less physically active, youwill gain fat (and muscle to carry aroundthe extra fat) until you have gained asmuch weight as your daily calories will

support. That will be your new “naturalweight.”

Similarly, if you begin eating fewercalories, or burning more throughexercise, your weight will naturally dropto a lower level.

“Being slim means being hungry.”Not with good eating habits. For example,keeping food out of sight between mealscan help prevent cravings, and meals andsnacks that are nutritionally balanced willkeep you satisfied longer.

A balanced meal includes some proteinand fat, as well as carbohydrates in theform of fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, orwhole grains. The combination of protein,fat, and fiber in a balanced meal slowsdigestion and provides longer satisfaction

after the meal ends. Foods made withprocessed grains or added sugars shouldbe avoided or eaten in smaller amountsbecause they tend to digest quickly, so youare hungry sooner.

“If it says ‘energy’ or ‘power,’ it mustbe good for you.”Not if the first ingredient (or second, afterwater) is a sugar, such as sucrose,maltose, brown sugar, glucose, honey, orcorn syrup. Sugars supply energy but littleelse in the way of nutrition. Just rememberthat energy in food is measured incalories. If you are overweight, you arealready consuming too much energy.

“You can never be as slim as before youhad children.”

Fat gained during pregnancy can be lostlike any other fat, by adjustments in eatingand exercise habits. It can also be lost bybreastfeeding, which uses about four orfive hundred calories a day.

Abdominal muscle tone lost duringpregnancy can be improved with exerciseto create a more slender appearance.

“Eating healthy means not being able tohave dessert.”Sweets and other unhealthy foods can beeaten occasionally, or even daily, as longas they are eaten in smaller portions.Smaller portions, when eaten slowly tosavor each bite, can provide as muchenjoyment as larger portions.

“For losing weight, the less fat you eat,

the better.”Only up to a point. As far as your weightis concerned, the main problem with fat isthat it is calorie dense. A cup of vegetableoil, for example, has more than twice thenumber of calories as a cup of sugar.

Fat is not all bad, however. A little fatin your meal can keep you satisfied longerby slowing carbohydrate digestion. Fatcan also make food taste better. As aresult, a diet that includes a moderateamount of fat can be easier to stick with,resulting in more long-term weight lossthan would occur on a very low fat diet. Inother words, extremely low fat dietsencourage cheating or giving up.19

Some people mistakenly believe thatfat-free or low-fat foods will not makethem “fat.” Excess calories from any

source — fat, protein, or carbohydrate —will promote weight gain.

“Dietary supplements make losingweight much easier.”No supplement can substitute for healthyeating and a physically active lifestyle.Extra body fat is caused by extra calories,and in order to remove it, you need to eatless or burn more. You don’t need asupplement for that. You just need correctinformation and the determination to live ahealthier lifestyle.

Do some research before buying anysupplement for weight loss. Words likedetoxify, purify, cleanse, miracle,ancient, secret, and amazing are moreoften used by marketers selling overpricedproducts than by research scientists or

medical professionals. The US Food andDrug Administration20 and Federal TradeCommission21 have websites with tips andresources for evaluating claims aboutdietary supplements.

“How fat you are depends on the kindof bacteria in your gut.”Recent scientific studies have beeninterpreted this way by some.22 What thestudies really show is that certain types ofbacteria in your intestines can add about 2percent more calories to your meal bydigesting components of your food thatwould otherwise remain undigested. Thisamounts to twenty to fifty calories per dayfor the average overweight adult. Most ofus need to decrease our daily intake ofcalories by about ten times that amount.

The effect of the bacteria is small bycomparison. The studies also show thatindividuals who lose substantial amountsof weight lose much of the bacteria at thesame time. This suggests that theabundance of the bacteria may be a resultof excess fat or overeating rather than acause.

10Your Easiest Path(Fifty-Six Ways to WeighLess)

All the books in the world won’t help youlose weight until you put what you havelearned into practice. This chapter willhelp you do that. You can design your ownoptimized weight loss path in about fiveminutes, then take your first steps to beingnaturally thin.

As Simple as One, Two, ThreeYou are unique, with your own habits,abilities, and preferences, and your own

reasons for your extra weight. Youreasiest path to a naturally thin body isunique also. Follow the steps below tofind it.

Step OneRead through the list of naturally thinhabits later in the chapter. If you alreadyhave a habit, convert the circle next to itinto a smiley face. Having a habit doesn’tmean you are perfect at it. If you dosomething with 80 percent consistency,consider it a habit.

Step TwoThere is a blank space after each circle.Use this space to rate the remaining habitsaccording to how easily you coulddevelop them. Write “1” next to the habit

that would be easiest to develop, “2” nextto the habit that would be the next easiest,and so on. You can find a printableversion of the list atfatlossscience.org/book/path.

Step ThreeNow, choose two habits that you rated asthe easiest to develop, and spend a fewminutes deciding exactly how you willmake them your own. Turn to the chapterswhere the habits are discussed (see thenumber in parentheses after each habit) forideas. Spend a couple of weeks focusingyour efforts on these habits.

When you feel that you have mastered ahabit (with 80 percent consistency),convert the circle next to it into a smileyface, and choose the next easiest one to

work on.As you travel along this path from habit

“1” to habit “2” to habit “3” and so forth,you will gradually stop gaining weight andstart losing it. The farther along the pathyou travel, the more weight you will loseas each new habit brings you closer toyour naturally thin potential. You don’thave to develop all of these habits, buteach one will help you lose weight, and aslong as you keep your new habits, theweight won’t come back.

By starting with the habits that areeasiest to develop, you will experiencethe rewards of success right away, andthose early rewards will give you extramotivation to tackle habits that requiremore effort. After two or three weeks witha new habit, it will begin to feel natural,

and you will be a naturally thinner person.

Naturally Thin Habits

___ Practice focusing on the present most days (Ch3)

___ Practice relaxation for twelve minutes mostdays (Ch 3)

___ Practice healthy thinking most days (Ch 3)

___ Interact socially on a regular basis (Ch 3)

___ Develop a skill, create art, or help othersregularly (Ch 3)

___ Keep your home mostly junk food free (Ch 4)

___ Keep your work space mostly junk food free(Ch 4)

___ Decide in advance what to do in temptingsituations (Ch 4)

___ Master one method for calming cravings (Ch 4)

___ Master three methods for calming cravings (Ch4)

___ Use a binge-prevention technique as needed(Ch 4)

___ Use self-therapy for cravings as needed (Ch 4)

___ Eat a handful of nuts with breakfast most days(Ch 6)

___ Eat a handful of nuts with lunch or dinner mostdays (Ch 6)

___ Eat vegetables or fresh fruit with breakfastmost days (Ch 6)

___ Eat vegetables or fresh fruit for a third of lunchmost days (Ch 6)

___ Eat vegetables or fresh fruit for half of lunchmost days (Ch 6)

___ Eat vegetables or fresh fruit for a third ofdinner most days (Ch 6)

___ Eat vegetables or fresh fruit for half of dinnermost days (Ch 6)

___ Eat slowly-digesting grains with breakfast mostdays (Ch 6)

___ Eat slowly-digesting grains with lunch mostdays (Ch 6)

___ Eat slowly-digesting grains with dinner mostdays (Ch 6)

___ Eat low-fat yogurt with breakfast most days

(Ch 6)

___ Eat low-fat yogurt with lunch or dinner mostdays (Ch 6)

___ Eat no more than three refined-floury or sugaryfoods a day (Ch 6)

___ Eat no more than two refined-floury or sugaryfoods a day (Ch 6)

___ Eat refined-floury or sugary foods only in smallportions (Ch 6)

___ Eat potato-based foods no more than once aweek (Ch 6)

___ Eat potato-based foods only in small portions(Ch 6)

___ Eat white rice no more than once a week (Ch6)

___ Eat white rice only in small portions (Ch 6)

___ Eat high-calorie dressings and toppingssparingly (Ch 6)

___ Drink no more than one sugary or alcoholicdrink a day (Ch 6)

___ Drink sugary drinks no more than once a week(Ch 6)

___ Drink sugary or alcoholic drinks only in smallamounts (Ch 6)

___ Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day (Ch6)

___ Eat a solid, balanced breakfast every day (Ch6)

___ Eat junk food only with meals (Ch 6)

___ Eat breakfast mindfully (Ch 6)

___ Eat lunch mindfully (Ch 6)

___ Eat dinner mindfully (Ch 6)

___ Eat snacks mindfully, if at all (Ch 6)

___ Eat restaurant food no more than six times aweek (Ch 6)

___ Eat restaurant food no more than three times aweek (Ch 6)

___ When eating out, eat a small meal (Ch 6)

___ Get enough sleep (Ch 6)

___ Watch television no more than one hour mostdays (Ch 6)

___ Watch television no more than thirty minutes

most days (Ch 6)

___ Don’t watch television most days (Ch 6)

___ Limit total leisure screen time to one hour mostdays (Ch 7)

___ Exercise at least ten minutes most days (Ch 7)

___ Exercise at least thirty minutes most days (Ch7)

___ Exercise at least forty-five minutes most days(Ch 7)

___ Exercise at least sixty minutes most days (Ch7)

___ Do three or more strengthening exercises atleast twice a week (Ch 8)

___ Do six or more strengthening exercises at leasttwice a week (Ch 8)

If you already have some of thesehabits, congratulations! You are alreadypart way down the path to naturally thin.Now keep moving forward by developingthe next easiest habit.

If you lose your footing and slide backa step or two, don’t give up. Consider it alearning experience, find creativesolutions to your challenges, and try again.Slow, persistent improvement in yourhabits will bring lasting rewards.

Having a companion on your journeycan help you stay on track and workthrough difficulties. Consider inviting yourspouse or a friend to read this book andtake some of these life-changing stepswith you.

Measuring SuccessDon’t expect to lose weight quickly. Thisisn’t a diet, after all. Your goal should bepermanent, not rapid, weight loss. Losingeven a half pound a week that doesn’tcome back is better than losing fourpounds that do. Permanent weight loss isbest accomplished by gradually losingweight based on long-term changes inhabits. When you first gained the extraweight, you probably gained it gradually,one habit at a time. Let yourself lose it thesame way.

Your weight loss may also be slowed abit, in a good way, if you are gaining

muscle with strengthening exercises.Muscle is heavy, but it promotes a shapelyfigure. If you are gaining muscle at thesame time you are losing fat, you will lookthinner even if you can’t see a differenceon the scale.

Instead of trying to track your weightloss by getting on the scale every morning,try this. Once a week, stand in front of themirror, smile, and ask yourself, “Do I lookbetter than I did a week ago? Do I feelhealthier? Do my clothes feel a littlelooser?” If the answer to any of thesequestions is yes, you are making realprogress.

The best of success on your weight lossadventure!

Appendix ASimple VegetableRecipes

When it comes to food, many weight lossbooks have it wrong. They ask you toreplace the convenient foods you’ve eatenall your life with rigid, detailed menus orcomplex recipes. Who’s going to keep thatup for very long? Most of us don’t havethe time or mental energy to change ourentire way of eating or prepare complexrecipes.

The truth is that you don’t need to giveup the convenient foods you’ve beeneating. Just eat them in smaller portionsand less often. Make up the difference

with low-fat yogurt, slowly-digestinggrains, and unprocessed fruits, nuts, andvegetables. The addition of these weightloss foods to your meals will enable youto eat smaller portions of less-healthyfoods without going hungry. As a result,you will consume fewer calories, besatisfied longer after a meal ends, and beless tempted to snack.

Adding weight loss foods to your mealswill be easy with the recipes in theseappendices. Most have six or feweringredients, take only a few minutes toprepare, and require only minimal cookingskills.

__________Roasted VegetablesThe high temperatures used in roasting

enhance the flavor of vegetables bycaramelizing the naturally occurringsugars. You can roast almost anyvegetable. Asparagus, beets, bell peppers,broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower,corn on the cob, carrots, eggplant, greenbeans, mushrooms, onions, parsnips,summer squash, sweet potatoes, turnips,and zucchini work well.

Preheat oven to 420° F. Cut anassortment of vegetables into 1-inchpieces. Dense vegetables such as beets,parsnips, and carrots should be cut a littlethinner to allow faster cooking. Toss thecut pieces with a little salt and oil in abowl until each piece is lightly coated.Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.Place in oven. When the undersides of thepieces have started to brown (about 10–

15 minutes), turn them over. Removewhen the undersides have started to brownagain (about 10 minutes more).

If the vegetables are still too firm, cutthem thinner or use a lower oventemperature the next time. If they are toodry or mushy, use a higher temperature orcut them thicker. For variety, include alittle basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme,pepper, or marjoram in the oil mix usedfor tossing.

Roasted vegetables can be eaten manydifferent ways. Try them with plain yogurtor yogurt dip, sprinkled with vinegar,pepper, or Parmesan cheese, dressed upwith fresh thyme or oregano, tossed withpasta or nuts, mixed with seasoned rice,or added to salads.

__________Vegetables in Fried EggsTry this recipe with fresh bell peppers,spinach, zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms,asparagus, or canned nopales.

Cut vegetables into bite-sized piecesand fry in oil for a few minutes. Seasonwith salt and pepper. Crack an egg ortwo over the vegetables and fry inwhatever manner you prefer.

Alternatively, add leftover roastedvegetables, or some fresh avocado ortomato to your eggs after they are cooked.

__________Steamed VegetablesSteamed vegetables are simple, versatile,nutritious, low-calorie, and will help

make any meal more satisfying. Try thefollowing recipe with cauliflower, greenbeans, cabbage, brussels sprouts,broccoli, zucchini, sweet potatoes, orcarrots.

Slice vegetables into ½-inch pieces.Place in a pot with about an inch ofwater, or in a steamer. Bring the water toa boil and steam the vegetables until theyjust start to soften or become slightlytranslucent. This should take 4 to 10minutes. Don’t overcook, or they willbecome too soft and lose color and flavor.Drain. Salt to taste.

Eat with a little vinegar, lemon juice, orplain low-fat yogurt to take away anybitterness that may be present, or with alittle olive oil for flavor.

__________Steamed GreensGreens are the edible leaves ofvegetables. They are high in vitamins,antioxidants, and fiber, and very low incalories. The simplest, quickest way toprepare greens is by steaming. Try thefollowing recipe using spinach, beetgreens, Swiss chard, or mustard greens.Don’t worry, greens cooked this way willnot taste like canned spinach.

Take a large handful of fresh greens or2 cups of frozen greens. If you are usingfresh greens, rinse them well. Place in asteamer or in a pan with an inch or two ofwater. Cover with a lid. Bring to a boil,then turn down the heat and simmer untilthe leaves reach the desired softness (10–20 minutes). Drain. Salt to taste.

Eat with a little vinegar, lemon juice, orplain low-fat yogurt to take away anybitterness that may be present, or with alittle olive oil for flavor.

Makes 2 servings.

__________Dipped VegetablesFresh, crispy vegetable pieces eaten witha tasty yogurt dip can be almost astempting as potato chips, and much betterfor losing weight. Try cherry tomatoes,baby carrots, snow peas, snap peas,cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, cucumber,celery, or sweet potato.

Cut vegetables into bite-sized pieces.Make a dip by mixing ¼ cup of yourfavorite salad dressing with ½ cup plain

low-fat yogurt, or use a yogurt dip recipefrom appendix C.

__________Stir-Fried VegetablesPrepare 4 cups of vegetables cut up intopieces less than ½-inch thick. Keep slow-cooking vegetables such as onions,carrots, asparagus, broccoli, and bellpeppers separate from fast-cookingvegetables such as zucchini, yellowsquash, and snow peas.

In a wok or large skillet, heat 1½tablespoons peanut, sesame, or canolaoil over medium-high heat. Peanut orsesame oil will provide more flavor thancanola oil. Don’t heat the oil so much thatit smokes. Add the slow-cooking

vegetables and stir constantly for 1minute, then add the fast-cookingvegetables and stir for 2 minutes. Add 3tablespoons soy sauce or 5 tablespoonsteriyaki sauce and continue to stir for 2more minutes.

Eat with pasta or brown rice.Makes 4 servings.

__________Mint and Honey CarrotsPeel 4 medium carrots and cut into bite-sized pieces. Steam or simmer in ½ incho f water until tender. Drain. Add 1teaspoon oil or butter, 1 teaspoon honey,a pinch of salt, and ¼ teaspoon dried mintleaves.

For variety, substitute parsnips,

cauliflower, or turnips for the carrots.Makes 3 to 4 servings.

__________Fun Green SaladsHere’s a simple formula for a fun, healthy,satisfying salad:

Green base + bright color + fun flavoror texture + protein

Start with a green base of lettuce,

spinach, cabbage, sprouts, or snow peas.Add a brightly colored fruit orvegetable to make the salad visuallyappealing. Then add an intense flavor orcrunchy, soft, or chewy texture to makeit fun to eat. Finally, add some protein tomake it satisfying. You can create an

endless variety of fun salads with just fouringredients. Here are some ideas:

fresh spinach, sliced strawberries,chopped walnuts, feta lettuce, grated carrots, slicedtomatoes, hard-boiled egg romaine lettuce, dried cranberries,diced celery, Parmesan green leaf lettuce, sliced tomatoes,olives, feta fresh spinach, mandarin orangesegments, crunchy chow meinnoodles, sliced almonds lettuce, sliced pepperoncini,cucumber, hard-boiled egg fresh spinach, dried cranberries,chopped pecans, feta

lettuce, sliced tomatoes, avocado,chopped chicken breast snow peas, sliced apple, mandarinorange sections, peanuts lettuce, purple grapes, feta,chickpeas lettuce, diced red bell pepper, greengrapes, feta

Eat with a little light dressing. Seeappendix C for recipes.

__________Instant Tomato SoupPour tomato or vegetable juice, such asV8®, into a pan. Bring to a low boil.

Eat topped with whole-grain crackers,a spoonful of yogurt, or a little feta,

Parmesan, or grated cheddar.

__________Garden Vegetable SoupTry this recipe using any of the followingvegetables: onions, celery, sweetpotatoes, carrots, tomatoes, zucchini,yellow squash, green beans, corn, orshredded cabbage. Dense, slow-cookingvegetables such as carrots and sweetpotatoes should be cut into ¼-inch thickpieces. Most others can be cut into ½-inchthick pieces.

Combine 4 cups of vegetables with 6cups of chicken or vegetable stock. Youcan buy stock in cans or reconstitute itfrom base or bullion. Bring the soup to aboil and then simmer until vegetables are

tender (20–30 minutes). Salt to taste.For variety, add 1 teaspoon parsley, ½

teaspoon basil, or a pinch of thyme to thesimmering soup.

Makes about 6 servings.

__________Baked Winter SquashWinter squash are hard-skinned varietiesof squash such as butternut, delicata,acorn, and banana squash.

Cut squash in half lengthwise. Removethe seeds and scrape away any stringylayer with a spoon. Place the two halvescut-side up in a baking dish. Add ¼ incho f water to the baking dish to keep thesquash from drying out. Dab the cutsurface with oil or warm butter and

sprinkle with brown sugar and a littlesalt. Bake at 400° until the flesh is soft(about 40–70 minutes).

For variety, try cinnamon, cumin,coriander, mustard, or honey instead ofbrown sugar.

Eat as a side dish, plain or topped withyogurt.

Appendix BSimple Whole GrainRecipes

The recipes in these appendices are forbasic foods, much like our ancestors mighthave eaten before the current weight gainepidemic. They have simple flavors thatyou won’t soon tire of. They taste goodenough to be satisfying, but not so goodthat you can’t stop eating them. Learn toappreciate their natural flavors andtextures.

If you don’t want to use sugar or one ofthe other sweeteners used in these recipes,try substituting a different sweetener. Justbe aware of the calories you are adding.

Calories from any sweetener, no matterhow “natural” it is, will contribute toweight gain.

__________Seasoned Brown Basmati RiceIf you don’t like the brown rice you havetasted in the past, you are not alone. Givebrown basmati rice a chance. Basmati isknown for a pleasant flavor. It reallydoesn’t need any seasoning, just a littlesalt, but you can add seasonings forvariety. If you can’t find brown basmatirice in your local grocery store, try ahealth food store or the Internet.

Place 2 cups brown basmati rice, 3½c up s water, 1 tablespoon oil, and ¼teaspoon salt in a pan. Add ½ teaspoon

dried dill weed, mint, or parsley. Coverwith a lid. Bring to a boil, then turn theheat down and simmer until the water isgone (about 30–40 minutes). Turn the heatoff and let the rice sit for 15 minutes morebefore eating.

For variety, substitute converted ricefor the brown rice, or add a little wildrice. Substitute 2 teaspoons lemon juicefor the herb.

Eat with lunch or dinner as a side dishor topped with vegetables.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

__________Brown Basmati Rice for BreakfastBrown basmati rice makes an excellenthot breakfast cereal that will keep yousatisfied for hours.

Follow the recipe for Seasoned BrownBasmati Rice, but instead of adding anyof the herbs mentioned in the recipe, trychopped dried fruit or ¼ teaspoonground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, oranise seed.

Eat the rice as a hot cereal in milk andtopped with fruit, nuts, or a little honey.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

__________OatmealAvoid single-serving packages of instantoatmeal, which may contain about as muchsugar as they do oats. Instead, try regular(old-fashioned) rolled oats or steel-cutoats. While oatmeal cooked using regularrolled oats is creamy, oatmeal from steel-

cut oats is firmer.Boil 2 cups of water. Add a pinch of

salt and 1 cup regular rolled oats orsteel-cut oats. Stir once and remove fromheat. Let it sit covered for 10 minutes. Ifthe oatmeal comes out thicker than youlike it, use more water. You can substitutemilk for some or all of the water for aricher flavor. If you want the oatmealcreamier, stir it for a minute beforeremoving from the heat.

Eat with milk and fresh fruit, raisins orother dried fruit, nuts, or a little honey.

Makes 2 to 4 servings.

__________Fried OatmealPlace 2 cups leftover cooked oatmeal in

a plastic container and press it down toremove the air spaces. Leave it in therefrigerator overnight to cool and solidify.Remove the oatmeal from the container inone piece and cut it into ¼-inch thickslices. Fry the slices in a small amount ofoil over medium heat. When the sliceshave browned on the bottom, flip themover to brown on the other side.

Eat dribbled with a little molasses orjam.

Makes 2 to 4 servings.

__________Hulled MilletPlace 2 cups hulled millet, 3½ cupswater, 1 tablespoon oil, and ¼ teaspoonsalt in a pan. Cover with a lid and bring to

a boil. Turn the heat down and simmeruntil the water is gone, then remove fromheat and let it sit 15 minutes.

Eat as a substitute for rice, or as a hotcereal with milk and topped with fruit ornuts. You can also add a little honey tomake it more satisfying.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

__________BulgurBulgur is wheat that has been steamed orboiled, dried, and then crushed.

Place 2 cups medium-ground bulgur,3½ cups water, 1 tablespoon oil, and ¼teaspoon salt in a pan. Cover with a lidand bring to a boil. Turn the heat downand simmer until the water is gone, then

remove from heat and let it sit 15 minutes.Use the bulgur like rice, or as a hot

breakfast cereal in milk and topped withfruit, nuts, or a little jam or honey.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

__________Light and Crunchy GranolaPreheat oven to 300°F. Combine ¼ cupplain low-fat yogurt, ¼ cup brown sugar,1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ¼teaspoon salt. Mix well. Add 2 cupsrolled oats and ½ cup chopped nuts orseeds. Pecans, cashews, walnuts, sliveredalmonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds,sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds allwork well. Stir until all of the rolled oatsare moistened. Spread the mixture ½ inch

deep on a cookie sheet. Bake until some ofthe granola begins to brown (about 20–30minutes). Allow to cool before eating.

Most granola recipes call for oil orsyrup instead of yogurt. Yogurt gives thegranola a lighter taste and fewer calories.

For variety, add some shreddedcoconut to the mix, or use different nuts.To make a lighter granola, substitutepuffed wheat for some of the rolled oats.

Enjoy the granola in low-fat milk oryogurt, topped with raisins or fresh fruit.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Appendix CSimple Yogurt Recipes

Try the Easy Homemade Yogurt recipe onthe following page to make your owninexpensive, additive-free, low-calorieyogurt. You can then use it or any plainlow-fat yogurt in the other recipes.

Plain yogurt is a very versatile food. Itcan be eaten with almost any meal as aside dish or as a topping in place of sourcream, sauce, or dressing. Try it as atopping on desserts to balance thesweetness. If you don’t like plain yogurt atfirst, give it some time. It may take a whileto get used to.

If you prefer flavored yogurt, add just a

little jelly, jam, or honey to plain yogurt.

__________Easy Homemade YogurtThis recipe has five short steps:

1. Stir ¾ cup non-fat dry milk into 2quarts 1 percent milk. 2. Heat it to 180°F. 3. Let it cool to 120°F. 4. Stir ¼ cup plain low-fat yogurt intothe milk as a starter. 5. Keep the milk warm for at least 3hours.

It’s probably easiest to heat the milk ina double boiler or in a glass bowl in amicrowave. If you prefer, you can heat the

milk in a heavy pan over medium heat, butyou will need to stir it to keep it fromsticking to the bottom of the pan.

Any brand of plain yogurt should workfor the starter as long as it has “live,active cultures” in the list of ingredients.Use a container of yogurt that hasn’t beenpreviously opened, and check itsexpiration date. Also, make sure thatanything that touches the cooled milk orstarter is clean so as not to introduceforeign bacteria or enzymes that mightinterfere with the yogurt-making process.

To keep the milk warm (step five), putit in a container with a lid and place it in apicnic cooler. Add hot tap water (110–120°) to the cooler to surround the milkand help keep it warm. To become yogurt,the milk must stay above 100° for about 3

hours. The longer it’s kept warm, thetangier and firmer the yogurt will be.

When the yogurt is done, you may seewhey, a yellowish liquid, separating out.That’s normal for yogurt that doesn’t haveadded stabilizers.

Save ¼ cup of the newly made yogurt touse as a starter for the next batch. For bestresults, use the starter within a couple ofweeks. If you don’t like the texture of yourfirst batch of yogurt, try it again using adifferent brand of yogurt as a starter.

Makes about 12 servings.

__________Greek YogurtGreek yogurt is a thick, creamy yogurtmade by straining regular yogurt toremove some of the liquid.

Line a strainer or colander withcheesecloth or a coffee filter. Add plainlow-fat yogurt (without addedstabilizers). Let the liquid drain off for atleast two hours.

Use Greek yogurt for making spreads,topping or dips, or in recipes as a low-calorie substitute for sour cream or creamcheese.

__________Tzatziki (Cucumber Yogurt Sauce)Peel a medium cucumber and cut it in halflengthwise. Remove the seeds by scrapingout the center portion of the cucumberwith a spoon. Grate the cucumber andpress it with a paper towel to remove theextra liquid. Mix the grated cucumber with

2 cups Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon freshdill or mint (or 1 teaspoon dried dillweed or mint), 1 tablespoon vinegar orlemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil(optional), and ¼ teaspoon salt. Chill for2 hours before serving. Add a crushedclove of garlic if desired.

Eat with any hot dish or use as a spreador vegetable dip. To make a saladdressing, use regular yogurt instead ofGreek yogurt.

__________Low-Fat Yogurt Dip or SauceYou can make a yogurt sauce or dip withalmost any herb, spice, or chopped driedfruit as a flavoring. Try dill weed, mint,parsley, chives, scallion, cumin, curry

powder, dried apricots, or driedcranberries.

To a bowl, add 2 cups of regular orGreek yogurt. The Greek yogurt willmake a thicker sauce or dip. Add yourpreferred flavoring (use 1 tablespoon of afresh herb, a teaspoon of a dried herb, ½teaspoon of a spice, or ¼ cup of finelychopped dried fruit). Add 1 tablespoonvinegar. Add salt or pepper to taste. Mixwell.

Eat with any hot dish, as a spread oncrackers, or as a dip for fresh vegetables.

__________Low-Fat Yogurt Salad DressingFollow the recipe for Low-Fat YogurtDip or Sauce using regular instead of

Greek yogurt. Add 1 tablespoon vinegarand 3 tablespoons olive oil. If it is still toothick, add more oil or vinegar.

Makes about 20 servings.

__________Quick Light Salad DressingFor a light dressing, take ¼ cup of anysalad dressing and mix it with ½ cupplain low-fat yogurt.

Makes about 6 servings.

__________Yogurt ParfaitTo a cup of plain low-fat yogurt, add afew drops of vanilla and a little sugar orhoney if desired. Mix well. Top or layerwith fruit, chopped or sliced nuts, grated

coconut, granola, or whole grainbreakfast cereal.

Eat for breakfast, as a snack, or as adessert.

Makes 1 or 2 servings.

__________Yogurt Fruit Dip or Fruit SaladCombine 1 cup plain low-fat regular orGreek yogurt with 1 tablespoon brownsugar, honey, or jam. Mix well. Chill for30 minutes.

For variety, add 1 tablespoon lemonjuice or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon orvanilla.

Eat with bite-sized pieces of apples,strawberries, grapes, or other fruit, or mixit with chopped fruit to make a fruit salad.

Makes about 6 servings.

__________Mango Lassi (Mango Yogurt Drink)In a blender, combine 2½ cups plain low-fat yogurt, ¾ cup frozen peeled mango,and ¼ cup sugar. Blend until smooth.

To take full advantage of mango lassi’sweight loss potential, take small sips andsavor each one. Whether you drink it as asnack or in a meal, taking several minutesto enjoy this drink will give your stomachtime to register satisfaction, and will makeeating anything else seem boring incomparison.

Makes 3 servings.

__________

Yogurt Chicken StroganoffAdd 1 tablespoon oil, ½ cup choppedonion, 1 cup chopped skinless chickenbreast or ground turkey, ¼ cup choppedmushrooms, ¼ teaspoon salt, and a littlepepper to a skillet. Add a pinch of dillweed, parsley, or garlic. Stir overmedium heat until the meat is cooked. Stir1 tablespoon cornstarch into ½ cup coldwater and add it to the mixture in theskillet. Stir until thickened, then removefrom the heat. Stir in 1 cup plain low-fatyogurt just before eating over pasta,brown basmati rice, bulgur, or hulledmillet.

Makes 6 servings.

ReferencesChapter 1 — Why the Weight?

1. National Institutes of Health. 2010.“Overweight and obesity statistics.”Weight-Control InformationNetwork.http://win.niddk.nih.gov/statistics/index.htm 2. Peters, J.C. 2002. “The challenge ofmanaging body weight in the modernworld.” Asia Pacific Journal ofClinical Nutrition 11:S714–S717. 3. French, S.A., M. Story, and R.W.Jeffery. 2001. “Environmentalinfluences on eating and physicalactivity.” Annual Review of PublicHealth 22:309–335.

4. Centers for Disease Control andPrevention. 2004. “Trends in intakeof energy and macronutrients —United States, 1971–2000.”Morbidity and Mortality WeeklyReport 53:80–82. 5. Wright, J.D. and C.Y. Wang. 2010.“Trends in intake of energy andmacronutrients in adults from 1999–2000 through 2007–2008.” NCHSData Brief 51:1–8. 6. Bottom Line Health. 2009. “Yourtaste buds are being fooled!” BottomLine Health.http://www.bottomlinepublications.com/content/drafts/your-taste-buds-are-being-fooled. 7. Johnson, P.M. and P.J. Kenny. 2010.“Dopamine D2 receptors in

addiction-like reward dysfunctionand compulsive eating in obese rats.”Nature Neuroscience 13:635–641. 8. Prentice, A. and S. Jebb. 2004.“Energy intake/physical activityinteractions in the homeostasis ofbody weight regulation.” NutritionReviews 62:S98–S104. 9. Levine, A.S. and C.J. Billington.2004. “Why do we eat? A neuralsystems approach.” Annual Reviewof Nutrition 17:597–619. 10. Wansink, B. 2004. “Environmentalfactors that increase the food intakeand consumption volume ofunknowing consumers.” AnnualReview of Nutrition 24:455–479. 11. Young, L.R. and M. Nestle. 2002.

“The contribution of expandingportion sizes in the US obesityepidemic.” American Journal ofPublic Health 92:246–249. 12. Briefel, R. and C. Johnson. 2004.“Secular trends in dietary intake inthe United States.” Annual Review ofNutrition 24:401–431. 13. Aldana, S. 2005. The Culprit andthe Cure: Why Lifestyle is theCulprit behind America’s PoorHealth. Mapleton, Utah: MapleMountain Press.

Chapter 2 — Why Diets Fail

1. Centers for Disease Control andPrevention. June 2010. HealthyWeight — It’s Not a Diet, It’s a

Lifestyle!http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/index.html 2. Thomas, S.L., J. Hyde, A.Karunaratne, R. Kausman and P.A.Komesaroff. 2008. “‘They all work… when you stick to them’: Aqualitative investigation of dieting,weight loss, and physical exercise, inobese individuals.” NutritionJournal 7:34. 3. Mann, T., A.J. Tomiyama, E.Westling, A.M. Lew, B. Samuels,and J. Chatman. 2007. “Medicare’ssearch for effective obesitytreatments: diets are not the answer.”American Psychologist 62:220–33. 4. US Department of Agriculture andUS Department of Health and Human

Services. 2010. Dietary Guidelinesfor Americans, 2010. Washington,DC: US Government Printing Office.

Chapter 3 — Emotional Eating

1. Berridge, K.C., C.Y. Ho, J.M.Richard, and A.G. DiFeliceantonio.2010. “The tempted brain eats:pleasure and desire circuits inobesity and eating.” Brain Research1350:43–64. 2. Berridge, K.C.,T.E. Robinson, andJ.W. Aldridge. 2009. “Dissectingcomponents of reward: ‘liking’,‘wanting’, and learning.” CurrentOpinion in Pharmacology 9:65–73. 3. Avena, N.M., P. Rada, and B.G.Hoebel. 2008. “Evidence for sugar

addiction: behavioral andneurochemical effects of intermittent,excessive sugar intake.”Neuroscience and BiobehavioralReview 32:20–39. 4. Johnson, P.M. and P.J. Kenny. 2010.“Dopamine D2 receptors inaddiction-like reward dysfunctionand compulsive eating in obese rats.”Nature Neuroscience 13:635–641. 5. Killingsworth, M.A. and D.T.Gilbert. 2010. “A wandering mind isan unhappy mind.” Science 330:932. 6. Baer, R.A. 2003. “Mindfulnesstraining as a clinical intervention: aconceptual and empirical review.”Clinical Psychology: Science andPractice 10:125–143.

7. Majzoub, J.A. 2006. “Corticotropin-releasing hormone physiology.”European Journal of Endocrinology155:S71–S76. 8. Esch, T., G.L. Fricchione, and G.B.Stefano. 2003. “The therapeutic useof the relaxation response in stress-related diseases.” Medical SciencesMonitor 9:RA23–34. 9. Benson, H., and W. Proctor. 2010.Relaxation Revolution: EnhancingYour Personal Health through theScience and Genetics of Mind BodyHealing. New York, NY: Scribner. 10. Chiesa, A. and A. Serretti. 2010. “Asystematic review of neurobiologicaland clinical features of mindfulnessm e d i t a t i o n s . ” Psychological

Medicine 40:1239–1252. 11. Holzel, B.K., J. Carmody, K.C.Evans, E.A. Hoge, J.A. Dusek, L.Morgan, R.K. Pitman, and S.W.Lazar. 2010. “Stress reductioncorrelates with structural changes inthe amygdala.” Social Cognitive andAffective Neuroscience 5:11–17. 12. Strohle, A. 2009. “Physical activity,exercise, depression, and anxietydi sorder s .” Journal of NeuralTransmission 116:777–784. 13. Salmon, P. 2001. “Effects of physicalexercise on anxiety, depression, andsensitivity to stress: a unifyingtheory.” Clinical Psychology Review21:33–61. 14. Peluso, M.A. and L.H. Guerra de

Andrade. 2005. “Physical activityand mental health: the associationbetween exercise and mood.” Clinics60:61–70.

Chapter 4 — Beat Temptation

1. Burton, P. and H. Lightowler. 2006.“An exploration of associationsbetween food cravings andrestrained, external, and emotionaleating.” Appetite 47:260. 2. Sobik, L., K. Hutchison, and L.Craighead. 2005. “Cue-elicitedcraving for food: a fresh approach tothe study of binge eating.” Appetite44:253–261. 3. Hill, J. 2007. “The psychology offood craving.” Proceedings of the

Nutrition Society 66:277–285. 4. Kemps, E., M. Tiggemann, and M.Grigg. 2008. “Food cravingsconsume limited cognitiveresources.” Journal of ExperimentalPsychology: Applied 14:247–254. 5. Morewedge, C.K., Y.E. Huh, and J.Vosgerau. 2010. “Thought for food:imagined consumption reduces actualconsumption.” Science 330:1530–1533. 6. Bleich, S.N., B.J. Herring, D.D.Flagg, and T.L. Gary-Webb. 2012.“Reduction in purchases of sugar-sweetened beverages among low-income black adolescents afterexposure to caloric information.”American Journal of Public Health

0:0,e1–e7 (Posted online 15 Dec2011). 7. Oh, H. and A.H. Taylor. 2011.“Brisk walking reduces ad libitumsnacking in regular chocolate eatersduring a workplace simulation.”Appetite 58:387–392. 8. Taylor, A.H. and A.J. Oliver. 2009.“Acute effects of brisk walking onurges to eat chocolate, affect, andresponses to a stressor and chocolatecue. An experimental study.”Appetite 52:155–160. 9. Roemer, L. and S.M. Orsillo. 2002.“Expanding our conceptualization ofand treatment for generalized anxietydisorder: integratingmindfulness/acceptance-based

approaches with existing cognitive-behavioral models.” ClinicalPsychology: Science & Practice9:54–68. 10. Bishop, S.R., M. Lau, S. Shapiro, L.Carlson, N.D. Anderson, J. Carmody,Z.V. Segal, S. Abbey, M. Speca, D.Velting, and G. Devins. 2004.“Mindfulness: a proposedoperational definition.” ClinicalPsychology: Science & Practice11:230–241. 11. Baer, R.A. 2003. “Mindfulnesstraining as a clinical intervention: aconceptual and empirical review.”Clinical Psychology: Science andPractice 10:125–143. 12. Forman, E.M., K.L. Hoffman, K.B.

McGrath, J.D. Herbert, L.L.Brandsma, and M.R. Lowe. 2007. “Acomparison of acceptance- andcontrol-based strategies for copingwith food cravings: an analog study.”Behaviour Research and Therapy45:2372–2386.

Chapter 5 — How It Adds Up

1. Centers for Disease Control andP r e v e n t i o n . Overweight andObesity: Causes and Consequences.Centers for Disease Control andPrevention.http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/causes/index.html 2. Manore, M., N.L. Meyer, and J.Thompson. 2009. Sport Nutrition forHealth and Performance. Second

edition. Champaign, IL: HumanKinetics. 3. Westcott, W.L. 2005. “Why everysenior should do strength exercise.”Wellness.MA.http://wellness.ma/senior-fitness/senior-fitness.htm. 4. Poehlman, E.T. 1989. “A review:exercise and its influence on restingenergy metabolism in man.”Medicine and Science in Sports andExercise 21:515–525.

Chapter 6 — Eat Less

1. Mozaffarian, D., T. Hao, E.B. Rimm,W.C. Willett, and F.B. Hu. 2011.“Changes in diet and lifestyle andlong-term weight gain in women and

men.” New England Journal ofMedicine 364:2392–2404. 2. Anderson, G.H. and D. Woodend.2003. “Effect of glycemiccarbohydrates on short-term satietyand food intake.” Nutrition Reviews61:17–26. 3. Ferrazzano, G.F., T. Cantile, M.Quarto, A. Ingenito, L. Chianese, andF. Addeo. 2008. “Protective effect ofyogurt extract on dental enameldemineralization in vitro.”Australian Dental Journal 53:314–319. 4. US Department of Agriculture andUS Department of Health and HumanServices. 2010. Dietary Guidelinesfor Americans, 2010. Washington,

DC: US Government Printing Office. 5. Durtschi, A. 2001. NutritionalContent of Whole Grains versusTheir Refined Flours. Washington,DC: US Department of AgricultureEconomic Research Service, WaltonFeed. 6. Harvard School of Public Health.“Health gains from whole grains.”The Nutrition Source.http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/health-gains-from-whole-grains/index.html. 7. Heaton, K.W., S.N. Marcus, P.M.Emmett, and C.H. Bolton. 1988.“Particle size of wheat, maize, andoat test meals: effects on plasmaglucose and insulin responses and on

the rate of starch digestion in vitro.”American Journal of ClinicalNutrition 47:675–682. 8. Jenkins, D.J., V. Wesson, T.M.Wolever, A.L. Jenkins, J. Kalmusky,S. Guidici, A. Csima, R.G. Josse,and G.S. Wong. 1988. “Wholemealversus wholegrain breads:proportion of whole or cracked grainand the glycaemic response.” BritishMedical Journal 297:958–960. 9. Juntunen, K.S., D.E. Laaksonen, K.Autio, L.K. Niskanen, J.J. Holst,K.E. Savolainen, K-H. Liukkonen,K.S. Poutanen, and H.M. Mykkänen.2003. “Structural differencesbetween rye and wheat breads butnot total fiber content may explain thelower postprandial insulin response

to rye bread.” American Journal ofClinical Nutrition 78:957-964. 10. Anderson, G.H., C.E. Cho, T.Akhavan, R.C. Mollard, B.L.Luhovyy, and E.T. Finocchiaro.2010. “Relation between estimates ofcornstarch digestibility by theEnglyst in vitro method and glycemicresponse, subjective appetite, andshort-term food intake in young men.”American Journal of ClinicalNutrition 91:932–939. 11. Stubbs, J., S. Ferres, and G. Horgan.2000. “Energy density of foods:effects on energy intake.” CriticalReviews in Food Science andNutrition 40:481–515. 12. Jakubowicz, D., D. Maman, and P.

Essah. 2008. “Effect of diet with highcarbohydrate and protein breakfaston weight loss and appetite in obesewomen with metabolic syndrome.”ENDO meeting 2008: Abstract P3–220. 13. Gross, L.S., L. Li, E.S. Ford, and S.Liu. 2004. “Increased consumption ofrefined carbohydrates and theepidemic of type 2 diabetes in theUnited States: an ecologicassessment.” American Journal ofClinical Nutrition 79:774–779. 14. Geier, A.B., P. Rozin, and G. Doros.2006. “Unit bias: a new heuristic thathelps explain the effect of portionsize on food intake.” PsychologicalScience 17:521–525.

15. US Department of Health and HumanServices. 2003. Portion DistortionI. http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/portion. 16. Gangwisch, J.E., D. Malaspina, B.Boden-Albala, and S.B. Heymsfield.2005. “Inadequate sleep as a riskfactor for obesity: analyses of theNHANES I.” Sleep 28:1289–1296. 17. Raynor, D.A., S. Phelan, J.O. Hill,and R.R. Wing. 2006. “Televisionviewing and long-term weightmaintenance: results from theNational Weight Control Registry.”Obesity 14:1816–1824. 18. Kubey, R. and M. Csikszentmihalyi.2002. “Television addiction is nomere metaphor.” Scientific American286:74–80.

Chapter 7 — Be Active

1. US Department of Health and HumanServices. 2008. 2008 PhysicalActivity Guidelines for Americans.Washington, DC: US GovernmentPrinting Office. 2. Catenacci, V.A., L.G. Ogden, J.Stuht, S. Phelan, R.R. Wing, J.O.Hill, and H.R. Wyatt. 2008.“Physical activity patterns in theNational Weight Control Registry.”Obesity 16:153–161.

Chapter 8 — Boost Your Metabolism

1. Van Pelt, R.E., F.A. Dinneno, D.R.Seals, and P.P. Jones. 2001. “Age-related decline in RMR in physically

active men: relation to exercisevolume and energy intake.” AmericanJournal of Physiology —Endocrinology and Metabolism281:E633–E639. 2. Van Pelt, R.E., P.P. Jones, K.P.Davy, C.A. DeSouza, H. Tanaka,B.M. Davy, and D.R. Seals. 1997.“Regular exercise and the age-related decline in resting metabolicrate in women.” Journal of ClinicalEndocrinology & Metabolism82:3208–3212. 3. Bosy-Westphal, A., C. Eichhorn, D.Kutzner, K. Illner, M. Heller, andM.J. Müller. 2003. “The age-relateddecline in resting energy expenditurein humans is due to the loss of fat-free mass and to alterations in its

metabolically active components.”Journal of Nutrition 133:2356–2362. 4. Ballor, D. and E. Poehlman. 1994.“Exercise training enhances fat-freemass preservation during diet-induced weight loss: a meta analyticfinding.” International Journal ofObesity 18:35–40. 5. Westcott, W.L. 2000. “Strengthtraining for women.” Healthy.net.http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.asp?ID=322. 6. Westcott, W.L. 2005. “Why everysenior should do strength exercise.”Wellness.MA.http://www.wellness.ma/senior-fitness/senior-fitness.htm.

7. Westcott W.L. and J. Guy. 2005. “Asyoung as you feel.” Wellness.MA.http://www.wellness.ma/seniorfitness/senior-strength-training.htm. 8. Westcott, W.L. 2001. “Makingbodyweight exercises morec h a l l e n g i n g . ” Healthy.net.http://www.healthy.net/scr/column.asp?lk=P12&Id=372. 9. Westcott, W.L. “Strength training:how many days per week?”Wellness.MA.http://healthy.net/scr/article.asp?lk=P12&Id=519. 10. Westcott, W.L. “How manyr e p e t i t i o n s ? ” Wellness.MA.http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.asp?ID=334.

11. Westcott, W.L. “Strength training fortime-pressured people.”Wellness.MA.http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.asp?ID=331. 12. Westcott, W.L. “Best of both worlds:stretching and strengthening.”Wellness.MA.http://www.healthy.net/scr/column.asp?lk=P12&Id=239.

Chapter 9 — Myths

1. Weinsier, R.L, G.R. Hunter, P.A.Zuckerman, B.E. Darnell. 2003.“Low resting and sleeping energyexpenditure and fat use do notcontribute to obesity in women.”Obesity Research 11:937–944.

2. Stensel, D.J., F.P. Lin, and A.M.Nevill. 2001. “Resting metabolicrate in obese and nonobese ChineseSingaporean boys aged 13–15 y.”American Journal of ClinicalNutrition 74:369–373. 3. Stunkard, A.J., R.I. Berkowitz, D.Schoeller, G. Maislin, and V.A.Stallings. 2004. “Predictors of bodysize in the first 2 y of life: a high-riskstudy of human obesity.”International Journal of Obesity28:503–513. 4. Bandini, L.G., A. Must, S.M.Phillips, E.N. Naumova, and W.H.Dietz. 2004. “Relation of body massindex and body fatness to energyexpenditure: longitudinal changes

from preadolescence throughadolescence.” American Journal ofClinical Nutrition 80:1262–1269. 5. Hise, M.E., D.K. Sullivan, D.J.Jacobsen, S.L. Johnson, and J.E.Donnelly. 2002. “Validation ofenergy intake measurementsdetermined from observer-recordedfood records and recall methodscompared with the doubly labeledwater method in overweight andobese individuals.” AmericanJournal of Clinical Nutrition75:263–267. 6. Cook, A., J. Pryer, and P. Shetty.2000. “The problem of accuracy indietary surveys. Analysis of the over65 UK National Diet and NutritionSurvey.” Journal of Epidemiology

and Community Health 54:611–616. 7. Lichtman, S.W., K. Pisarska, E.R.Berman, M. Pestone, H. Dowling, E.Offenbacher, H. Weisel, S. Heshka,D.E. Matthews, and S.B. Heymsfield.1992. “Discrepancy between self-reported and actual caloric intakeand exercise in obese subjects.” NewEngland Journal of Medicine327:1893–1898. 8. Prentice, A. and S. Jebb. 2004.“Energy intake/physical activityinteractions in the homeostasis ofbody weight regulation.” NutritionReviews 62:S98–S104. 9. Peters, J.C., H.R. Wyatt, W.T.Donahoo, and J.O. Hill. 2002. “Frominstinct to intellect: the challenge of

maintaining healthy weight in themodern world.” Obesity Reviews3:69–74. 10. Fox, C.S., J. Esparza, M. Nicolson,P.H. Bennett, L.O. Schulz, M.E.Valencia, and E. Ravussin. 1998. “Isa low leptin concentration, a lowresting metabolic rate, or both theexpression of the ‘thrifty genotype’?Results from Mexican Pima Indians.”American Journal of ClinicalNutrition 68:1053–1057. 11. Bell, C.G., A.J. Walley, and P.Froguel. 2005. “The genetics ofhuman obesity.” Nature ReviewsGenetics 6:221–234. 12. Weinsier. R.L. 1999. “Genes andobesity: is there reason to change our

behaviors?” Annals of InternalMedicine 130:938–939. 13. Lowe. M.R. 2003. “Self-regulationof energy intake in the prevention andtreatment of obesity: is it feasible?”Obesity Research 11:44S–59S. 14. Bosy-Westphal, A., C. Eichhorn, D.Kutzner, K. Illner, M. Heller, andM.J. Muller. 2003. “The age-relateddecline in resting energy expenditurein humans is due to the loss of fat-free mass and to alterations in itsmetabolically active components.”Journal of Nutrition 133:2356–2362. 15. Westcott, W.L. and J. Guy. 2005.“As Young as You Feel.”Wellness.MA.

http://www.wellness.ma/senior-fitness/senior-strength-training.htm. 16. Westcott, W.L. 2005. “Why everysenior should do strength exercise.”Wellness.MA.http://www.wellness.ma/senior-fitness/senior-fitness.htm. 17. Van Pelt, R.E., F.A. Dinneno, D.R.Seals, and P.P. Jones. 2001. “Age-related decline in RMR in physicallyactive men: relation to exercisevolume and energy intake.” AmericanJournal of Physiology —Endocrinology and Metabolism281:E633–E639. 18. Van Pelt, R.E., P.P. Jones, K.P.Davy, C.A. DeSouza, H. Tanaka,B.M. Davy, and D.R. Seals. 1997.

“Regular exercise and the age-related decline in resting metabolicrate in women.” Journal of ClinicalEndocrinology & Metabolism82:3208–3212. 19. McManus, K., L. Antinoro, and F.Sacks. 2001. “A randomizedcontrolled trial of a moderate-fat,low-energy diet compared with alow fat, low-energy diet for weightloss in overweight adults.”International Journal of Obesity25:1503–1511. 20. US Department of Health and HumanServices. January 2002. “Tips for thesavvy supplement user: makinginformed decisions and evaluatinginformation.” US Food and DrugAdministration.

http://www.fda.gov/Food/DietarySupplements/ConsumerInformation/ucm110567.htm 21. Federal Trade Commission. 2004.“Weighing the evidence in diet ads.”Federal Trade Commission. 22. Turnbaugh, P.J., R.E. Ley, M.A.Mahowald, V. Magrini, E.R. Mardis,and J.I. Gordon. 2006. “An obesity-associated gut microbiome withincreased capacity for energyharvest.” Nature 444:1027-1031.

About the Author

Stan Spencer, PhD, is a biologicalconsultant with a background in researchscience. He has conducted laboratorystudies in biochemistry at Brigham Young

University, in botany and evolution atClaremont Graduate University, and ingenetics at the Smithsonian Institution.

Stan lives in Southern California withhis wife, Amy, and a varying number oftheir seven children. He enjoys hiking,birdwatching, strength training, barefootrunning, and playing catch with the kids.

Stan would love to hear from you. Youcan drop him a note atDrStanSpencer@gmail.com orfacebook.com/weightlossbook and tellhim about your progress or setbacks, orgive feedback on the book. Visit his blogat fatlossscience.org.

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