Water and Weight Loss

One of the more common resistances I encounter with new clients is to the issue of drinking water. Many — dare I say, most — do not drink it on a regular basis, if at all. They drink plenty of coffee or tea (both hot and cold) and diet beverages, and they  [Read more...]

What’s the Difference Between Hummus and Tahini?

In Arabic, hummus is short for hummus bi tahini — meaning hummus (chickpeas) in or with tahini sauce (sesame paste). Hummus, while sometimes used as a condiment, is a standalone side dish. At most Middle Eastern restaurants, hummus is present throughout the meal, from appetizers through the main courses. Chickpeas, olive oil, tahini,  [Read more...]

Be Selfish. Be Successful.

An issue I encounter with many folks I meet in the office—and, dare I say, most—is not how absolutely disorganized they are but how adamant they are that they are organized to a fault in every aspect of their lives EXCEPT FOR (wait for it . . .) their weight, eating lifestyle  [Read more...]

The “I Can’t Weigh and Measure on Shabbat” Solution

The operation of electrical devices on the Jewish Sabbath is prohibited by Orthodox Jewish authorities. As such, Orthodox and other traditionally observant Jews therefore do not use electrical appliances on the Sabbath. And some people like to use that as an excuse on Mondays in the office when they’ve gained weight and  [Read more...]

Pocket Flavors

Weight loss (and maintenance) is NOT possible without portion control. And in my experience with clients, the biggest mistake people make is in the Fats/Dressings/Seasonings/Condiments categories – either in their own homes or especially when out. Folks too often replace measuring cups and spoons with a “pinch,” a “lick,” a “smidgen,” a “dash,”  [Read more...]

A Good Attitude at the Start Ends with a Good Result

“You are what you eat.” We’ve all heard that expression, and we know it’s true. And what a good or bad diet does to your body, positive and negative thoughts do to your mind. You are what you think. And your thoughts determine your feelings and actions.  If  [Read more...]

Do You Really STILL Weigh and Measure?

After losing over 50 pounds back in 2000, weight gained over 7 years of non-stop infertility treatments, IVF procedures and one successful pregnancy via ICSI, I’ve been maintaining a slim weight ever since, first fluctuating in the low 130’s. Then, this past September, I decided to get back to my wedding weight, and  [Read more...]

Put Yourself First

Too many people, especially women, feel that to adequately care for others, they must put themselves last. A fine balance exists between nurturing others and sacrificing your own well-being in the name of caring for those around you. When you board an airplane, the safety instructions always include, “In the unlikely  [Read more...]

Your Child is Fat: Have You Noticed?

The number of fat children who take meds for chronic diseases has jumped dramatically. There are greater increases in prescriptions for high cholesterol, high blood pressure and hypertension, and children and teens with fatty liver disease are on the rise. And remember when Type 2 diabetes was known as “adult-onset?” Well, no longer. Kids  [Read more...]

New Year, New You? or Different Year, Same Sh*t?

Over the years, in keeping in touch with many clients who have achieved and were maintaining their goal weights, I’ve come to realize a pattern: Much more had taken place in their lives than just waking up one morning a year or two or longer ago and having an epiphany that THAT  [Read more...]

Plant the Slim Seeds of Spring

It’s December, just a few weeks to the new year. But with just 3 turns of the calendar pages, it’ll be March . . . and March 19 is spring! . . . and not far behind is Easter (March 31) and Passover (April 23). THAT is how quickly the seasons will  [Read more...]

Mangia Marinara!

If, as I did, you ever wondered about the difference between marinara sauce and pasta sauce: ✅ A big difference between the two is that marinara is a much simpler sauce, requiring fewer ingredients and less cooking time than spaghetti sauce. Pasta sauce is more robust and complex, with a longer ingredient list  [Read more...]

Talk Nicely to Yourself

Talk nicely to yourself.   Sounds simple, I know. You’d think no one really needed to be told this, right? Au contraire. Everyone I meet in my office wants to lose weight and be happy, healthy, and successful. Most have been trying for a long time, and all really want that more than  [Read more...]

My Fellow Seasoned Citizens, Can We Talk?

There’s something wonderful about getting older . . . about making the transition from middle aged to “seasoned citizen.” (I mean, let’s face it: The alternative isn’t ideal, is it?) Older people have the wisdom of age and experience (yes, I do! 😉) and should be living life to the fullest (yes, I  [Read more...]

Fellas, Can We Talk?

In our experience it’s usually men who are more hesitant to seek professional assistance in losing weight, preferring to try to do it on their own . . . initially. We think this is partly the “machismo” affect (that men don’t need help) and partly because men are often less comfortable than women  [Read more...]

What is Your Weight Doing FOR You?

What is your weight doing FOR you?   What are you getting out of being fat? Have you ever asked yourself those questions? Did you answer honestly? Many people hide behind their weight. It helps them avoid challenges or escape intimacy.  I recall, quite some time ago, a client  [Read more...]

Ladies, Can We Talk?

Recently, as I started to do my end-of-year clerical clean-up at the office, I started to go through many of many old client charts, paying particular attention to the last part of the questionnaire we have everyone fill out prior to a consultation: “Please give three reasons, in order of importance, why you  [Read more...]

Male Obesity and Sperm Health

Obesity and sperm health are not a healthy pairing which is why obesity is a central cause of male infertility. Sperm health is measured by three factors: Motility – Ability to swim efficiently. Vitality – Percentage of living healthy sperm in a specimen. Morphology – Size and shape of individual sperm.   [Read more...]

For Weight Loss and Control, You Gotta Have Rhythm!

One of the things I always talk about with clients is the importance of a well-run “body clock” or circadian rhythm. The term circadian comes from the Latin phrase “circa diem,” which means “around a day.” Circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles that are part of the body’s internal clock, helping to make  [Read more...]

The Big Fat Blame Game

Think about this: According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, obesity most often develops from ages 5 to 6 or during the teen years, and a child who is obese between the ages of 10 and 13 has an 80% chance of becoming an obese adult.*    A study of parents of over 2,000  [Read more...]

Are You Investing in Your Business?

Want to know why 8 out of 10 new businesses fail within the first 18 months?     Because the owners didn’t have a strategic plan to achieve success.     They may have had a brilliant idea, a great product or service, they may have been very smart. But hoping and wishing for  [Read more...]

When You’re About to Slip

Think about the last time you slipped and went off your eating plan. And I am not talking about slipping off whichever of the many unsustainable fad “diets” you’ve tried or the one you’re on right now. I am talking about making an eating or a menu plan for yourself and then keeping  [Read more...]

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

You want to lose weight. You want it to be easy. You want it to be fast. You wish you could just wake up one day and the extra weight would be gone. You may be tired of having to keep focusing on weight loss. You may be bored  [Read more...]

Do You Hate How You Look in Photos?

We live in a world full of smartphones, and most of us always have our phone—and its camera—right at our fingertips. We’re always ready to capture a moment with our kids, our pets, our family and friends, our co-workers. Maybe you were in a group photo at a family event. Or you  [Read more...]

Do You Have a Bad Fattitude?

Are you someone who, like millions of other people, suffers with a daily internal struggle with weight and eating? Have you tried all the diets—the packages, the powders, the liquids, the pills, the injections, the grapefruits, the celebrity-sponsored miracle plans, the hypnosis, the balls behind the ear, the no carbs, and on and  [Read more...]

Are You on the “Skinny Jab” Bandwagon?

“What do you think about Ozempic?” I’ve been asked this question more than once over the last year or so, and I usually just give “the look” 🙄 and move on. But I was asked again last week by a client who said, “Everyone in the community is doing it,” and I  [Read more...]

Setting Eating Standards

“I feel out of control when it comes to food.” I hear this more often than I’d like. And if those words come out of your mouth, listen up: 💥 Your eating is out of control because you’ve got very low standards for taking care of yourself. 💥 You  [Read more...]

Avoid the Beer Belly Blues: Rethink Your Drink

Summer is here. Sun.  Surf.  Sand. Barbecues and beer. Beautiful beach sunsets and bottles of wine. Happy hours and hang-overs. Alcohol is deeply entrenched in our culture as a way to have fun, let loose, and be social . . . and we all especially want to have as  [Read more...]

Why Water? Because You Are What You Drink!

For years, researchers and health experts have recommended drinking eight 8-oz. glasses of water a day. I agree that that should be the minimum. I do not agree with those who say it’s not necessary to drink at least that amount, that there are other ways to get water into the body through  [Read more...]

Good Mornings Start Here

Several years ago, I read a great article on LinkedIn titled, The Path to Productivity: Focus On the 1st Hour. I even remember it was written by a fellow named William King. Unfortunately, I tried to locate it to share its link here but had no luck. Anyway, his article spoke to those individuals  [Read more...]

Too Embarrassed to Go to the Gym?

Healthy living comes naturally for some people, for others, not so much. For those who are overweight or obese — large enough that it’s difficult or even painful to do what thinner people can do easily (high intensity interval training, hot yoga, crossfit, jogging, to name a few) — it’s even tougher to get  [Read more...]

Superfoods Can’t Help with Weight Loss

Some people believe some foods can help us lose weight – for instance, grapefruit, celery, or kelp can burn fat or speed up metabolism. But this is not true. No individual food can significantly affect your metabolic rate or assist with weight loss. There is no scientifically based or regulated definition for  [Read more...]

The Key to Good Testosterone Levels

What is the key to good testosterone levels?   Testosterone is the male sex hormone needed to help regulate many different processes in the body, including libido, bone and muscle mass and strength, growth of facial and body hair, erectile functioning, red blood cell production, and energy and mood. Many factors can affect  [Read more...]

Applying Some Horse Sense to Weight Loss

My daughter, Sabrina, has been horseback riding since she was 7; she’s now a young lady of 25. I remember, however, when she was about 15, she had a spill off a horse at the barn during a lesson and was then, on the doctor’s and coach’s orders, off the mount for a few  [Read more...]

The Obesity-Infertility Connection

Infertility is a subject near and dear to my heart. I had that problem 25 years ago, when I started trying to have a baby at the old age of 37. That “problem” was solved at 42! My fertility issues were an age thing, not a weight thing. However, I do understand first-hand the  [Read more...]

A Body Fat Lesson

Despite the broad use of the word “fat” to describe all body fat, there are several different types of fat in your body. And while all fat cells might look alike from the outside, they can have different functions, depending on their type, and fat behaves differently, depending on where it’s located. The main  [Read more...]

To Juice or Not to Juice? That is the Question.

Clients often ask me if they can juice their fruits and/or vegetables. I’m not in the business of giving permission to folks, of telling them what they can or cannot do; that’s not what I do. I educate, and will give an opinion, and then folks must take the knowledge and opinions/suggestions I  [Read more...]

I Just Rejected a Prospect

I received a consult questionnaire a few days ago from a 52-year-old woman, 5’4″, 215 lbs. She was referred by her neighbors across the street. The woman of that house (in her 60’s) lost 40 pounds with me a couple years ago and still looks amazing; both her sons, 34 and 38, lost 82  [Read more...]

Too Wide to Ride?

Many of my clients are business travelers and, of course, many travel for vacation once or more a year. That’s the case now, with people getting ready to travel for Passover, Easter, and spring break. So, the topic of air travel comes up in my office, especially as relates to how to  [Read more...]

Is Your Throat Fat?

When you are overweight, you have excess body fat both inside and outside. Too many people never think about the fat on the inside because it’s easy NOT to; you don’t see it when you look in the mirror. And one of the things I talk about with every client at the initial  [Read more...]

Obesity in the O.R.—A Weighty Problem for Anesthesiologists

We know that obese patients can expect longer surgery times. Just getting through the fat layers takes more time; obesity can often double the length of surgery. However, the longer the surgery proceeds, the longer the patient will need to be asleep, and the more anesthesia is necessary.   What many people don’t realize,  [Read more...]

Diet Saboteurs Are Everywhere

Want to bring out the worst in people? Lose weight! Whether it’s 10 pounds or 110 pounds, just watch and see how you’ll be showered with so much fattening food — by people who claim to love you! When dieters fall off the wagon, they’re always shocked to think that someone else may have  [Read more...]

Is FAT the New “F” Word?

These days the “shaming” label is slapped on everything that makes us feel bad — but NOT everything we don’t want to hear is shaming. Frankly, “fat shaming” too often isn’t.   The word “fat” is not a bad word. It is not synonymous with ugly, lazy, stupid or unattractive. It is just an  [Read more...]

Living Large in a Small World

Carrying excess body fat is not just an external (appearance) issue. Being overweight or obese is an internal (health) issue. Every overweight or obese person I meet who doesn’t have any diagnosed medical issues and isn’t taking any prescribed medications — yet — thinks they’re healthy. They are not. Excess visceral fat is not the  [Read more...]

Dear Pediatricians

Childhood obesity is a result of adult behavior.  And the adults most responsible? Parents. And the adults who come into contact with parents on a regular basis who are in the best position to advocate on behalf of their children? Pediatricians.   Based on my experiences over 25 years working in  [Read more...]

Obesity and Gum Disease

What’s the connection between being overweight and gum disease?   Most research suggests that fat cells produce many chemical signals and hormones that can increase inflammation in the body, decrease the effectiveness of your immune system, and increase your susceptibility to periodontal disease.   Other research points to the possible eating habits of  [Read more...]

You Can’t Hide Your Lyin’​ Eyes

One of the more uncomfortable encounters (for them, not for me) with a weight loss client is when they lie to me . . . and I know it every time. Two of the more common scenarios in which this happens are: Lie #1 A client will show me a perfect  [Read more...]

Coffee is Not for Weight Loss

Folks, be wary of the “weight loss coffee” MLM (multi-level marketing) schemes — selling the idea that caffeine can burn fat and lead to weight loss; who market and sell caffeine pills and other types of caffeine supplements as ways to lose weight. Coffee can help weight loss the same way that  [Read more...]

Why Do You Hate Being Fat?

I deal with a lot of folks who suffer from what I call CCD (Chronic Complaining Disease). These are miserable being overweight or obese, who repeatedly tell me “I hate being fat,” but who don’t do anything for the long-term about it. It’s almost as if they think (hope and pray) that the act  [Read more...]

Are You Really Hungry?

You are NOT hungry most of the time! You are not hungry because something smells good, looks good, or tastes good. You are also not hungry because there is stress, a deadline, a personal or business problem, anxiety, tension, it’s morning, afternoon, evening, when alone, with thinner friends, with fatter friends, weekdays, weekends,  [Read more...]

The M.O. for Maintenance

The post-weight loss Stabilization and Maintenance periods are to practice what you have learned about sensible eating behavior. In this way, the new habits become a permanent part of your lifestyle, as will being slim and staying slim. I stress that word LEARNED because if you’re always quick-fixing, you’re learning nothing . .  [Read more...]

Mind Your Own Business in 2023

Another year has come to a close. In our personal lives, this is the time when we reflect on the year that has just ended: The things we did, the places we went, the people we met; the good things we’ll always remember, the bad things we hope to forget; the things we are  [Read more...]

You’re Never Too Old to Reinvent Yourself

I meet so many people who are unhappy because they feel unfulfilled . . . every day . . . every week, every month, every year. Perhaps they missed out on going to college. Perhaps they gave up a career to stay home and raise their children. Perhaps they went into a field  [Read more...]

The Daily Diet Diary

We know for a fact that generating a daily food plan (or, weekly plan) is crucial for healthy and consistent weight loss. As the saying goes, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. You have to know, in advance, what your intentions are for the next day (or more). Based on  [Read more...]

Driven to Success

How often over the course of our lives have we heard that “motivation is the key to success?” A gazillion-billion times, right? And from countless authors and famous motivational gurus, all of whom way smarter than me. But you know what? I disagree. Totally. Motivation might get you started. That’s it.  [Read more...]

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

An easy way to feel bad about yourself is to compare yourself unfavorably to others. When we wish to look, be, or have like others—either in our personal lives or professional careers—we’re not really wishing for everything about that person, but only the idealized aspects, the things we see through rose-colored glasses.   [Read more...]

Types of Fish

The American Heart Association recommends eating seafood at least two times per week as part of a healthy diet because fish and shellfish contain high-quality protein, healthy unsaturated fats (particularly omega-3s) and few, if any, saturated fats. Fish is also rich in calcium and phosphorus and a great source of minerals, such as iron,  [Read more...]

High Fat Fast Foods Fast to Your Blood

So, have you always thought there’s an exception when it comes to indulging in “just one” fatty meal? That the health ramifications associated with fast food meals high in saturated fat and sodium only take effect “down the road?”   Wrong! The consequences of eating your combo meal begin almost immediately after you crumble  [Read more...]

High Holy Healthy Days

A holiday is a holy day because it interrupts the daily flow of our usually very busy lives with messages and reminders that we need to make life worth living. As we approach the holy days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur that so many will observe, it’s a good time to remember the  [Read more...]

Obesity and Cancer Risk

The link between obesity and cancer risk is clear. Research shows that being overweight and having obesity are linked with a higher risk of getting 13 kinds of cancer:   Being overweight or obese doesn’t mean that someone will definitely get cancer, but it does mean that they are more likely to  [Read more...]

Teaching an Old Dog a New Trick

There’s a word that my mother never allowed my sister and I to use at home when we were growing up, and that my husband and I didn’t allow our daughter to use either. No, it’s not the F word. I’m OK with that, depending on how it’s used. The word I’m talking about  [Read more...]

The Scale Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story

I’ve met so many people over the years who have fallen into a pattern of dieting failure: One diet after another, several in a year, multiple times, and each time focused solely on their weight, almost never on their health. Obsessively focused on a daily number on a scale instead of a cumulative improvement to  [Read more...]

The Path to Weight Loss is One Step at a Time

There are three questions that all of us should ask ourselves each day, and they have particular relevance for anyone who is overweight or obese. Question #1. Am I on the right path?   If you’re overweight or obese, you’re probably unhappy about that. You either have health issues presently or no doubt  [Read more...]

Fat Cells: What? Where? When? How?

They are the building blocks of flab, the payback for cheesecake, the bloated little sacks of grease that make more of us— more than we can fit into our pants! Scorned and despised, they are sucked out surgically by the billions from bulging bellies, backs, and buttocks. And still they come. Fat cells.  [Read more...]

Are You Playing the Blame Game?

“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them.” ~ George Bernard Shaw ☆ I see clients every day  [Read more...]

Believe It. Achieve It.

When we reach adulthood and settle down and start to build the good life we want, our efforts and energies turn towards things outside ourselves: children, spouses, friends, family, and work pursuits. We have so much happening around us and so much to do and many people lose touch with both their bodies  [Read more...]

Cheating = Bad. Planning to Indulge = Good.

With perhaps the one exception of “cheating” death, the word “cheat” can just never be used in a positive way. Cheating on your spouse isn’t good. Cheating on your business partner isn’t good. Cheating on your taxes isn’t good. Cheating a customer by padding your bill isn’t good. Cheating on an exam  [Read more...]

The Not-So-Skinny on Cholent

Shabbat is famous for the vast amount of calorie dense foods packed into one sitting. Believe it or not, 3,000 calories is not the aberration but, in fact, the average consumption. And that includes everyone’s beloved cholent. Cholent is a Jewish stew created to comply with the Jewish law that prohibits cooking  [Read more...]

Are You Hard of Listening?

“You never listen” is not just the complaint of a problematic relationship with one’s spouse or rebellious teenager. I think it’s also become an epidemic in a world that is exchanging convenience for content and speed for meaning. Unfortunately, then, listening is a skill that we’re in danger of losing in a world of  [Read more...]

Are Your Kids Important to You?

When I meet a very overweight or obese client for the first time, aside from discussing the obvious — such as medical issues they may have, what medications they may be on, how many times they’ve tried to lose weight before, whether their spouse is also overweight, etc. — I inquire as to their  [Read more...]

Is Your Weight Loss Plan Failing You?

Most diets set you up to fail. They’re either too quick, too narrow-focused, too restrictive, too fake. They’re just not sustainable. Not a way of life. A weight loss plan should enhance your life. You should feel capable, accomplished, organized, and energized by your food plans. There might be  [Read more...]

The LONG and the SHORT of Grains

Long-grain rice (such as basmati, jasmine) is slim and lengthy, with a length that’s three to five times its width and is relatively low in starch content. It is typically a bit drier than short-grain rice and less likely to stick to each other or the pan. Short-grain rice is chubby, round, and  [Read more...]

Is It Possible to Shrink Your Stomach?

“Does my stomach shrink when I lose weight?” Well, that’s a question I’ve heard a time or two or 10,000 from clients over the years. Sorry, folks, but no. It does not. Short of surgery, it is not possible to shrink the stomach. The stomach is a little like a  [Read more...]

All in a Day’s Work

Advise: to offer suggestions about the best course of action Coach: to give instruction or advice Educate: to provide with information Empower: to encourage and support the ability to do something Encourage: to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope Guide: to show the way Inform: to tell someone about particular facts Inspire: to spur  [Read more...]

Avoiding Portion Pitfalls When Dining Out

I often am asked by a client for guidance on how to proceed with portion control when they must eat out, either in a restaurant or at someone’s home. Then, almost always, they’ll recite all the previous advice they’ve heard — you know, measuring by the palm of one’s hand, one handful, two  [Read more...]

Pick Your Pain

The full quote by Jim Rohn is: “𝑊𝑒 𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑢𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠: 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑡. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑠 𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑡 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑠.” Pain is not just a physical sensation. It is, as we know, emotional and as well.   [Read more...]

Not Gonna Happen

Not long ago, I saw a very good, thought-provoking question in my LinkedIn newsfeed: “Should you care more about solving your buyers’ problems than they do?” Now, obviously, in my business, the “buyer” is either prospects (those who need my services) and clients (those who have engaged my services). The reason  [Read more...]

Childhood Obesity and Precocious Puberty

The high obesity rate among very young children is worrisome for many reasons, and one is that obesity causes children to go through puberty earlier. Puberty usually occurs in girls between the ages of 10 and 14, while in boys it generally occurs later, between the ages of 12 and 16. Puberty requires the  [Read more...]

Is Canned Fruit OK?

First, when I say “canned,” I refer to store-bought ready-made fruit in either a can or a jar. Let me start by saying that when storing fresh fruit pieces for many days, the vitamin C content tends to diminish (the vitamin is easily destroyed by exposure to air). Canned fruit, however, will still  [Read more...]

Impossible Burger

My clients ask me about the Impossible burgers all the time. Most ask not because they’re vegan, but only because they think they’re lower-calorie and lower-fat. Also, there are restaurants that serve Impossible Burgers so sometimes a client will ask if that’s a good choice for the occasional eat-in or take-out. When it  [Read more...]

Out With the Old, In With the . . . 𝙊𝙡𝙙?

Last year at this time, were you overweight or obese? Did a healthy goal weight seem unattainable, and did a year from then seem so far away? Well, here we are, folks. Another year has come and gone., and we’re already approaching the end of 1Q 2022.  “The old” is a small  [Read more...]

Wyman’s “Just Fruit”

Recently, a client brought to my attention an all-natural frozen fruit product that she saw in the local Target in Ocean Township, NJ: “𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭” by Wyman’s — a Maine-based family founded-and-owned company that has been in business, believe it or not, since 1874! (They must be doing something right!) There are 4  [Read more...]

Boy Boobs

I want to address an issue that, unfortunately, I’ve seen way too often over the decades, especially in the summer when we’re at beaches and pools: boys with breasts. It really pains me to see it from a distance, but even more so when dealing with the issue one-on-one in my office with teens  [Read more...]

Think Before You Wing It

“Are chicken wings healthy?” “Can I have chicken wings?” “How do I weigh chicken wings?” “How many chicken wings is one protein serving?” “Are chicken wings a good option in a restaurant?” Let me start by reminding you of the following: 1️⃣ A serving is a standard industry amount used to determine  [Read more...]

Taking Inventory: A Tool for Success

The 10th step 10 (Taking Inventory) in the various 12 step programs for recovery from substance addictions, behavioral addictions and compulsions requires a person to “continue to take personal inventory, and when you are wrong to promptly admit it.” The purpose of this is for participants to demonstrate to themselves that they have the  [Read more...]

“I Want to Lose Weight, but I Want to Drink”

“Is there alcohol on this program?” “Will I be able to drink on this program?” “I go out socially a few times a week and I like to drink.” “I enjoy a nightly drink or two when I get home after a stressful work day.” “A glass of wine  [Read more...]

Rational Lies

Rationalization is a defense mechanism that allows you to justify bad behavior or feelings. It’s a way to distort facts to make things look better than they are – to convince others and yourself that your motives and actions are good, not bad. Basically, it’s the ability to lie to ourselves.  [Read more...]

Are You Forever Running After Time?

Too often I hear “I don’t have time” . . . . . . to follow the program; or . . . to weigh and measure; or . . . to plan a diary; or . . . to grocery shop; or . . . to prepare and pack meals and snacks for the  [Read more...]

It’s All About the WHYpower

So many people say they don’t have the discipline to make big changes in their lives and, as you can imagine, I meet new clients all the time who tell me they don’t have the “will”power to stick to new lifestyle changes. From hands-on experience with clients over 20 years, what I’ve  [Read more...]

The Eat What You Want as Much as You Want Whenever You Want Weight Loss Program

Let me ask you this: Have you ever wanted something so badly and then went on to achieve (and maintain) that goal without any self-imposed restrictions?   Did you cut back (even just a little) on all-night partying and drinking in college when you went on to law or medical schools? Or, did the  [Read more...]

5 Ways to Stay Fat and Unhappy

A blog by Luke Iorio, Want To Stay Unhappy? Keep Doing These 5 Things, struck me with one of those “aha” moments. Every one of his five points on how to stay unhappy, as relates to personal and professional development, is applicable to my business and to the clients we see every day. He  [Read more...]

My Take on “Pasta” That’s Fake

Lately, I’ve been asked several times about this new “fake food” — “How do I count this?” — so let me give you some real, not fake, facts. The first two (of the four) ingredients are KONJAC and OAT POWDER. Konjac, also known as glucomannan, is an herb that grows in parts  [Read more...]

Momentum Predicts Your Success

If you want to be productive, effective, efficient and successful in the pursuit of your weight loss goals — or, for that matter, any goals — you need to build momentum, and we know that momentum, by its very nature, requires a lot of upfront push to get the ball rolling. We also know  [Read more...]

‘Tis the Season . . . for Depression

Many people who are overweight or obese suffer with depression. Of those, for many who suffer from even mild depression, the extra burden of being overweight during the year-end holiday season only makes things worse.    In my experiences with clients, the larger one gets the smaller their world becomes. The feelings of isolation  [Read more...]

Have a Holiday Season That’s Happy, Not Heavy

The weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve are filled with lots of food festivities and socializing. Whether it’s dining out, going to a holiday party, or seeing treats everywhere, from the office to the candy jar at your favorite store, the holiday season really puts our willpower to the test.   [Read more...]

For Long Term Goals, Ya Gotta Get Grit!

So often we think that grit is about how we respond to extreme situations, but what about everyday circumstances? Mental toughness is like a muscle. It needs to be worked to grow and develop. ✅ Choose to do the tenth rep when it would be easier to just do nine. ✅  [Read more...]

Recipe Changes Changes the Recipe

I am regularly searching for good and easy recipes to pass on to my clients. They have to be as simple as possible, with as few ingredients as possible, and easy-to-follow instructions. They have to provide nutritional data (how many servings it yields, what a one-serving size is, and how many calories  [Read more...]

The Slim Person You Seek is Inside You

Aurorasa Sima is an Emotional Intelligence Trainer, business and executive coach who conducts sales training sessions, workshops, webinars and other events. In a blog she wrote a few years ago, Do You Want to Search or Find?, she mentioned how oftentimes after a training session someone will come up to her and say, “I  [Read more...]

WHY, HOW and WHEN

It would come as no surprise that one of the questions I am often asked is, “What are some of the motivational tips you provide to clients to stay motivated and focused in order to achieve their weight loss goals?”  Well, of course, there are many, but the best way I can answer this question  [Read more...]

Clutter and Chaos Makes You Fat

After almost 25 years in my business, I can say without question that physical clutter and chaos is directly linked to excessive weight.   Clutter and excessive weight make a perfect match for each other because they both represent an imbalance. Over the years, and as I work with clients over weeks or months  [Read more...]

Beware the Supplements Salesmen

A man by the name of Chris Jones (personal fitness trainer and CEO of Trainer Connect) posted a message on LinkedIn a few years ago targeted to “supplements pushers” (my term, not his). I provide a link to his post at the end of this blog. Anyway, his post was a warning to not  [Read more...]

Are Your Friends Making You Fat?

People are connected, and so their health is connected, said authors of their research findings a decade ago in The New England Journal of Medicine. It was the first time that prestigious journal published a study of how social networks affect health and, more specifically, how social networks play a powerful role in  [Read more...]

There Are No Shortcuts to Long Term Goals

There once was a young Japanese man who wanted to become a Zen master.  So, he sought out a famous Zen teacher and asked him how long it would take to reach his goal. “If you study really hard and give me your complete concentration and attention twenty-four hours a day, it will  [Read more...]

The Skinny on Popcorn

(c) deepspacedave Fotosearch_k88211713 As clients know, when it comes to certain snacks (and all frozen desserts), I prefer things that are pre-measured. This is definitely the case when it comes to popcorn because pre-measured takes away the “scooping issue.” On the rare occasions when I do buy popcorn, which is only when I  [Read more...]

Overwhelmed and Overweight

Overwhelm is a type of emotional paralysis where you feel as though you’re unable to cope with or handle your circumstances. You might be feeling overwhelmed because you: ✅ Have very high standards and expectations of yourself; perhaps expectations of perfection, which are very difficult to live up to. ✅ Are trying  [Read more...]

Exercise and Weight Loss

Can you lose weight without exercise? Yes. Can you lose weight only with exercise? Absolutely not. Too many people are conditioned to believe that exercise plays a bigger role in weight loss than it really does. While your food intake accounts for 100% of the energy that goes  [Read more...]

“Why Am I Not Losing Weight?”

“Why am I not losing weight” is a question often blurted out by a client who claims to be doing “everything right.” I’ll then pick up a crystal ball that I have on my credenza (not kidding about that!) and do a Johnny Carson imitation of his Carnac the Magnificent (you’ll have to  [Read more...]

Say “Bye-Bye” to Buffets

For many people (too many people!), the allure of the all-you-can-eat buffet is the idea that you’re getting more than you pay for. I, however, think of a buffet as an all-you-can-eat feeding trough and an invitation to diet disaster. For one thing, buffets are built around ingredients and foods that are  [Read more...]

Flip the Switch

“NOTHING tastes as good as being SLIM feels.” That’s something I say to clients all the time. I use it in my email signature, my voice mail recording, and in my weekly pod-cast sign-offs. If only saying that to yourself every day as a sort-of mantra would be enough to get  [Read more...]

Challenging, I Can Handle.
Difficult, I Won’t.

Challenging clients vs. difficult clients. Hmm? 🤔 Everyone in business has them. In my world, challenging clients are those who’ve tried everything and failed; have multiple medical issues; suffer with autoimmune diseases; are going through the emotional infertility process; are in the midst of a messy divorce or other household trauma;  [Read more...]

Busy vs. Productive

In my line of work, I often have the “busy vs productive” conversation with clients. They’re 𝑎𝑑𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 to “busy.” They 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 “busy.” They 𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒 “busy.” Because “busy” takes the focus off the work that needs to be done on and for themselves. Too many folks wear “busy” like a great badge  [Read more...]

False Flattery. False Reality.

In my article, Stretch(pants) Your Way to Fat(ter), I write about one of the realities that have sprung up over the decades as Americans have continued to get fatter — the false sense of reality one gets from stretch fabric – you know, yoga pants, leggings, drawstring waists and the like. They allow  [Read more...]

Have No Regrets: Be Happy

Bronnie Ware, an Australian, spent several years working in palliative care caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives. She recorded their dying epiphanies in a blog called “Inspiration and Chai,” which gathered so much attention that she put her observations into a book, “The Top Five Regrets of the Dying,”  [Read more...]

The Accountability Factor

As all clients, past and present, know, I, and my mom before me, have always used 4 words to succinctly sum up the wide-ranging services we provide and why we’ve been so successful for almost three decades: 👍 Discipline 👍 Guidance 👍 Structure 👍 Accountability But what exactly is A𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲? The  [Read more...]

Bone Marrow Fat

It surprises a lot of people to know this, but your skeleton hides a secret: It is full of fat! In fact, bone marrow fat cells comprise the largest population of cells in the bone marrow cavity and is the third largest fat depot, after subcutaneous fat (under the skin) and visceral fat  [Read more...]

Helloooo, Crabby!

You know what’s a big YAY in summer? Crab legs! So, here’s some information to help you with portion control and menu planning. First, you should know that crabs are at different points of growth when fishers catch them, so there isn’t a standard size. The main categories you can find are giant,  [Read more...]

Stretch(pants) Your Way to Fat(ter)

Yoga pants. Leggings. Sweat pants. Elastic waistbands. Easy. Comfortable. Super-stretchy. And a false sense of reality. Yoga pants and leggings, in particular, are designed to stretch something ridiculous, like 1000%, and yet somehow hold you in, “hide” the real you. They’re tummy control. Hip control. Thigh  [Read more...]

Self-Discipline:
The Mental Component to Weight Loss

“Each time you discipline yourself to persist in the face of distractions, diversions, and disappointments, you feel better about yourself.” ~ Brian Tracy Excellence at a craft or skill, outstanding performance in sports or the arts, or attaining sobriety over any addiction, cannot be achieved without it. Eating right and managing  [Read more...]

Consistency for Weight Loss Success

One of the words I use all the time in my weight loss coaching is MOMENTUM. Building a head of steam. Getting the wind behind your sales. Being on a roll. And you can’t possibly do that—with anything you’re trying to achieve—without understanding and putting into practice another all-important word: CONSISTENCY. Consistency  [Read more...]

“I’m Not Losing Weight Because I’m Building Muscle.”

“I’m not losing weight because I’m building muscle.” . . . says the client who only recently started working out at the gym! Here’s the reality, folks: Building muscle takes much longer than most people realize. It’s a slow — almost excruciatingly slow — process. While there are several  [Read more...]

The Goal Behind Your Goal

Getting frustrated at a lack of progress – or what people perceive is a lack of progress – is why so many quit trying to lose weight. Actually, when you think it’s time to give up . . . that’s the time to think again . . . and to think about what  [Read more...]

Dealing With Disappointment Gaps

In his book, “The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships,” Neil Strauss writes: ““Unspoken expectations are premeditated resentments.” I believe his statement contains some useful, practical information for all of us about the psychology of our expectations — especially since the most important relationship of all is the one we have with ourselves!   [Read more...]

Are You Fixated on the Quick Fix?

The quick fix. The magic bullet. The miracle pills. It’s the holy grail of dieters everywhere. They search and search. They get excited by medical research that boosts their hopes about something coming down the pike that will cure the overweight malady once and for all without a lot of  [Read more...]

All Calories Matter

I’ve been at this weight loss gig for a long, long time, and I can say, without question, that almost all clients, even if diligent with portion control in all other food groups, are very often very lax when it comes to control of their herbs, spices and other seasonings and especially in their  [Read more...]

“How Long Will It Take?”

I get that question a lot, and, being that I don’t have a crystal ball, my answer is always the same: “It depends.” I realize that’s not what most people want to hear, but the rate at which a person will lose weight depends on a lot of things. It’s like  [Read more...]

My Meds Made Me Fat

Right up there with “I’m not that fat, I’m big boned” is the other falsehood that “My meds me fat.” God, I hear that all the time or someone will write that on the initial questionnaire they submit: “I was skinny my whole life and started birth control last year and gained 50  [Read more...]

Weight Loss Success: You Have to Believe It to Achieve It

Self-efficacy is a person’s belief that any action they take will influence the outcome. It is not self-confidence, nor a belief that one is competent to do something, although it may involve both. Self-efficacy is our inner expectation that what we do will affect the results we want. If you lack this  [Read more...]

You Decide Your Self-Image

There are so many reasons why you decide to lose weight, but when and why you do decide depends on your mind, not your body. After all, “decide” is a mental function, is it not? . . . and the start (and the continuation) of a dietary/lifestyle change is a mental process. There are a  [Read more...]

Am I Skinny Yet?

The biggest challenge for people making any kind of change in their life is that they are impatient. They don’t feel like they get the results as quick as they should. This is certainly true in the effort for weight loss. One of the things that I tell people: “Give yourself time  [Read more...]

Fat Cells Are Forever

It would be tempting to believe that an obese person has more fat cells, but the quantity of fat cells does not change. What is different in the obese vs. leaner person’s fat cells is just the size. Scientists have known since the 1970’s that the amount of fat cells in both thin  [Read more...]

Before You Make a New Year’s Resolution to Lose Weight

Will weight loss be your new year’s resolution (again) or delusion (again)? Are you someone who has lost and regained weight multiple times, and is looking to make this time, this new year, the final and true push for a permanent change? This time, instead of giving up on your goals  [Read more...]

Tick, Tock . . . It’s Time to Make Time to Lose Weight

Tied with “I Don’t Know” in the #1 spot for excuses from weight loss clients is the old standby, “I don’t have time.” Sound familiar?   In his article, Do You Lie To Yourself About “Not Enough Time?”, one of the very best articles I’ve ever read on the that phrase, Robert Bacall gets right  [Read more...]

Motivation: A 12-Tip Program

In weight loss, as in reaching many other goals, the key is motivation. Those who are most motivated are those who succeed. And you need to keep your level of motivation high not just at the beginning of your weight loss program, when you have decided to lose weight, but also throughout the program.  [Read more...]

The 8-Step Program for Weight Loss Goals

I was recently asked the question, “Why is getting in the right frame of mind the key to achieving weight loss results?” Now, obviously, by starting that question with the word “why” instead of “do you think” or “is,” this individual was (a) telling me what he thought to be a fact; and  [Read more...]

The Skinny on Soup

Who doesn’t love soup, right? Hot soup warms our bellies in the winter.  Cold soups are a refreshing touch in the summer. But, soups are a little tricky to fit into one’s portion-controlled weight loss and maintenance lifestyle. While you might find a canned soup low in calories, or even relatively low in  [Read more...]

Popping M&M’s After Breast Cancer?

Among many women with breast cancer, a standard post-op care is to use drugs that block or inhibit estrogen activity, such as tamoxifen. This is done for the obvious reason: to minimize estrogen and/or to ensure estrogen stays in an ideal range in the body because of its relationship to cancer. Doesn’t  [Read more...]

It’s Time to Change

One statement I hear too often from people is “I don’t have time for that” . . . about certain tasks—a.k.a. work—that must be done to work with me to lose weight, things like planning ahead, preparing in advance, using portion control, and so much more. How often do any of us say  [Read more...]

The Importance of Patience for Weight Loss

When you go on a diet—or, shall I say, when you decide to change your diet—permanent weight loss should be the ultimate goal. You want to reach your ideal, healthy weight and maintain it for the long term. Towards that end, the quality of patience is an important factor. Without it, you will find  [Read more...]

Belly Fat and Breathing Problems

If you are overweight or obese, regardless of age, or whether there’s a history of smoking, having excess abdominal weight lowers your lung function. The chronic inflammation associated with fat tissue is one factor; the other is that excess fat also constricts the lungs, reduces lung function and weakens the muscles that help you  [Read more...]

Structure and Constraints = Weight Loss Success

When you think about starting a diet, you know you need to do a handful of things: ✅ Cut out junk food. ✅ Stop “picking.” ✅ Stop going out to eat as often as you do. ✅ Stop ordering in as often as you do. ✅ Do more grocery shopping. ✅ Cook your  [Read more...]

Are YOU Your Biggest Weight Loss Challenge?

I speak with so many people who swear how healthy they eat, and they can’t understand why they gained weight, why they can’t lose weight, and why they are always so unsuccessful at dieting. And almost every single time, after doing some digging, they come to realize that THEY are their own biggest weight  [Read more...]

Stress Eating Isn’t a Myth

When stress strikes, do you find yourself unexpectedly craving something delicious and unhealthy? Well, stress-eating isn’t just a myth. Science has shown that our bodies respond to stress by thinking we need energy — lots of energy — to fight whatever’s causing the anxious feeling. Because foods high in sugar or fat  [Read more...]

How Does Diabetes Affect a Person’s Eyes?

Just as pipes are the strong tube-like structures which carry water where it needs to go throughout our homes (faucets, fountains, lawn sprinklers, shower heads, commodes), blood vessels (veins, arteres, capillaries) are strong tube-like structures through which blood travels to get to where it needs to go throughout our bodies. The pipes  [Read more...]

The “I Don’t Knows” of Weight Loss

Three words I hear an awful lot, daily — let’s call them some of the buzz words of weight loss — are: “I don’t know.” Some examples. Before the client gets on the scale.     Me: So, how’d you do over the weekend?     Client: I don’t know. When the scale shows  [Read more...]

Do You Waddle When You Walk?

Our feet are small compared to the rest of our body; yet, the amount of pressure we put on them is great when we’re just standing. When we walk or run, however, it’s tremendous . . . and the bigger we are, the more our feet are asked to bear.    Our feet are  [Read more...]

Struggling with Your Weight Loss? Start Writing!

If you’re a business owner, you know that we business owners keep all kinds of records so that we can look back at various collected stats or data for evaluation: How did we do? What do we want to do differently? What worked that we want to continue? What didn’t that we want to stop  [Read more...]

“Healthy Obesity” is Seriously Funny

The term “healthy obesity” has gained some traction over the last several years, and I want to put that oxymoron to rest. When I hear it, I always ask, “What does that mean? . . . that you haven’t had a stroke or heart attack yet?” . . . that the ticking time bomb  [Read more...]

Breaking Fast

In Judaism there are several major and minor fast days throughout the year, and I often get asked by observant Jewish clients how to break a fast.   When you’re ready to break your fast, it’s always best to ease out of it, with small portions of foods that are more easily digested,  [Read more...]

Are You Trapped in a Weight Loss Belief?

I meet so many new clients who, after years of trying every new short-term diet that comes out, have attitudes of defeat and beliefs that they’ve talked themselves into as to why they can’t lose weight. Some weight loss beliefs are so far removed from reality, and I have seen many overweight  [Read more...]

“There’s a quick fix out there somewhere.
I just haven’t found it yet.”

That’s an actual comment made to me by a client not too long ago. Now, your first reaction is probably that she was kidding, but I’m here to tell you that she, and millions of others who think that way, are only HALF kidding! The quick fix. The magic bullet. The  [Read more...]

What is Gastroparesis?

Gastroparesis is a disorder where the movement of food is slowed or stopped, and the stomach takes too long to empty. It interferes with digestion, causes nausea, vomiting and dehydration, and plays havoc with blood sugar. On the one hand, unintentional weight 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴 is one of the symptoms of gastroparesis. When the  [Read more...]

How Do You Respond to “I Feel Fat?”​

When an overweight person is complaining that they feel fat, what is an appropriate and helpful response (vs. just saying “no, you’re not!”)? Some people think that it’s always 100% wrong to ever admit anyone is fat and have a confused notion that to ever agree with anyone that they are overweight  [Read more...]

Gastritis

The stomach is built to withstand acid. The food pipe is not, and when acid rises into it (acid reflux), a person experiences burning pain. The muscle at the end of the food pipe is called the 𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳. This sphincter allows food into the stomach and helps to keep it  [Read more...]

Weight Loss Happens Between the Ears

For those who don’t want to work very hard, who don’t want to change their thinking, well . . . there are lots of options. The marketplace is overloaded with diet books, each proclaiming to be “the one” or “the best” or “the fastest” or “the cheapest” for permanent weight loss. Or  [Read more...]

What is Celiac Disease?

Most people who have Celiac disease don’t know they have it; and then there are those who don’t have it but still can’t tolerate gluten. I meet these folks because, unfortunately, many gluten-free products are way higher in calories and refined carbs (sugars) than their gluten form. Thus, slim people diagnosed with Celiac often  [Read more...]

Menu Planning for Weight Loss

When you’re trying to lose or control your weight, there are those who recommend recording what you eat in a day, either throughout the day as you go along or at the end of the day.  I don’t. “Recording” isn’t the same thing as “planning.” Recording means having to stop  [Read more...]

Top 20 Fiber Foods

Fiber is an important nutrient that’s often overlooked. As a matter of fact, the average fiber intake of adults in the United States is less than half the recommended levels and is lower still among those who follow low-carbohydrate diets. Those folks are so busy avoiding carbs, they forget that these foods provide important  [Read more...]

The Skinny on PCOS

In the simplest terms, PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) is a health condition linked with both hormone imbalance and insulin resistance. Women with PCOS have greater chances of developing several serious health conditions, but perhaps of utmost importance is that PCOS is the #1 cause of infertility issues affecting women of child-bearing age.   In  [Read more...]

Short-Term Goals, Long-Term Success

If you speak to anyone who has overcome a bad habit or addiction – drugs, alcohol, gambling, for example – they’d tell how on Day 1 of walking into their first meeting of a 12-step program they felt they’d NEVER be free of their disease, how they were so deep in it, that  [Read more...]

What Foods Provide Potassium?

Potassium is an essential mineral—sometimes referred to as an electrolyte because it carries a small electrical charge that activates various cell and nerve functions that is needed by all tissues in the body—that we use to maintain our body’s fluid and electrolyte balance. It is needed for the optimal function of muscles and nerves;  [Read more...]

Helpful Hints to Menu Reading

Eating out can be fun and social. When trying lose or control your weight, however, going out to eat can be stressful without preparation. It is important to be familiar with a restaurant menu 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 you get there. Choosing your food 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 you arrive makes it easier to avoid snap decisions you might  [Read more...]

Eating Too Much Salt Harms Your Body

Do you have a salt tooth? Healthy levels of salt in the body helps keep our blood pressure under control and ensures that our muscles and nerves function properly. However, our kidneys have trouble processing excess sodium, causing our bodies to retain water. That puts more pressure on blood vessels and  [Read more...]

Eating for IBS

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a gastrointestinal disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain, bloating, and changes in bowel habit. Needless to say, IBS is a condition that can strip people of their quality of life. Diets that are low in fiber, high in saturated fats, and high in fermentable carbohydrates are contributing  [Read more...]

How Often Do You Weigh Yourself?

Are you addicted to weighing yourself? Daily? Or multiple times daily? If yes, you are not alone unfortunately. But have you ever thought about why you are doing it? What kind of information do you really get from the scale? What does it mean? Of all the negatives  [Read more...]

Staying Motivated After Weight Loss

While you’re actively losing weight, it’s exciting to see the numbers on the scale drop and to see or hear other people’s reactions as you get smaller. With time, however, the slimmer you is no longer the “new” you. The compliments taper off and some people in your life don’t even know you were  [Read more...]

What Foods Provide Calcium?

Vitamin D is an important nutrient that helps the body absorb calcium (and regulates it in the blood), which is essential for maintaining strong bones and teeth. And when it comes to your bones, Vitamin D and calcium aren’t only essential to prevent fractures but also to help fracture healing. Additionally, low levels  [Read more...]

A Cup a Day Won’t Keep the Pounds Away!

Personally, I have a very strong aversion to many traditional marketing methods; I find much of it to be psychologically manipulative and, oftentimes, downright untrue. This is especially the case when it comes to the weight loss industry, where so many fly-by-night charlatans and snake oil salesmen sell people things by playing to their deepest  [Read more...]

Some Insight into Insulin

The relationship of obesity to insulin resistance (and type 2 diabetes) is long recognized. I’ve read, over time in countless published research papers, that as high as 85% of patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are overweight and obese.     The risk for insulin resistance (and diabetes) rises as body fat content increases  [Read more...]

Obesity and Osteoporosis

Osteoarthritis develops when the cushioning material between the joints, known as cartilage, wears away, eventually allowing the bones to painfully rub or grind together. Obesity is an important risk factor for osteoarthritis sufferers. This is because high amounts of fat around the liver, muscle tissues and in the blood is more likely  [Read more...]

What Foods Provide Iron?

Iron deficiency and obesity during early childhood are common nutrition-related disorders and are linked with adverse health outcomes later in life. Since early childhood is a sensitive time for brain development and maturation, iron deficiency may lead to serious effects on the brain and subsequent developmental delays. Overweight children are more than twice  [Read more...]

Obesity and Miscarriage

Does a woman’s weight play a role in preventing miscarriage? It is well known that there is an association between obesity and infertility. Obese women have poor reproductive outcomes, both in natural as well as assisted conception such as ovulation induction, in vitro fertilization (IVF) intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and ovum  [Read more...]

Don’t Be a Boob About Your Boobs

Among many women with breast cancer, the standard of care is to use drugs that block or inhibit estrogen activity (“estrogen inhibitors” or “aromatase inhibitors”), such as tamoxifen. This is done for the obvious reason: to minimize estrogen in the woman’s body because of its relationship to cancer. However, you don’t have  [Read more...]

Resting Metabolic Rate

We often talk about metabolism as if it is a single mechanism in our bodies. But it’s not. Metabolism—including resting metabolism—is a series of functions that are happening all the time. The rate at which those functions occur is your metabolic rate. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is often used interchangeably with basal metabolic  [Read more...]

Losing Weight After Pregnancy

For many women, their post-pregnancy bodies are difficult to handle emotionally. Most were already overweight or obese before they conceived, so the eating habits that got them that way were hard to break (and most don’t even try) during pregnancy and they gained so much more. There are others who were at  [Read more...]

What is Gout?

Anyone who has consistently high levels of uric acid in the blood is at risk of having a gout attack. However, obesity—especially, centrally-located (visceral) obesity—greatly increases the risk. And even if you don’t develop gout, elevated uric acid has other negative effects: ✔️ It irritates the lining of your blood vessels causing a  [Read more...]

The Depressing Nature of Obesity

Many people who are very overweight or obese suffer with depression. I’ve been asked numerous times: “What comes first—depression or obesity?”  In my experience with clients, the answer is “both.”  Obese people are more likely to become depressed. Severely overweight people may be more likely to become depressed because they are dissatisfied with their appearance,  [Read more...]

Non-Diabetic Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia (also called low blood glucose or low blood sugar) occurs when the level of glucose in our blood drops below normal. “Low blood sugar” may also be referred to an “insulin reaction” or “insulin shock.” We know that people with diagnosed diabetes have to be vigilant about their blood sugar levels, but  [Read more...]

The Hardship of Being Slim

If you want to be a successful “loser” (of weight, that is!), you have to prepare for the hardship of being slim. You might ask yourself, “What in the world could possibly be hard about being slim?!” Believe it: The world, and especially those in your personal and professional circles, treats you  [Read more...]

The Shortcut Crowd

A fellow by the name of Seth Godin is an American author, blogger, entrepreneur and former dot com business executive. In his blog, The Shortcut Crowd, as relates to marketing,  he writes about the various segments of consumers — the careful, the traditional, the cutting edge and . . . those obsessed with  [Read more...]

Dieting Slip-Ups

A most discouraging aspect of weight loss is the inevitable slip . . . and everyone has them. For some, the occasional slip brings about an all-out binge — followed by guilt, disgust, self-loathing, a sense of powerlessness and a feeling of “what’s the use?” The biggest difference between successful “losers” and those  [Read more...]

Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity

Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the common type of diabetes, type 2 diabetes, so it’s no surprise it’s what brings many clients to me. For people newly diagnosed (within the past six years), type 2 Diabetes is a reversible condition. Just as proper diet, weight loss and exercise can  [Read more...]

Why Do Over-Fat People Snore?

When you are over-fat, fat builds up on the inside of the throat which can partially block your airway. When you sleep, the extra fat tissue puts pressure on the structures of the throat. This leads to further constriction. Additionally, excess body fat has an effect on your muscles. This is true  [Read more...]

Parents: Food is Not Love

Too many parents consider food a form of love and are afraid to refuse their children unhealthy foods, even if they are already over-fat, for fear they won’t feel loved.     In fact, the opposite is true. I know . . . because daily I see what rewarding kids with food looks like  [Read more...]

What is Cellulite?

One of the things I hear a lot in my office is someone telling me how they can’t stand their cellulite, how they want to get it liposuctioned out (yeah, right; but that’s a topic for another blog), and how losing their cellulite is a big catalyst in why they want to lose  [Read more...]

Greek Yogurt Cuts the Fat

Even if you’re not a fan of Greek yogurt’s distinctive flavor (it has a pronounced “tang”) for snacking or breakfast purposes, you can still tap its health benefits: It contains twice the protein of regular yogurt and less lactose as well, making it suitable for some people who suffer from lactose intolerance.   [Read more...]

Are You a Sugar Junkie?

Much like street drugs, sugar triggers the release of chemicals that set off the brain’s pleasure center, in this case opioids and dopamine. Some studies have suggested sugar is as addictive as cocaine.  And, as they do with street drugs, people develop a tolerance for sugar — meaning, they need more sugar for  [Read more...]

Are You Eating Back All the Calories You Burn?

If you’re going to the gym as a complement to your decision to adopt a healthy eating lifestyle, that’s good. If you’re going to the gym in an attempt to burn off the bad calories you know you’re eating and really don’t want to stop, well obviously, you’re wasting your time.   [Read more...]

The Real Deal on the Digestive System

You had a bad Saturday night; you fell off your diet. You weigh yourself Sunday morning. No gain. You look to the heavens and praise the Lord and vow to got right back on track. Sunday is perfect: the right food, the right portions. Lots of water. You weigh yourself  [Read more...]

Dress for Success at Any Size

Too often, I hear from clients: “I don’t want to buy new clothes until I lose weight?” or “I’m waiting to get slim before I spend money on clothes.” If this is you, I’ll tell you the same thing I tell them: STOP! It doesn’t work. Usually, the first instinct may  [Read more...]

Stop the “It’s Not Working” Crap

When a client says to me, “It’s not working . . .” — trying to suggest that eating normal, regular, everyday foods from each of the food groups every day, using portion control, planning ahead and packing meals and snacks throughout the day, is the reason they’re not losing weight — what they’re  [Read more...]

Do You Suffer From a Negative, Defeatist Attitude?

Many people I meet and take on as clients do suffer from a negative, defeatist attitude, the “fattitude,” as I call it. Having a defeatist attitude means that you give up before you’ve even started, like the runner who is so convinced he’s going to lose the race that he doesn’t even bother  [Read more...]

Developing New Healthy Habits

We know that making healthy choices can help us feel better and live longer. Maybe you’ve already tried (and more than once) to eat better, to start exercising or get more sleep, to quit smoking, or reduce stress, just to name a few. You know it’s not easy. In order  [Read more...]

Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss

I was recently asked my opinion about intermittent fasting for weight loss. I’m not a fan. Intermittent fasting severely limits calories during certain days of the week or during specified hours during the day. If someone who is slim, fit, and healthy in every way does an occasional fast to rid  [Read more...]

Hoping vs Doing

Are you spending time hoping or are you busy doing? I see people daily who say, “I hope I can do it . . . this time.” These are folks who for years have done one quick-trick-diet-shtick after another. I always ask, “How has hoping worked out for you thus  [Read more...]

I Care About You. Do You?

Not long ago, a LinkedIn connection posted a good, thought-provoking question:   “Should you care more about solving your buyers’ problems than they do?”   Now, obviously, in my business, the “buyer” is my prospects (those who need my services) and clients (those who have engaged my services).   The reason her question  [Read more...]

Fat Isn’t Curvy

Daily, we see obese females posting their photos on Instagram and other socials saying things like “This is what a real body looks like,” and “No man wants skin and bones.” Hmm . . . should we call that “skinny shaming” I wonder? 🤔 These messages convey to overweight young girls  [Read more...]

Back to School, Fat(ter) to School

It’s been only a few years since my daughter graduated high school. And if there’s one thing I remember from dropping her off at the same primary school campus for 15 years it was seeing the expansion of so, so many overweight students (first as kids in the Lower School, then as tweens  [Read more...]

How ‘Bout Them Apples?

An apple a day may not keep the doctor away, but it’s a healthy choice anyway. For one thing, you can’t beat the convenience of an apple. They are an easy go-to and grab-and-go snack as they come in their own packaging—meaning you can eat the skin. They also play nicely  [Read more...]

Raising Slim Kids on a Budget

As everyone knows, obesity in kids is something that I write about often because I’m so passionate about it. Like you, I see it everywhere, and it pains and angers me. A few months ago, after a visual experience at the Freehold shopping mall in NJ, I posted something on LinkedIn about childhood  [Read more...]

Eggs vs Egg Whites

If you’ve been scarfing down scrambled egg whites because you’re afraid to eat the yolks, you’re missing out on one of Mother Nature’s most potent fat-fighting nutrients: choline. Found abundantly in egg yolks, choline squelches the body’s output of leptin, a hunger–stoking hormone that fuels between-meal cravings. (Yolks also deliver vitamins D  [Read more...]