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. Look how quickly it passed.  If you want to be a successful “loser” in  [Read more...]

It’s common knowledge, and I have written and speak about this in my office frequently, how dangerous a pregnancy can be for an obese woman, not only in terms of her own health during pregnancy but also the negative effects her obesity can have on fetal development. (In my article Fat Moms, Fat  [Read more...]

A couple months ago, a man by the name ofChris Jones (personal fitness trainer and CEO of Trainer Connect) posted a message on LinkedIn targeted to “supplements pushers” (my term, not his). It was a warning to not even think about approaching him to sell supplements to his training clients. That prompted a  [Read more...]

The so-called old wives tale about the importance of eating breakfast every day is, in my opinion, 100% correct. HOW we begin the day is the key to everything else that follows. When you wake up in the morning, after not eating for the sleep duration of 6, 7, 8 hours or more,  [Read more...]

One of the biggest dieting mistakes, both for those who want to lose weight and those who want to control their weight, is not eating enough fruits and vegetables. To lose weight, you must eat fewer calories than your body uses. This doesn’t mean you have to eat less food. You can  [Read more...]

It’s no coincidence that people who are slim and healthy as they age look so much younger. A major component of that is mental: They feel so good, they’re active, they’re engaged, they love life, they have very few limitations. Thus, they wear that happiness and zest for life on their faces. This is  [Read more...]

Why does being overweight increase your chances of getting hemorrhoids? Hemorrhoid tissues are “cushions” of blood vessels that play an important role in helping your body eliminate waste. Food passes from the stomach through the intestines. The waste (stool) then travels through the colon to the rectum. It is stored in the rectum until  [Read more...]

How did so many of our pets get so overweight? In August, 2018, a woman named Susan Jenks of the New York Times published a story entitled “Our Fat Pets.” She shared statistics that 60% of cats and 56% of dogs in America are at unhealthy weights. She quoted the Association for Pet  [Read more...]

First, let me be clear: When I say, “starving yourself doesn’t work in dieting,” I am referring to regularly and purposely skipping meals or eating super small meals . . . that sort of thing. I am not referring to the disease of anorexia (that’s a different topic for another day). It’s hard  [Read more...]

These days, western culture is immersed in the pandemic of political correctness and group think. It’s the extraordinary arrogance of the p.c. movement that seeks to impose on people what is right, okay, fair, or acceptable to think and say. It’s positively Orwellian and, in my opinion, should be resisted by anyone who considers  [Read more...]

While rare compared to female breast cancer, the incidence of male breast cancer (MBC) has increased in the last few decades, no doubt coincident with the ever-growing obesity epidemic. It has long been known that obesity and the risk of many types of cancer are linked, and although obesity is not considered an  [Read more...]

Over the last four weeks, in each of my weekly blogs, I’ve been addressing the common thoughts of those who fall prey to, as relates to weight loss, Given Up and Given In to Hopelessness. “This is who I am.” “Guess I’ll be fat forever.” “It’s in my genes.” “I’m tired of dieting.”  [Read more...]

In my last three blogs, I wrote about the five common thoughts of those who fall prey to, as relates to weight loss, Given Up and Given In to Hopelessness. “This is who I am.” “Guess I’ll be fat forever.” “It’s in my genes.” “I’m tired of dieting.” “I’m happy being fat.” These  [Read more...]

In my last two blogs, I wrote about the five common thoughts of those who fall prey to what I call, when it comes to weight loss, Given Up and Given In to Hopelessness.  “This is who I am.” “Guess I’ll be fat forever.” “It’s in my genes.” “I’m tired of dieting.” “I’m  [Read more...]

In another recent blog, I wrote about how there are five common thoughts of those who fall prey to what I call the Given Up and Given In to Hopelessness of weight loss. They share them all at once or come to them one at a time. “This is who I am.” “Guess  [Read more...]

There are five common thoughts of those who fall prey to the Given Up and Given In to Hopelessness of weight loss. They share them all at once or come to them one at a time. “This is who I am.” “Guess I’ll be fat forever.” “It’s in my genes.” “I’m tired  [Read more...]

Many of my clients are career professionals and small business owners. There is a common problem among them: They put themselves last. They work long hours and eat mindlessly all day; or, they let their work distract them and purposely go long hours without eating anything at all. Those who were overweight,  [Read more...]

As parents, we are responsible for the environment in which we raise our children — emotionally, physically, psychologically, socially and spiritually. That responsibility is enormous. All the years our children are home before spreading their wings and beginning the next chapters of their lives, they are listening to us, watching us, and soaking  [Read more...]

Boy, how many times have I heard that from a client?! The typical emotional over-eater feels helpless and frustrated because of his/her history of failure at weight management. They feel as if they can’t stop themselves from over-eating, despite knowing it’s self-destructive. They often feel like their right hand is stuffing food into  [Read more...]

Ask anyone who is extremely successful — at anything — and 9 out of 10 of them will no doubt tell you they don’t have that much more talent or intelligence than anyone else. What every single one of them do have or did have, however, is a million times more desire to succeed  [Read more...]

So often, especially on a Monday morning, or if I haven’t seen a client for longer than usual, upon entering my office and before they get on the scale, they will pronounce, “You’re going to be angry with me” or “Don’t be angry with me.” As you can surmise, and as I instantly know  [Read more...]

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 started.  [Read more...]

Does society (through the industries of entertainment and fashion mostly) bombard us with ridiculous standards of body image, especially when it comes to women? Yes. Should we all do our part to reverse it by making normal-sized people feel confident in themselves and stop them from thinking they are fat? Yes But  [Read more...]

Everyone knows about the stereotypical, overbearing, helicopter parent that sees their kid’s straight-A report card and asks, “Why no A+?” This kind of joke is apparently very funny to people without such parents but depressing and straightforwardly true to people who have them. Well, you get the exact same kind of people when  [Read more...]

As consumers, of which I am one of course, we have those retail stores or service providers with whom we prefer to shop over others, whether because of the value they provide over others who may provide the same product or service, or the in-store shopping experience that one store provides over another,  [Read more...]

Half the battle of weight loss is trying to stay on track, and it doesn’t help if your loved ones aren’t being as supportive as they should be.   📌 Does your spouse bring you a huge box of chocolates every Valentine’s Day?   📌 Does your mother-in-law shove home-baked goodies in your face  [Read more...]

The foundations for cardiovascular disease in adults are laid in childhood and accelerated by the presence of obesity (as well as diabetes and high blood pressure). Geetha Raghuveer, MD, a pediatric cardiologist at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kanas City, MO, and an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Missouri Kansas City  [Read more...]

Life works in mysterious ways.Who would have thought that the infertility roller coaster would lead me to what I am doing today. Prior to my getting married at the ripe “old” age of 36, I had been living on my own since I was 21. I was enjoying a great corporate career in  [Read more...]

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 learned  [Read more...]

In his article, There’s No Such Thing as “Fat Shaming” — It’s Just Advertising,” Elliott Haworth writes: “I take issue with the Vicariously Offended; the virtuous who take up the mantle of oppression, regardless of whether they are personally affected, at every given opportunity.” I agree. These days the “shaming” label  [Read more...]

The official launch of summer – bathing suit season — is not that far off. Many overweight teenagers, both girls AND boys, are especially unhappy and uncomfortable at this time of year because they can’t hide behind layers of clothes as they do in the fall and winter. Most won’t go to the  [Read more...]

“What can I do if I start losing or gaining weight during cancer treatment?” is a question clients have asked over the years. Unfortunately, this issue causes greater anxiety than necessary. On the one hand, “cachexia” (weight loss) is a common cancer side effect. On the other, chemo and steroids may  [Read more...]

“There’s no such thing as failure; there are only results.” This gem is attributed to Tony Robbins, one of the world’s most famous motivational speakers, and is used ad nauseum by business coaches, commencement speakers, and so many others. So, in other words, whenever we attempt to do something and don’t succeed  [Read more...]

Have you ever known an habitual liar? They’re the people who lie so much to so many that they can’t keep their lies straight. They don’t remember what they told to whom. All the mental work involved in trying to keep their lies straight is exhausting! Well, yo-yo dieting can have the same  [Read more...]

While women are more of the habitual dieters, yo-yo’ing their way from one quick-fix product or program to the next, in my experience it’s the men who opt not to seek professional assistance, preferring to try to do it on their own. I’ve been told by many of them that it is because they  [Read more...]

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 grapefruits, the celebrity-sponsored miracle plans, the hypnosis, the balls behind the ear, the no carbs, and on and on . .  [Read more...]

The health ramifications for overweight kids are significant: The number of over-fat children who take meds for chronic diseases has jumped dramatically. Doctors see greater increases in prescriptions for high cholesterol, high blood pressure and hypertension. Children and teens with fatty liver disease are on the rise. And, remember when Type 2 diabetes was  [Read more...]

Being overweight is not just an external (appearance) issue. Being overweight is an internal (health) issue. Every overweight person I meet who doesn’t have any diagnosed medical issues and isn’t taking any prescribed medications thinks they’re “healthy.” They’re not. Excess visceral fat is not the foundation of or the companion to good health. Can you be  [Read more...]

“It’s so easy to lose weight without dieting or exercising!” “Eat whatever you want and still lose weight!” “Lose weight forever…you’ll never need to diet again!” “Block the digestion and absorption of fat, carbs, or calories!” “Rapid weight loss: Lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks!”“Lose 40 pounds in 30 days.” “Finally, a weight  [Read more...]

Over a decade ago, an international team of researchers reported that excess weight was linked to higher risks of 5 cancers: colon, esophagus, kidney, breast and uterus. Then, in August of 2016 that same group of researchers, in the New England Journal of Medicine, expanded that list significantly by identifying 8 additional cancers  [Read more...]

About a year ago, I had a phone inquiry with a woman who, conservatively, had to lose 75 pounds. I say “conservatively,” because I guesstimated at that number based on what she told me her weight and height was over the phone. From my many years experience, it’s safe to say that almost 99%  [Read more...]

Do you need to lose weight but dread the thought of how far you have to go to accomplish your goals? Clients have told me that when they think about all they’ll have to do in order to reach lose weight, it paralyzes then. It’s why they procrastinate in getting started and  [Read more...]

As I do every year immediately after New Year’s, I start to remind clients to get laser-focused on their weight loss goals because time passes quickly, and the difficult eating challenges (for most)—Easter and Passover holidays—will be upon us. But, something else is also drawing near: the senior prom. The senior prom  [Read more...]

“Eat everything in moderation.”    We hear this advice a lot from diet/lifestyle gurus, fitness professionals and physicians. It’s a common expression as relates to the indulgence (or over-indulgence) of food or drink — the so-called occasional “pig-out” or “going off the wagon.”   I get asked my opinion on this quite a bit  [Read more...]

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  [Read more...]

For women who suffer with PCOS, after fats, public enemy #2 is the poor carbohydrates (“bad” or “refined” carbs).The good kind of carbohydrate-rich foods are a good source of fiber and essential vitamins and minerals.Unfortunately, way too often PCOS sufferers try to restrict themselves from carbohydrates, placing false blame on ALL carbs for their  [Read more...]

When you walk past an elementary school, or day camp, or food court at the mall, the chances are that most of the kids you come across will be overweight or obese. What are parents of already obese 8-10 year old kids thinking when their children are gorging on 1/2 pound burgers with  [Read more...]

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

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...]

Did you ever consider all the lessons kids can learn in the kitchen, which can benefit them both at home and at school? Here’s why I believe ALL school-age kids should join their moms and dad in the kitchen. 1- Cooking teaches your child about eating well. Kids are receptive to conversations  [Read more...]

When you cheat, it almost always means you’ve done something on the spur of the moment. You didn’t think it through. You didn’t weigh the pros, the cons. You didn’t consider how you would respond to the ramifications of your actions. And, most often, the aftermath of a “cheat” results in a person getting  [Read more...]