So last time I told you to give up the calorie game.  I know a lot of you out there think this is counterintuitive, but I'm telling you, it AIN'T.  If you stick to whole, unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods, you will have absolutely no reason to fret about calories.  It comes down to two simple words: hunger and starvation.

For our intents and purposes, the definitions are as follows: hunger shows up when you need more calories.  Starvation occurs when your body needs nutrients.  

First, I would like to address the topic of hunger, with which I, unfortunately, have some experience.  I am all too familiar with the physical and emotional pain associated with hunger and furthermore, starving (myself).  Hunger is uncomfortable yes, but starving is a horse of a different color.  Starvation is downright dangerous; it can and will do irreparable damage to your health.  But I digress.

For many people, 'going on a diet' means constant hunger - that's why going on a diet sucks.  Many weight loss plans are built on the belief that to lose weight, one must burn more calories than one consumes - the infamous 'calories in, calories out.'  Such a weight loss plan will recommend low-calorie foods, which are often pumped full of rotten chemical fillers that will certainly do more damage to your health than 10 extra pounds.  This approach is doomed for failure, because instead of choosing nutrient-dense foods which may be higher in calories, geniuses will opt for processed, chemical-laden, low-calorie foods, in hopes that they will lose weight.  And if you're not eating crappy, fake-foods, you're probably not eating much at all; you and I both know that carrots and celery just won't cut it.  If you have superhuman willpower, you might make it a week or two with constant hunger, but at some point you're going to snap and eat the first thing that gets in your way, and you're going to keep eating until there's nothing in your way, which probably won't be for another week because you were so damn hungry for so long.      

People expect to be hungry when they go on diets because they restrict their calorie intake.  What they don't realize is that along with restricting calories, they are also restricting nutrients.  You are hungry because you are eating less food, yes, but you are starving because you are not getting NUTRIENTS!!  As I mentioned before, if you go long enough without enough calories and nutrients, your body will kick into starvation mode, and it will be damned if it gives up any more fat until you pay some respect!   

If and when you eat meals that contain proper amounts of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fat, and protein, you will not go hungry nor will you gain weight.  I SWEAR.  Yes, a bowl of oatmeal with flaxseed and fruit has a helluva lot more calories than some cheap-ass low-fat granola bar, but it is so freaking nutrient dense that it will keep you full and happy for hours!  Besides, who ever heard of a person getting fat on vegetables?

So let's imagine you're not on a diet, you're just eating whatever and calling it a day.  A lot of people I know following the "whatever" approach to eating have said to me "man, I am hungry all the time!" 

Always hungry!?  What is that about?  Hello!  Your body is trying to tell you something folks - you are always hungry because your body is starving for nutrients, not calories.  You keep shoveling in calories in the form of white flour, sugar, and lousy diet food and you will absolutely gain weight.  Not to mention, when you don't have enough energy to make it from breakfast to lunch, there's a good chance you won't make it to the gym either.

Look for foods that will pump you full of vitamins and minerals, get your carbs, fat, and protein, and you won't feel like passing out between lunch and dinner.
 
 
We've all heard it countless times: if you want to lose weight, you must expend more energy than you consume.  

It stands to reason that if your body needs 2,000 calories a day to run smoothly and you consume 2,500 a day, that extra 500 calories has got to go somewhere.  Conversely, if your body runs efficiently on 2,000 calories a day and you only eat 1,500 calories worth of food, that extra energy has got to come from somewhere.  You guessed it, we're talking about fat.  If you eat more than your body needs, the extra calories get stored as fat.  If you eat less than your body needs, your body is forced to tap into its energy stores.  Makes perfect sense, right?  So if I want to lose weight, all I have to do is calculate how many calories I need, subtract a few hundred and oila!  I got your number, Mother Nature!!

Ah, little grasshopper, but Mother Nature is not so easily thwarted.  Women, always making things more complicated.

The above scenario is based on the belief that a calorie is a calorie is a calorie - I tell you, this is not so.  Long term, lasting, healthy, ENJOYABLE weight loss is NOT a numbers game.  Anyone who says differently is selling you something.   

Pop Quiz: a diet soda and 100-calorie snack pack - diet-friendly "food" or no?  You said no?  Thank God.  

Not to mention, after a meal like that calories are the least of your problems!  Between the aspartame (which is illegal in Europe!  And they have prostitution!), high fructose corn syrup, fractionated, genetically modified soy and all the other crap they put in there to keep the calories down and the taste popping, your body will be too busy cleaning up the chemical typhoon you just hit it with to burn fat.  You will be hungry 30 minutes later, your blood sugar will spike and fall all day, you'll be exhausted, miserable, and you certainly won't lose any weight.  Starving yourself won't work either - after the initial weight loss, your body will kick into starvation mode.  See, it doesn't know or care why you're not eating, all the body knows is that it doesn't have the energy or the nutrients to keep you in top form.  If and when you give in and stop punishing yourself for God knows what, your body will suck up and store every calorie it gets.  Who knows when you'll reach the other side of the desert

You see, the body is brilliant!  You cannot outsmart it.  And really, why would you want to?  It keep your heart pumping, you lungs breathing, your eyes blinking, your neurons firing - look at you, you gorgeous, ingenious animal!  Sitting there reading a sentence!

If you want to lose weight, go through your kitchen and throw away anything and everything that markets itself as a low-this, low-that "healthy option."  If something is advertised as a health food or weight loss product, it is more than likely downright dangerous.  And gross.  How different the world would be if we advertised kale and quinoa for goodness sake.   

Now get out there and buy some vegetables!  And NEVER WORRY ABOUT CALORIES AGAIN.

More on calories next time, folks; I'm not done with this sucker yet.  If you have any questions, please ask!



 



 
 
 
Who am I kidding?  'Sea vegetables' is just a nice way of saying seaweed.  I want you to eat seaweed.  Like, every day.

Good Lord!  Seaweed every day!?  This is America, not Japan!  Quite right, you'll have no arguments there.  But I will argue that seaweed in an excellent addition to any diet, and you and everyone else you know would do well to start stocking up on these health-boosting buggers.  Here are 3 reasons why:

Sort out your cravings!

Seaweed is high in a variety of vitamins and minerals, including calcium, iron, folate, magnesium, iodine, and B vitamins, all of which can help balance hormone and thyroid levels.  Eating too many processed foods or foods grown in mineral-depleted soil can result in a lack of minerals in the body, leading to cravings for salty foods. Adding seaweed to your diet can help balance your energy levels and alleviate cravings.
    
Save your lady parts!

Seaweed is very high in lignans, which are plant substances that become phytoestrogens in the body.   These phytoestrogens help to block dangerous chemical estrogens from the environment (plastics, food products, etc.) that predispose people to cancer, especially breast cancer.  Seaweed is also known for its detoxifying properties - have you ever been to a spa that offered a seaweed wrap?  Well, imagine if you ate the stuff!  Seaweed mops ups toxins like cadmium and lead, both found in cigarette smoke, both wreak havoc on your skin, hair, and nails.  Eat seaweed for lustrous hair, glowing skin, strong nails, and lump-less boobs!  

Stay slim!

Seaweed is high in fiber and low in calories, which means a little will go along way.  Your body will digest it slowly, so if you have trouble staying sated, munch on some seaweed and I promise you'll make it to dinner.  Seaweed is low on the glycemic load index, so it won't spike your blood sugar, which is AWESOME.  It also has anti-inflammatory properties and it will keep your body's pH in an alkaline state; sugar and chemicals have an acidifying effect, leeching minerals from your bones.  Ever notice that after a big meal of crap food you're still hungry?  That's because your blood sugar is out of whack AND because your body is still craving nutrients - when you eat nutrient-rich foods, like seaweed, your body gets what is needs, you get full and on with your day.    

So now the question is, how does one eat seaweed?  Any way you want!  There are a number of different kinds, like kelp, dulse, nori, and arame - experiment and see which you like best - and if you don't like any of it, I don't care and neither does your body, eat it anyway.  You can eat seaweed right from the bag (it always comes dried) or add it to stir-fries or sandwiches or salads.   Strange as it sounds, I mix it in with oatmeal.  Yes, I eat seaweed for breakfast.  When I want to get fancy, I throw in some scallions, sesame seeds, and soy sauce for a savory, Asian-inspired meal.     

Hold you nose if you have to, but don't miss out on nutrient-dense, fiber-rich, anti- inflammatory, all around good for you SEAWEED.
 
Vay Kay 03/10/2010
 
Hey y'all!

The past month I've been on the road a lot, pretty much living out of my suitcase.  I LOVE me some travel.  Visiting new places, meeting new people, experiencing things only available in one place at one time really riles me up.  A good friend of mine likes to call the feeling of exhilaration that accompanies a big trip: "journey proud."  I am feeling journey proud today!  

When I travel, I am a woman on a mission to pursue authenticity.  I like to get down and dirty with the country or city I've come to see and even more so, TASTE.  I admit it freely, I am a food tourist.  I want to try everything!!  Native fruits and vegetables, salads, drinks, snacks, meat, cheese, bread, chocolate, whatever - I'll eat anything you put in front of me.  When I go out to restaurants with locals, I won't even look at the menu.  I tell them, "order me something I can't get in New York!"  (Such things still exist, I swear.)  Half the fun of traveling in Asia is seeking out (well-cooked) street food.  Half the fun of Europe is taking a a break in a cafe with espresso or beer.  All semblance of my daily diet gets thrown out the window when my passport is involved.  When in Rome, my friends, when in Rome.

Needless to say, my body usually goes through a few changes.  Depending where I go and for how long I stay, my weight may go up, down, or nowhere.  I don't weigh myself, but everyone knows when their pants feel tight!  I like to call this "happy fat."  Really.  It makes me feel adorable and cultured.  And, importantly, I do not fret about it.

A lot of people freak out when they gain weight because they are afraid they will continue to gain weight.  There are a number of other reasons people freak out about "getting fat" of course, but they may or may not be based in reality.  Yeah, I'm talking to you, crazy lady.

I am inviting you not to freak out about gaining weight on vacation.  Vacations represent an extreme (unless your daily life consists of lounge chairs and cocktails or house music and beer - God I love Europe). 

Coming home gives you the space and time in which to come back to center by making healthy, appropriate food and lifestyle choices.  Extremes will present themselves from time to time, in the guise of a vacation or a stressful period - it makes no difference to your body why you are consuming what you are consuming.  A week or two of extra calories will cause weight gain, happy fat or sad. 

Extremes become worrisome and detrimental to your health when they persist.  Overdoing it on sugar and fat will catch up with you but you can always catch up with them! 

To come back to center is not to restrict yourself and be miserable about it.  I used to hate gaining weight because it meant that I would have to starve myself or try this or that new diet until my brain was satisfied with my body.  I tell you, this is a crap approach. 

Come back to center - give your body time and space to rip through extra fat stores.  Don't hate yourself for eating too much OR too little.  Relax!  If you go easy by eating lots of veggies and other nutrient dense foods, your body will sort itself out in no time.  You don't have to starve, you don't have to cry when you look in the mirror, you just have to come back to center. 
 
 
Are you familiar with the phrase, "I think, therefore I am"? 

Whatever the philosopher Rene Descartes meant when he wrote that all those years ago has been debated ever since.  Ladies and gentlemen, I'm here to tell you that it's true.  At least in this situation ; )

How many times have you said to yourself or whoever was so lucky to be with you at the time, "Man, I am FAT!"  How many thousands upon THOUSANDS of times have you heard your sister, brother, aunts, uncles, friends, even random passers-by say "Oh my God I am so fat!"  It's pretty ubiquitous, eh?  Especially in this shining beacon of beauty and big breasts, our beloved America.  This is a tough place to live in if you feel fat, and an ever tougher place to live in if you plan to stay thin.  We have many things here in America, one of them is an overabundance of food or, more specifically, edible commodities.  But I digress.

How many of you noticed that I said to "feel fat" and not to "be fat"?  That's no accident, folks.  These verbs cause our brains to act and react in very different ways, not all of them beneficial.  Allow me explain with the following example:

I moved to China for 14 months for no good reason.  My vague plans included such things as: find a job, find an apartment, become a SPONGE.  Not for the faint of heart!  One of the more fascinating things I learned in China was the language; Mandarin Chinese is simultaneously blunt and quite delicate.  One turn of phrase that hit me like a truck was this: instead of saying "I am fat," like we do in English, in Mandarin you say "I have fat."  WOAH!


Take a minute to mull that over.  Imagine, if instead of feeling the permanency, the literal and figurative weight of saying "I AM fat," you could merely state, "I HAVE fat"?  REVELATION!!

The key word here is am, a form of to be.  To be!  We actually define ourselves, our very existence, as FAT.  It's as if that's all we are, just fat.  We identify ourselves by our weight and appearance, and we give others license to do the same.  In the West, we even go so far as to moralize weight: fat is wrong, fat is bad.  If you are fat, you must be lazy, or you must be sick, or less capable, or out of control, unattractive, or even unlovable.  My fellow Americans, this is pretty shameful.  We prematurely judge others by their appearance, and we make it difficult for ourselves to take pride in our bodies, in all of those other wonderful things that we are.  We feel shame, we feel guilt, we feel like life would be so different and perfect, if only we were thin.  

What a sham!        

The word "fat" in Chinese does not lend itself a slew of moral and personal inadequacies.  By the very nature of their language, the Chinese do not define themselves by flub; they merely and shamelessly acknowledge that yes, they are a bit overweight (if such is the case).  Literally, they say, "I have a little fat."  And it's totally OKAY.  Now, I'm sure a chubby Chinese is not thrilled when they can't fit into their clothes, but for goodness sake, they don't go around feeling like a failed human being either.  I remember listening to a group of Chinese women discussing their weight; it was so refreshing!  One of the women was heavier than the others, and when she said as much, it was no big deal!  It didn't prompt her friends to coo and try to deny the facts ("Oh you are so not fat!"), or for her to look ashamed of herself.  Why should she be?  She just had a little fat!  It wasn't some moral pronouncement, she didn't hate herself for it, and her friends looked like they couldn't care less; she simply stated the obvious.  She might as well have said, "I have long hair."  It was awesome. 

To have is very different than to be.  While we cannot go ahead and change the English language and American culture, we can change the way we perceive ourselves.  Don't get me wrong folks, being overweight is not ideal and being obese is downright dangerous, but let's not add insult to injury.  I know for a fact that of the many reasons for weight gain, low self-esteem is at the top of the list.  When we are feeling down or rotten, a lot of us reach for the "wrong" things; you can easily lose yourself in a cycle of depression and weight gain.  It's just like everyone's favorite fictional Scottish character said, "I eat because I'm unhappy, and I'm unhappy because I eat."  Truer words were never spoken.

Ladies and gentlemen, be KIND to yourselves.  Refrain from saying nasty things about your body, refrain from putting nasty things IN your body.  Forget protein bars and diet pills - self-respect is the most powerful weight loss supplement around.
 
 

Sometimes, it's really hard to do the right thing.  Or at least, it's hard to do the things we know we should be doing.  Everyone knows that they should be getting enough sleep, everyone knows that they should be eating their fruits and vegetables, everyone knows they should be avoiding this that and the other thing and getting exercise and spending time with the family and practicing patience and saving money and yada yada yada.  If everybody knows what they should be doing, why don't they just go ahead and do it?  

Don't answer that.

There are a million different reasons (and for that matter a million different, lousy excuses) that each one of us could come up with to explain away why we are not doing those things we know we should.  Go ahead, come up with a few right now.  Why didn't you go to the gym today?  Why did you order dessert?  Why didn't you get to the laundry or the supermarket?  Why are you exhausted?  

STOP.  I know what you're doing over there, in front of your computer screen, and I can tell you it isn't helping one bit.  STOP feeling GUILTY.  There is absolutely no point, and certainly no benefit.  Guilt will not make it easier for you to do those things you "should."  Guilt will not inspire you to put down your fork, or finish a project, or lace up your sneakers, or get to bed earlier.  Guilt exists for a reason - I don't what it is, but it's got to be good for something.  What it is not good for is your health.  And you know I'm all about good health.   

Ladies and gentlemen, let go of the guilt.  So you didn't get the gym.  So what?  

Some of us feel guilty when we fall off the fitness or diet or whatever wagon because we've concocted a grand scheme to lose weight/look awesome/be a champion, etc.  We've got it all planned out and things are going so well and then!  Be it one meal or one missed workout or just one rotten day, we give in, give up, and do something other than what we think we "should."  And then we spend the next hour, day, week feeling like a loser with no discipline; we beat ourselves up, which usually leads to even more crappy choices and now we feel worse and oh my god I can't believe I did this to myself again and boo hoo hoo!

Sound familiar?  Yeah, I thought so.      

Today, when I got home, I grabbed the first thing I saw out of the refrigerator, plopped it on the counter, and inhaled.  I didn't even bother to sit down.  Earlier this week, instead of going to the gym, I had myself a beer.  Neither of these actions required a lot of thought - in fact, they required the absence of it.  Neither of them got me closer to the best day ever, but you know what?  I will not let them take me any father from it, either.  

So you screwed up?  That is okay!  Don't let it get you down.  Keep on keeping on!  What we are going for here is balance, not perfection.
 
 
A few readers have pointed out to me that I have some gender bias issues going on. 

Apparently, my use of the word “girlfriend” does not engender (pun intended!) positive feelings from the male community.  Understood.  If I was reading a blog or checking out a website about weight loss/fitness/general health, I would be a little turned off if words like “bro” and “man” kept popping up, as I am neither of these.

I have realized the error of my ways, and I apologize.

I bring my own myopic misstep to your attention because it reflects the view of society at large: men should be men, and not cry at themselves when they look in the mirror, or at any other time for that matter.  If and when men struggle with their weight and body image, I imagine they have far fewer places to turn than their female peers.  Men have eating disorders; men engage in emotional eating; men make themselves sick with food, just like women.  Unlike women, men do not get together to confess how much they binge or purge or even hate the sight of themselves.  

In some ways, it is more difficult for men than women to come to terms with their weight and approach to food.  Take a minute and think: 90% of weight loss advertising is directed at women, which is detrimental to both genders, in my opinion.  Women are encouraged to take diet pills and get skinnyl; men are encouraged to be on steroids and get ripped out of their minds!  Woah.

While it may seem that women have cornered the market on the “love your body, feed your soul” industry, I’d like to take a moment to say that I am ALL ABOUT men coming to terms with their own food issues.   I don’t doubt for a second that for every lady out there fretting about what to order for lunch, there is an equally confused gentleman who is a lot less likely to ask for help at some point or another. 

While the overwhelming majority of my clients are women, I do hope to work with more men in the future.  It’s important for our fathers and brothers and boyfriends and husbands to treat their bodies with respect and feel good naked!  Or clothed! 

 
 
Yes, I used the word thrice.

As you may have picked up from my last post, I am no five-star chef.  I started messing around in the kitchen just a year ago; it had always been my mother’s domain.  She has such command over the knives and the fire and the food there was little opportunity and even less reason for me to get involved.   Or so I thought, because now I’m in my mid-20s and though I try valiantly, everything I make comes out like crap that I have to eat all by myself for a week because no one else can palate the stuff.

No, I’m not a complete disaster.  I just make simple meals for myself, which is just fine for this time and place in my life.  If I don’t step up my game in the next year or two however, I’m pretty sure my boyfriend will break up with me ; )

And so in an effort to expand my repertoire, I tried the following recipe from 101cookbooks.  Are you familiar with this site?  If you’re not, get on that.  I recently stumbled upon it, and let me tell you, what a serendipitous find!  All in all, I’d say my broccoli cheddar soup experiment came out alright!  I probably could have added more mustard and I was a bit stingy with the dairy, as you can never be too careful with dairy.  But that, my friend, is a topic for another time.

Verdict: will make again!

 
Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe

Look for deeply green, tight heads of broccoli. I typically avoid any heads that have yellowing florets or seem died out. If you like a slightly creamier soup, stir in a generous dollop of creme fraiche after pureeing. You can easily make this soup vegan by using olive oil and omitting the cheese/creme fraiche, and you can make it gluten-free by doing something in place of the croutons.

croutons
5-6 ounce chunk of artisan whole wheat bread, torn into little pieces (less than 1-inch), roughly 3 cups total

1/4 cup butter or olive oil (I like 1/2 and 1/2)
1 1/2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

soup:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes (1 1/2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 1/2 cups light, good-tasting vegetable broth
1 large head of broccoli (12 ounces or 3/4 lb.), cut into small florets

2/3 cup freshly grated aged Cheddar, plus more for topping
1 – 3 teaspoons whole grain mustard, to taste
smoked paprika, more olive oil, creme fraiche (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350F degrees and place the torn bread in a large bowl. In a small saucepan heat the butter until it has melted. Whisk the mustard and salt into the butter and pour the mixture over the bread. Toss well, then turn the bread onto a baking sheet and bake for 10 – 15 minutes, or until the croutons are golden and crunchy. Toss them once or twice with a metal spatula along the way.

While the croutons are toasting, melt the butter (or olive oil) in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the shallots, onion, and a big pinch of salt. Saute for a couple minutes. Stir in the potatoes, cover, and cook for about four minutes, just long enough for them to soften up a bit. Uncover, stir in the garlic, then the broth. Bring to a boil, taste to make sure the potatoes are tender, and if they are stir in the broccoli. Simmer just long enough for the broccoli to get tender throughout, 2 – 4 minutes.

Immediately remove the soup from heat and puree with an immersion blender. Add half the cheddar cheese and the mustard (a little bit a a time). If you are going to add any creme fraiche, this would be the time to do it. Now add more water or broth if you feel the need to thin out the soup at all. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Serve sprinkled with croutons, the remaining cheese, a drizzle of olive oil, and a tiny pinch of smoked paprika.

Serves 4 – 6.
 
 
Sometimes, I make things I would never let anyone else eat.  It's not because I'm the best cook ever, it's because I might be the worst.  Okay, not the worst, but let me tell ya, there's room for improvement!  There are times that after 2 hours of messing around in the kitchen, all I can do when I taste the end product is laugh at myself.  Thank God I have a good sense of humor, and an excellent appetite.   

Yes, it's all very sad and a bit embarrassing, but gosh darnit, I'm proud of the food I make!  For one thing, I know exactly what's in it.  For another, I'm not trying to please all the people all the time, I'm just trying to give my body what it needs.  Oftentimes, when we are transiting to a diet that includes more whole, healthy food it is important to keep in mind why you are doing it, and who you are doing it for.  Solid reasons yield solid results.  If your heart isn't in it, save yourself the trouble and order take-out.   

As a member of a family with sophisticated palates, I take a lot of flak for my well-intentioned attempts at nourishment.  One thing I have implemented in to keep the masses at bay is the CONDIMENT DISH.  When preparing a meal that I know must feed different people with different tastes, I put my faith in the condiment dish.  What it is, is this dish with all of these different condiments on it, like olive oil, hazelnut oil, soy sauce, tamari, red pepper flakes, etc.  Anything that anybody might like to douse their dishes with has a rightful place on the condiment dish.  Give it a shot, let me know what condiments work for you!

There is one other issue I would like to address, on cooking for yourself and others.  When you're trying new things, you are bound to face resistance, but not only from other people who think your food is gross.  Switching from a diet steeped in chemicals to whole foods can prove a bit rough, even for a person dedicated to improving their health.  Many processed foods are literally ADDICTIVE - that's why the more crap we eat, the more crap we crave.  Don't give up!  You WILL find ways to feed your body and soul with whole foods.  Try any of these lovely recipes for snacks and meals that won't end in a staring contest with a bag of Doritos.      
 
 
So now we’ve got down in fine print what makes us happy.  Brilliant.  Step #2 involves looking at your happy list and circling those things that get BENCHED.  Let me tell you, I’ve got a super-athletic brother and when he gets BENCHED it usually means his coach is an idiot.  Ladies, don’t be that coach.  Give your happy things some playing time and get them off that goddamn BENCH.

To do this, you’ve got to sort out how they got benched in the first place.  This of course could be any number of things: work, commuting, busy family life (for reasons both negative and positive), volunteering obligations, social engagements, whatever.  These things, often necessary, sometimes not, might even be pleasurable!

But look out!  Too much of a good thing ain’t no good for nobody neither.  When you’re getting too much of something that makes you feel hateful, find a way to cut that crap out of your life.  Chances are, your actions are in some way allowing it to continue.  Our actions set the stage for our results.

Point being, something or someone is subbing for your happy.  No good, no fun, rotten game plan.  Call a time out, run different plays, aim for the CHAMPIONSHIP.  If maintaining your weight makes you happy, but cookies give you pleasure, cool out on the cookies for goodness sake!  Or the TV or the alcohol or the wacked-out chemical-laden “food” or the pointless worry – these things will steal away with your time and your energy and your POTENTIAL.  Girlfriend, those are the players you need to bench and maybe even kick off your goddamn team.