Claire wanted to lose weight.

So she woke up Monday morning, made herself a cup of coffee (black) and went to work.

No breakfast.

She figured she wasn’t that hungry anyway and she’d be saving calories, right?

Not likely.

We discovered in last week’s Ounce of Prevention that eating something small (lower calories and higher protein) could save you hundreds of calories at the next meal.

That’s because Hunger...

I can tell without even looking at a clock, when it’s close to 10:30am.

How?

Because my stomach starts grumbling a bit and my focus is a little off—I’m getting hungry. It’s time for my mid-morning snack!

I eat a modest breakfast at 7:45. So, no surprise, I get hungry by mid-morning.

• Do I wander into the breakroom and grab whatever donut or bagel is lying around?

• Do I resist the hunger, ignoring it until it gets so...

Weight-creep is when your weight consistently increases over time.

Very slowly.

You may only notice it only in hindsight. A pound or 2 in a couple of months, barely noticeable, right?

It adds up.

Whenever I determine it’s time to get any weight-creep in check the first thing I do is note if I’ve started a nightly wine habit.

I usually have.

I can so easily get sucked into the habit of pouring a glass of wine after homework...

Now that we’ve Debriefed the Holidays (Step 1) and Stepped on the Scale to assess our current situation (Step 2), we need to decide on a strategy and start (Step 3) if we want to get back to our pre-holiday weight.

Decreasing the calorie intake and/or increasing the calorie output is a basic for weight loss. But the question is: How?

It may be as simple as knowing that there aren’t as many parties this month as last, so your calorie heavy days are a...

It’s official—the New Year has begun!

There are many reasons to feel hopeful with the start of a new year, but often when it comes to our weight, we’re more likely feeling regretful, judgmental and maybe even disgusted.

It might be that the weeks between Thanksgiving and January 1^st flew by in a blur of overeating, overdrinking, overspending and overdoing.

But now it’s over.  Done.

And what do you do at the end of a...

When the last wine glass has been washed and dried and the chocolate crumbs vacuumed from the carpet, it’s time to . . . rest.

Yes, first rest.

Then it’s time to get to some essential mental work: debrief your holiday.

Evaluate your experience to see what went right and what could be done better next time.

This practice of a postmortem—looking at an event and learning all the lessons possible—is what we do year-round...

Have you been tubing lately?

It’s when you jump onto an oversized inner tube and shoot down a snowy hill.

It’s impossible not to smile rushing down that hill.

I mean a Big Smile—the kind that comes from within—it’s pure Joy.

When you’re feeling Joy, all is well. Nothing is missing.

And that feeling is the answer to most weight issues.

When nothing is missing we are whole.

When nothing is missing we...

I went to a coming of age ceremony (aka Bat Mitzvah) this last weekend. So moving.

I understand why there is such a thing.

Because once someone reaches the age of 13ish, they are no longer a child-child. The baby-toddler-little kid part of their life (and therefore their parents’ lives) is over.

The focus is different.

It’s no longer about keeping them from wandering into the street and reading them bedtime stories (sniffle), it’s...

Martha Beck, one of my favorite Modern Day Sages, has a great way of dealing with difficult family holiday gatherings.

She plays Dysfunctional Family Bingo.

She literally creates a bingo card/grid and in the squares puts things like,

“Uncle Tim gets Drunk”

or

“Mom (passive/aggressively) complains about how much work she’s done preparing”

or

“Brother Steve shows up an hour late”

or

“Aunt Sue asks me how much weight...

Parties are starting!

With Hanukkah just around the corner and holiday parties getting into full swing, I’m listing for you my favorite party tips to keep the enjoyment up and the guilt down.

Incorporate these ideas and you’ll be the belle of the ball and still fit into your party dress come New Year’s Eve.

I’ll start with the most important one.

If you do nothing else from this list do this:

Snack BEFORE the party

This...