Me? I see food as a treat but also as sustanance. I remember the searing intestinal pains I get each I eat anything fried or in a heavy cream sauce, or how I get dumb and slow when I eat anything that has a lot of sugar, or how anxious I get when I eat chocolate or take caffiene. It helps me to remember these things when the temptation arises. So, I feel better physically and emotionally when I eat things that are seen as “healthy:” Lots of vegetables. Lots of whole grains. Very little dairy, very little animal protein, lots of fibre.

Lastly, we Americans work longer hours and carry more stress than any other country out there. We sit on our asses most of the day, do the work or two or three people, drive home and are exhausted. All we can do is make dinner, sit in front of the TV and fall asleep. All those calories turn to stored energy, fat, never to be used. So are we surprised when we end up as fat body b-roll on the news?

Yes, diets work but only temporarily. Coldly modifying what you eat is only a part of it. If you feel you are depriving yourself of what you want, the diet will ultimately fail. You will slip back into destructive habits and put the weight back on. You need to change your entire perception of food. If you shift your perception of food to be neutral and pragmatic (“I like ice cream, but I don’t like how I feel afterward”) then you’re not depriving yourself, you’re keeping yourself healthy. And that feels good. The craving will pass, it always does.

If that doesn’t work you could always take up smoking…..