Can Five Words Change Your Life?

Watch as Heidi explains how her epiphany (that light bulb moment when you realize that you have the tools and you CAN do it) changed her relationship with food forever.



Heidi’s magic moment was figuring out that her words, “It’s either this or that…” delineate the decision she can make every time she chooses to eat, chooses what food to eat, and in what portion size.

This is the gist of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for permanent weight loss. You slow down long enough to actively decide…do I want this OR would I prefer to stay the course and get closer to my goals? ”That donut sure looks yummy, but fitting in my old favorite jeans will feel so much better.” ”I’m feeling anxious about this deadline; I want candy,” versus “I’m feeling anxious about this deadline; I’ll take a short run and get back to my work at 3 p.m. Running always calms me down.”
It doesn’t mean you won’t have treats. In fact we encourage you to plan for them and track them daily. It does mean you will DECIDE MINDFULLY each time you eat instead of eating on auto pilot.

Of course you won’t be perfect, so CBT teaches you to use compassion and get right back on track when you have a slip.

Are you paying attention to your words before you eat?

Can you put your epiphany into words? It just may win you a prize. Stay tuned for all the details next week!

Ellen Resnick is a psychotherapist in private practice in San Francisco and Redwood City, California. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and incorporates the use of mindfulness into the treatment of depression, anxiety, and emotional overeating. She runs a holistic weight loss program called Center for Thoughtful Weight Loss,
www.thoughtfulweightloss.com. You can email Ellen at ellen@thoughtfulweightloss.com and follow her on Twitter at @thoughtfullellen.
Copyright © 2012 Ellen N. Resnick, LCSW

65 pounds down and counting. This is not a remodel… It’s a teardown!

This is the first in my new blog series on epiphanies-that moment the light bulb goes off and you have a striking realization that allows for a breakthrough with your weight loss goals.

This is Julie’s story:

When Ellen asked me to write this post, I spent a lot of time coming up with illustrations in my head. If the floor’s rotted out, you can’t just throw a carpet over it. If there’s a big wall in the middle of your living room messing up your feng shui, you can’t just
paint it black and pretend it’s not there. If you don’t have a garage, you can’t just park in the kitchen.

And then I started to realize the word I kept coming back to in every
one of these phrases was “can’t”.

I’ve struggled with my weight since I was a child, for over thirty years now, and “can’t” has been my constant companion. I’ve managed to lose weight and then gain it back several times now. I know how to diet. Most of us know how to diet; we usually know what we need to do in order to lose weight. But keep it off?
Every time I embarked on a diet previously, I was doing a remodel. I was making surface changes. Eat this, not that. Drink eight glasses of water. Journal. Weigh-ins. Group Therapy. Boot Camp. These would usually work for a while. There would be a period of time when I would lose weight. I would begin to feel better. I had freshened up the look and feel of me. But eventually, I would get scared, or bored, or tired, or lose my motivation, and return right back to the state in which I began. It was too hard to keep hanging on to these changes, and I just couldn’t do it.

I hadn’t done the foundation work. I hadn’t found the right support
structure. I hadn’t gathered the skills and tools I would need to
succeed.

The difference this time is that I actually found a program that helped me rebuild my entire relationship with food. Ellen worked with me on The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person.
I learned how to combat the negative thought loops in my head. It helped me adjust to normal feelings of fullness and hunger. It gave me useful tools to employ in any situation. It helped me discard the “can’t” that’s been following me around all these years. And it helped me rebuild myself into a person who isn’t on a diet anymore. I’ve rebuilt a person who is a healthy eater and who exercises. And I never (I mean never — ever.) thought that would be something I would be able to say about myself.

My epiphany was that the word ”can’t” was holding me back. But look! Now I can.

What’s your epiphany?

Ellen is a psychotherapist in private practice in San Francisco and Redwood City, California. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and incorporates the use of mindfulness into the treatment of depression, anxiety, and emotional overeating. She runs a holistic weight loss program called Center for Thoughtful Weight Loss, www.thoughtfulweightloss.com. You can email Ellen at ellen@thoughtfulweightloss.com and follow her on Twitter at @thoughtfullellen.
Copyright © 2012 Ellen N. Resnick, LCSW

Deconstruct Your Diet

Customize your meals the same way you’d customize a new computer or car and you’ll be able to eat more of your favorite foods without the regret.
Know the nutrition facts when you choose your ingredients. You can start with turkey instead of roast beef and cut calories in half right there. Choose an ounce of Jarlsberg lite over cheddar and save another 46 calories. Don’t be afraid to add ingredients. It’s always more fun to add, and besides, adding can be good for you. For instance you can add yummy fresh vegetables to a sandwich to bulk up on fiber and nutrients in exchange for some of the more fattening choices. Add your favorite mustard (there’s so many great one’s to choose from) to any sandwich instead of mayo and save another 90 calories and 10 grams of fat.
Some of the chain restaurants are helping dieters by allowing for this kind of customization through technology. Specialty’s Cafe and Bakery is a great example. When picking dressings for a large salad you can see (on a computer screen you order from) that most of the dressings pack a whopping 300 + calories except for the balsamic vinegarette which has only 60 calories. Onto the sandwich–you can pick your bread wisely. One would think the wheat bread would be your best choice, but no….it has 80 calories more than the ciabatta. And then you can add sprouts, cucumbers, pepperocini, and tomatoes to make your sandwich exciting without adding many calories at all AND boosting the nutritional value immensely.

My clients at Center for Thoughtful Weight Loss often say things like “it’s impossible to know what’s in the food at restaurants”. Here’s a video taken in Cabo San Lucas Mexico demonstrating how to eat a delicious tortilla soup w/out blowing your #’s–all you have to do is customize it. If you bring your smart phone or a pocket calorie counting guide with you, you’ve got what it takes to stay conscious at all times. Oh, and the skinny margharitas allow for some well needed relaxation without piling on the calories of regular sweet mixed drinks–just beware of how many, or that consciousness will be out in the ocean.

One way to achieve and maintain weight loss is to develop the skills to eat anywhere. It’s easy once you make customization a ritual.
For a refresher on thinking like a thin person while dining out when you don’t have the calorie counts in front of you, see my earlier blog, “I’ll have whatever she’s having”.

Hasta luego!

Ellen is a psychotherapist in private practice in San Francisco and Redwood City, California. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and incorporates the use of mindfulness into the treatment of depression, anxiety, and emotional overeating. She runs a holistic weight loss program called Center for Thoughtful Weight Loss, www.thoughtfulweightloss.com. You can email Ellen at ellen@thoughtfulweightloss.com and follow her on Twitter at @thoughtfullellen.
Copyright © 2012 Ellen N. Resnick, LCSW

Shrink and Love: Couples “Doin’ it” Together

February is all about the heart. We can’t go anywhere without seeing a Valentine’s Day display. But did you know it’s also American heart month?
Learn about the many benefits of “couples doin’ it together” by watching Ellen Resnick interview Dr Pat Arean about her health and weight loss journey with her husband Don.
Pat discusses the benefits of teaming up with others to increase accountability, and frankly, to make weight loss more fun (including wink, wink…you know.) Martica Heaner, Ph.D., a Manhattan-based exercise physiologist, nutritionist and fitness writer agrees. She says “it may be that the psychological self-confidence that you get from being physically fit, accomplishing fitness goals…or simply losing weight boosts your self-esteem and helps you to feel sexier”.
Pat warns us about one potential pitfall of couples losing weight together, namely, that when one member of the team encourages a splurge it’s harder to resist yourself. But even though they indulge now and then, either she or Don provides the encouragement to get right back on track the next day.

So remember: Activities done together bring your hearts closer, your bodies healthier, and you may even see an increase in your, well, you know…
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!!!

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Ellen is a psychotherapist in private practice in San Francisco and Redwood City, California. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and incorporates the use of mindfulness into the treatment of depression, anxiety, and emotional overeating. She runs a holistic weight loss program called Center for Thoughtful Weight Loss, www.thoughtfulweightloss.com. You can email Ellen at ellen@thoughtfulweightloss.com and follow her on Twitter @thoughtfulellen and see her other videos on Youtube channel on Ellenresnick’s channel.

Copyright © 2012 Ellen N. Resnick, LCSW

Shrink and Carol: 12 Lyrical CBT Tips For Holiday Eating

We may be out of tune but we’ve got the best tips for surviving holiday eating and making the season joyful.
Move over Pointer Sisters, and listen to Ellen and Pat, aka, the Tuneless Sisters do their rendition of the 12 Cognitive Behavioral tips for happy and healthy holiday eating. At the end you’ll notice Pat holding the Beck Diet Solution Workbook, a comprehensive CBT approach to permanent weight loss by Judith Beck, PhD.

Won’t you sing along? Here’s the lyrics:

On the 1st day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…is it worth the calories?…
On the 2nd day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…make the best food choices, (AND)…
On the 3rd day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…acknowledge your temptations…
On the 4th day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…breathe deeply and be thankful…

On the 5th day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…USE SMALLER PLATES…

On the 6th day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…play games between the courses…
On the 7th day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…enjoy your favorite cousins…
On the 8th day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…be mindful while your chewing…
On the 9th day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…smaller portions on the trimmings…
On the 10th day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…avoid hunger on arrival
On the 11th day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…alternate water with the cocktails…
On the 12th day of Christmas my diet coach said to me…Don’t wear your baggy clothes…

A special thank you to my incredible neice Amy for helping me create the words to our song.
Happy holidays everyone!

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Ellen is a psychotherapist in private practice in San Francisco and Redwood City, California. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and incorporates the use of mindfulness into the treatment of depression, anxiety, and emotional overeating. She runs a holistic weight loss program called Center for Thoughtful Weight Loss, www.thoughtfulweightloss.com. You can email Ellen at ellen@thoughtfulweightloss.com and follow her on Twitter at @thoughtfullellen.
Copyright © 2011 Ellen N. Resnick, LCSW

Let The Turkey Be The Only One Going “Gobble Gobble”

A few short tips for a healthy Thanksgiving:

Choose ahead how to wisely enjoy your Thanksgiving meal. Plan it and put it in writing ahead of time. What will you say about it on Friday 11/25th? Decide now.

You can choose smaller portions of some of the traditional high calorie options, or you can make lower calorie dishes. Weight Watchers, Eating well, Cooking Light, and Hungry Girl have all put out swap suggestions and great holiday tips online. Here are a few links to help you with healthy choices:
•Rick Rodgers’ Best-Ever Slimmed Down Turkey & Gravy
•Thanksgiving Recipe Makeover
•CookingLight’s 13 Great Thanksgiving Meals
•Hungry Girl’s Thanksgiving Recipes

Exercise more before and after the feast. If weather permits, maybe the gang can take a walk together after the meal. Otherwise put on some good music and dance to a few tunes.

If you’re the host, use smaller plates. Research shows we can lose 18 pounds in one year by using 9-10 inch plates.

Don’t leave serving dishes on the table. Guests/family will be forced to get up to get more-so will you.

Give the leftovers to your guests or donate them to someone hungry and less fortunate.

When you leave the table, be grateful for your family and friends. Enjoy them, and smile, knowing you’ll still fit comfortably in your favorite jeans tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Ellen is a psychotherapist in private practice in San Francisco and Redwood City, California. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and incorporates the use of mindfulness into the treatment of depression, anxiety, and emotional overeating. She runs a holistic weight loss program called Center for Thoughtful Weight Loss, www.thoughtfulweightloss.com. You can email Ellen at ellen@thoughtfulweightloss.com and follow her on Twitter at @thoughtfullellen.
Copyright © 2011 Ellen N. Resnick, LCSW;

Costume by: Puppe Love

Shrink and Move: Accept Your Diabetes™

It’s National Diabetes Month. You’ve all read the statistics about the obesity epidemic and how being overweight puts you at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. But did you know that if a person is successful at lifestyle improvement, that person can completely avoid the onset of diabetes 70% of the time? (http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/prevention/pre-diabetes/).
The lifestyle improvements required to avoid pre-diabetes developing into diabetes are actually quite basic:

• Improve one’s diet
• Lose weight
• And become more active.

When life presents us with difficulties, we do the best that we can to cope. Sometimes, unfortunately, we cope through denial: ”This isn’t happening to me, heck no!.”
That would be alright if denial were actually helpful, but when it gets in the way of what we need to do to take care of our bodies, it’s no longer a useful way of coping. We can’t change what we don’t acknowledge.
Watch Taylor’s amazing, inspirational story about his life with diabetes. Watch his transformation from fear, shame and denial to embracing his diabetes and living a vital, healthy and robust life. Even his family and friends are benefitting from his healthy attitude and lifestyle.
So whether you have diabetes, or you’re at risk of diabetes or other illnesses because of your weight, it’s never too late to take the small steps that lead to big rewards.
Let Center for Thoughtful Weight Loss provide the motivation, support and encouragement you need to turn your life in the direction you want it to go.
“Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.” William James

“Go out and get after it” Taylor 11/2011

-Ellen

Ellen Resnick is a psychotherapist in private practice in San Francisco and Redwood City, California. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and incorporates the use of mindfulness into the treatment of depression, anxiety, and emotional overeating. She runs a holistic weight loss program called Center for Thoughtful Weight Loss, http://www.thoughtfulweightloss.com/. You can email Ellen at ellen@thoughtfulweightloss.com and follow her on Twitter at @thoughtfullellen.
Copyright © 2011 Ellen N. Resnick, LCSW

Shrink and Boo!!!: Don’t Be Scared—Do the Math™

Halloween is the beginning of the holiday season, and candy is everywhere we turn. “You better watch out” is a favorite Christmas lyric line you may want to apply beginning this week in order to keep your focus on healthy living.
In this video, psychologist Pat Arean and I talk about planning for a joyful, yet healthy Halloween. Watch the devil and Wavy Gravy discuss how to have a great time celebrating Halloween while being mindful about how to focus beyond the sweets.

Decide how often you and your children (if you have them) will get a piece of candy. Maybe you’ll have a number per day after dinner or when homework is done after school.
Who would have thought Halloween could be an opportunity to teach your kids about math and altruism? Listen as Pat describes the games they play with candy at her house.
Don’t let Halloween derail your weight loss efforts. Keep your eye on your goals at all times. Decide way before October 31 how you’ll dress up and enjoy this silly (in a good way) holiday. Get creative; plan your treats, and when its time, donate, or trade in the rest.
When it comes to healthy living, the trick is to unmask excessive treats for what they really are.

Say Boo, but not Boo hoo this Halloween!

Have a happy and healthy Halloween.

-Ellen
Ellen Resnick is a psychotherapist in private practice in San Francisco and Redwood City, California. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and incorporates the use of mindfulness into the treatment of depression, anxiety, and emotional overeating. She runs a holistic weight loss program called Center for Thoughtful Weight Loss, www.thoughtfulweightloss.com. You can email Ellen at ellen@thoughtfulweightloss.com and follow her on Twitter at @thoughtfullellen.
Copyright © 2011 Ellen N. Resnick, LCSW

October is Positive Attitude Month—Keep Your Eye on the Prize!

Let’s say your goal is healthier living, whether it’s weight loss, less caffeine or alcohol, or a stronger, more toned physique.
No, you don’t need to become Pollyanna to be healthy. You do need to
be accepting of what IS in this moment, while making the effort to change the things you can. These ideas come from a philosophy called ACT—acceptance and commitment therapy. In ACT we Accept, Choose and Take Action (ACT) .
Remember you can only start from where you are, not where you would like to be.

ACT is all about living our lives in alignment with our deeply held
values. Many of us say that we place a high value on health,
confidence, happiness, and connectedness with others; but we’re not
consistently doing the things that lead us there. It’s hard to do sometimes,
especially when we hit one of life’s speed bumps or obstacles along
the way.
Let’s say you’re on a HealthyWage challenge to lose weight. Reframing sabotaging thoughts (see examples below) and changing the
things you can change will help you stay the course of your wellness goals,
EVEN when you hit a bump.
You can learn not to take your negative reactions to stressors so
seriously. After all, they are just thoughts in a moment in time. You
can observe your emotional reactions and still ACT in accordance
with your values.
So “This is too hard” becomes “Yes, it feels hard to get to the gym today,
but I know once I start pedaling I’m likely to feel better, and that’s important to me.”
ACCEPT your feelings, and CHOOSE to ACT in accordance with your values (feeling better inside and out).

The energy you’ve typically put into feeling guilt, shame, doubt,
worthlessness, and hopelessness when something difficult happens can
be put into positive actions that move you closer to the prize—better
health and maybe some dollars too!
You will still have negative thoughts and emotions—that’s being
human. The difference is you can have them without the usual
self-sabotaging behaviors that have typically accompanied them. You can
feel lonely, bored, scared or whatever resulted in your mindlessly
munching on a whole bag of cookies in the past. A healthy response
is to acknowledge those feelings and surf the urges and cravings
(compassionately observe them) without giving in to them.

Yes, your feelings and food cravings will pass if you don’t feed them.

Doing so will give you confidence.
Start by defining what you want your life to be:
Is your daily behavior consistent with your values? The good news is
that IS what IS in your control.
Learn to step back and observe your automatic emotions in response to
stressful events rather than being consumed by them (and consuming
food/alcohol to numb them out).
Remove the self-limiting beliefs that stand in the way of your living a life you value.
Act in ways that promote better results for you. You may have to
behave in ways that are opposite to how you’ve been acting. It’s
likely to be uncomfortable at first.

Keep your eye on the prize at all times.

Do you need an attitude adjustment to get there?

When the prize is weight loss and improved health and well-being, here are some ways to reframe your thinking:
Go from: “I have too much weight to lose—I’ll never be able to do it” to
“I CAN always lose 5 pounds” (a way to break down larger weight loss goals
into manageable chunks).
Reframe, “I don’t care,” to “I’m feeling overwhelmed today, but I do still value
being able to hike with my friends, so I’m going to meet them at the trailhead like I said I would.”
Acknowledge the thought, “Life is rough, I’m going to treat myself
today,” and remind yourself that cupcakes are a mistreat not a treat.
“Treating myself means lowering my stress—I’ll go for a massage
instead.”
“I don’t feel like it,” can be looked at through a more positive lens—”Even
though I don’t feel like it, I can do it anyway—it’s when I need it the most.”
Don’t let failed past diet attempts derail your efforts now.
Take it as a call to action to do something different than you’ve done before.
The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can
alter his life by altering his attitudes. ~William James
Keep your eye on the prize at all times. You are your values…live them!!!
The ACT ideas in this blog were adapted from The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Depression by Strosahl and Robinson.

Have a great week!

-Ellen
Ellen Resnick is a psychotherapist in private practice in San Francisco and Redwood City, California. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and incorporates the use of mindfulness into the treatment of depression, anxiety, and emotional overeating. She runs a holistic weight loss program called Center for Thoughtful Weight Loss, www.thoughtfulweightloss.com. You can email Ellen at ellen@thoughtfulweightloss.com and follow her on Twitter at @thoughtfullellen.
Copyright © 2011 Ellen N. Resnick, LCSW

Ice Cream Makes You Happy (Until it Doesn’t)

Wouldn’t it be great if the messages that we’re bombarded with everyday
encouraged us to make healthy choices instead of so blatantly sabotaging our efforts?
For all of us who are using challenges to lose weight, happiness
is being re-framed. In the past we may have defined joy as coming from the momentary pleasure of a huge banana split or a giant piece of chocolate layer cake.

Sure they taste good, but we know where that got us!

Now that we’ve looked at our values-inspired reasons to lose weight, our definition of happiness is probably quite different.

The true definition of happiness is those things that provide meaning, purpose and pleasure.

Time to think out of the (ice) box!

Here are some non-food activities that often bring happiness (some
even expend calories):

• Dancing to your favorite band
• Listening to live music
• Hanging out with friends
• Reading a good book
• Watching children play
• Hiking in nature
• Going to a symphony
• Reading the Sunday Times with a good cup of coffee
• Taking fun photos
• Doing volunteer work
• Writing or reading poetry

And, hey, be sure to enjoy some ice cream now and then if you truly love it. It’s OK.
But to reach your weight loss and other life goals…

Keep your eye on the prize!

If you’re happy and you know it, what do you do?

Have a great week!

—Ellen

Ellen is a psychotherapist in private practice in San Francisco and Redwood City, California. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and incorporates the use of mindfulness into the treatment of depression, anxiety, and emotional overeating. She runs a holistic weight loss program called Center for Thoughtful Weight Loss, www.thoughtfulweightloss.com. You can email Ellen at ellen@thoughtfulweightloss.com and follow her on Twitter at @thoughtfullellen.

Copyright © 2011 Ellen N. Resnick, LCSW

Exclusive Video: Shrink and Naan—Enjoy Great New Restaurants and Still Lose Weight!

I don’t know about you but I love trying new restaurants—especially ethnic restaurants with great reviews.
Last night my friend Pat and I went out for Indian food in San Francisco to demonstrate how to wisely choose a meal out and love it!

Here’s the video: Shrink and Naan

Why Naan? Because there was none. We looked up the calories online for all of our choices (before ordering) and decided “Nah, it’s not worth it.”
We chose the Tandoori Chicken (skinless) for our protein, the Dahl (lentils) for our whole grain, a small portion of rice for our starch/carbohydrate, and the grilled eggplant for our vegetable.

A few lessons learned:

Pat read steamed rice and lentil patties to mean they were both steamed. You’ll see her great laugh in the video as I explained that only the rice was steamed in that dish and the patties are likely fried. It’s important to read menus carefully—restaurants are not typically watching out for your waistline.
As for fried foods, you can hear the sizzling sound of grease in the background—a warning that we had to be careful. And we were… We wisely chose no cream or cheese, and of course, nothing fried.
I knew there was no alcohol, so we didn’t need to struggle with those extra calories or disinhibiting effects. Whew!
We had a great time—wonderful conversation, and truly fabulous spicy food. We left satisfied in all ways and promised to meet up again soon for our next adventure.
So next time you dine out, be sure to curry favor with your health by checking out the nutrition facts about your choices before you sit down to order.

Have a great week!

-Ellen
Ellen is a psychotherapist in private practice in San Francisco and Redwood City, California. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and incorporates the use of mindfulness into the treatment of depression, anxiety, and emotional overeating. She runs a holistic weight loss program called Center for Thoughtful Weight Loss, www.thoughtfulweightloss.com. You can email Ellen at ellen@thoughtfulweightloss.com and follow her on Twitter at @thoughtfullellen.
Copyright © 2011 Ellen N. Resnick, LCSW

Exclusive Video: Shrink and Groove—Back to School and Healthy Routines

Now that the mayhem of summer is over, it’s time to get back on schedule and back to your healthy living plan. For some families, summer provides more relaxed time, but for most people that wonderful lack of structure creates somewhat of a free for all when it comes to following a healthy diet. Whichever category you fall into, September is here! It’s back to school and back to healthy living.
In today’s video, Pat from San Francisco navigates the big challenges during the school year:

• Getting everyone ready (including yourself) in the morning;
• Planning breakfast with realistic expectations for what you have time to prepare;
• Eating breakfast mindfully, and not in the car during drop off;
• Making lunches for you and your kids the night before;
• Being sure to make time for preparing your own lunch so you don’t end up at the “roach coach” out of ease;
• Dinner also needs to be planned ahead to avoid rushing to get food ready while nagging kids to do their homework;
• Making time for you and your children to exercise, whether it’s organized sports or bike riding;
• Carefully choosing healthy snack foods to keep in the house.

TRY THESE OTHER GREAT TIPS:
Avoid grazing and nibbling while preparing meals.
Simple, easy-to-prepare meals are fine. They don’t need to be gourmet—just nutritious and satisfying.
Helpful information suggested by the American Academy of Pediatrics:
Try to get your child’s school to stock healthy choices such as fresh fruit, low-fat dairy products, water, and 100 percent fruit juice in the vending machines. Each 12-ounce soft drink contains approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar and 150 calories. Drinking just one can of soda a day increases a child’s risk of obesity by 60%. Restrict your child’s soft drink consumption.
Research shows that children who eat healthier meals get higher grades. Groovy, eh?
Have a great week!
—Ellen
Ellen is a psychotherapist in private practice in San Francisco and Redwood City, California. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and incorporates the use of mindfulness into the treatment of depression, anxiety, and emotional overeating. She runs a holistic weight loss program called Center for Thoughtful Weight Loss, www.thoughtfulweightloss.com. You can email Ellen at ellen@thoughtfulweightloss.com and follow her on Twitter at @thoughtfullellen.
Copyright © 2011 Ellen N. Resnick, LCSW

The Little Emperor Syndrome

Hi everybody!

I’m here in BEIJING, CHINA, this week, touring, and learning about the obesity epidemic.
Beijing’s childhood obesity rates are quickly approaching those of the US and other Western countries. Rates have increased 24.4% over the last decade alone. Beijing has the highest rates of childhood obesity in all of China.
Annie Wei wrote this in the newspaper Beijing Today…

“A generation ago, obesity would have been an unimaginable problem; but as the economy has grown, so have children’s waist lines.”

Here are some of the reasons why:

1. POOR DIET (many people eat too much meat and too few vegetables, fruits and fibers);

2. LACK OF EXERCISE and increased sedentary activities such as watching TV or using the computer;

3. POOR SLEEP (due to academic pressures and extra-curricular demands).

These are all related to greater odds of being overweight—just like in the U.S.

Cindy, our tour guide, told us that there are no summer vacations, just more school and after-school programs to make children more competitive when they graduate. There is no bicycle riding like when she was a kid for fitness or fun.
Jie Mi, director of epidemiology at Capital Institute of Pediatrics says that the causes of the non-healthy lifestyle are complicated in China. She reports that “Some children are unaware of what is healthy, some have never had a healthy lifestyle, and others abandon it due to school pressures.” Mi suggests Western culture and affluence are responsible for many unhealthy eating habits, such as fast food, carbonated drinks, and fried food. Even diets in China that include a lot of vegetables are causing weight gain.

 WHY?

BECAUSE THEY ARE OFTEN DEEP FRIED OR STIR FRIED IN EXCESS OIL.
Parents’ awareness of their children’s obesity is affected by their own education level, and whether they themselves are obese or not. More educated parents, who are likely also wealthier, may be able to afford fast food, which is cheap in America, but not so much in China. Also, overweight children may be underreporting their intake of unhealthy food. Educated parents who are not obese are better able to assess their children’s situation.

Grandparents also play a role in the epidemic.

50% of urban Chinese children are raised by grandparents who often over-feed their offspring. Their attitudes developed when food resources were scarce. They believed that heavy eating early in childhood made children strong and protected their health and nutrition. Similar to US grandparents, they express love with food and use food as rewards for educational achievement. Also similar to the US, food is used to soothe emotions.
Ironically, Chinese peasants ate a very healthy diet. The super heart-saving Asian diet has won the approval of many nutrition experts because it emphasizes plant-based, rather than animal-based, foods.
To combat childhood obesity in Beijing, local authorities are considering introducing BMI checks and weight-management methods into schools.
It seems clear that as the influence of Western civilization grows, so do our stomachs.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Following a traditional peasant eating pattern may just be the path to sound health and a long life.

“If we don’t change our direction, we’re likely to end up where we’re headed.”
—Chinese Proverb

Have a happy, healthy week everybody!

-Ellen

Ellen is a psychotherapist in private practice in San Francisco and Redwood City, California. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and incorporates the use of mindfulness into the treatment of depression, anxiety, and emotional overeating. She runs a holistic weight loss program called Center for Thoughtful Weight Loss, www.thoughtfulweightloss.com.
You can email Ellen at ellen@thoughtfulweightloss.com
Copyright © 2011 Ellen N. Resnick, LCSW

Shrink & Nosh: Eat Pancakes Mindfully

This week is the third episode of my new video series using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for permanent weight loss. In this one, “Shrink and Nosh,” I explore some great tools for maintaining your weight-loss goals while dining out.
Today, I review dining-out guidelines with my guest Evan, who admits to being part of the clean plate club. He’s learning how to determine appropriate portion sizes, be more mindful, and thoroughly enjoy his food.

You can too!

Although some restaurants are now required to post calories on their menus, there’s a controversy about the accuracy in these listings. Click here to read a recent interesting article about this.

Ellen’s tip:

My rule of thumb is to add 100 calories to what restaurants post as a buffer. Hmmm, that’s an easy 10-pound weight gain per year if you’re not paying attention!!
Now watch below to see how you can best savor incredible oatmeal pancakes. Oh, and by the way, Ellen measured the calories from the actual batter mix, not from a website or menu posting. Enjoy!

Stay tuned for our next video episode!

You CAN lose weight and get fit and still enjoy some of your favorite restaurant foods!

See you next time!
-Ellen
Would you like to be my next guest? Do you have any questions on
weight loss you would like me to answer? Email me at
ellen@thoughtfulweightloss.com.

You Only Live Once...!

"You only live once....!"

Tonight my husband and I went out for dinner in an Italian restaurant
and saw the saying, "You only live once...cheers!" on the dessert
menu.  It struck my eye since I was planning to write about how
chronic dieters use self deception as the topic for my blog entry this week.

Dr. Judith Beck, author of The Beck Diet Solution Weight Loss Workbook,
states that self-deluding thinking means, "You tell yourself things
that you don't really believe at other times." Actually, rationalization
 is one of Freud's original defense mechanisms. It involves explaining an
unacceptable behavior in a rational or logical manner, avoiding the true reasons for the
behavior.

It's easy to rationalize your behaviors on a Friday night. Thoughts
like, "I deserve a treat- its been a rough week," are common. Because
we are human and especially vulnerable after a long week,  I
encourage my weight loss clients to practice regular mind/body scans
and ask these important  three questions often, and especially in
potentially triggering situations -- "What am I thinking, what am I feeling
 and what is it I REALLY need
right now?”  With these seemingly simple questions you can go from
making unconscious, self defeating choices, to mindful awareness,
resulting in choices that reflect your true intentions and values (and keep you  on your weight loss plan).

While "You only live once" is true, (unless of course you're a cat),
many chronic dieters interpret this to mean, "It's OK to have the veal
parmigiana and fries with gelato for dessert."  This may not happen
daily, but when it occurs with any regularity you are building up what
Beck calls  the "giving in muscle". She says that recognizing and
correcting inaccurate thoughts is an essential skill to master to
lose weight and keep it off  for the long haul.  She also calls it
"building up the resistance muscle".


How often do you rationalize unhealthy or unplanned food choices?

How often do you eat a larger portion size than you'd planned?

How often do you say, "It's okay this once" ?

Have you noticed that "this once" becomes too often, and suddenly
you're back where you started or worse?

When you find yourself saying, "It's okay because...." you may be on a
slippery slope.  Can you identify the different ways you finish that
sentence?

In cognitive therapy for permanent weight loss we call those sabotaging thoughts..  Another
way to think about them is as harmful thoughts.  With practice you can
learn to identify your harmful thoughts and replace them with helpful
thoughts.  Writing down your sabotaging thoughts on one side of a 3 x
5 card and noting the helpful response to it on the other side is a
helpful tool.  You may not need this tool every day to stay on track;
but if your helpful responses are well rehearsed, you'll  be able to
call them up on a day that is challenging, i.e. when you may feel
lonely, bored, sad, frustrated, etc.

So next time the menu says, "You only live once....cheers", replace it in your mind with, "Yes,
so I'll have the  broiled salmon with steamed vegetables," so that
this one life you have to live is healthy and joyful for as long as
possible.  Oh, by the way, when the waiter asked about dessert, I
happily said, "Coffee please."

Email Ellen at ellen@thoughtfulweightloss.com and learn what to do about What’s Eating You.

Ellen is a psychotherapist in private practice in San Francisco and Redwood City, California. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and incorporates the use of mindfulness into the treatment of depression, anxiety, and emotional overeating. She runs a holistic weight loss program called Center for Thoughtful Weight Loss, www.thoughtfulweightloss.com.

Copyright © 2010  Ellen N. Resnick, LCSW