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“Anabsolutemustforanyonewhowantstolearnhowtoloseweightpermanently.ItisthefirstfatlossbookIhavereadthatIcannotfaultordisagreewith.”

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The DIET DROPOUT’S Guide to

NaturalWeightLoss

HowtoFind

YourEasiestPathtoNaturallyThin

StanSpencer,Ph.D.

FINE LIFE BOOKS

TheDietDropout’sGuidetoNaturalWeightLoss:HowtoFindYourEasiestPathtoNaturallyThin

Copyright©2013byStanSpencer

PublishedbyFineLifeBooks,Riverside,Californiafinelifebooks.com

Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisworkmaybereproducedinanyformwithoutwrittenpermissionfromtheauthor,exceptbyareviewer,whomayquotebriefpassagesinareview.

ISBN978‐0‐9835717‐0‐4(paperback)ISBN978‐0‐9835717‐1‐1(ebook)

LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2011928360

1.0

Thisbookcontainstheopinionsandideasoftheauthor.Nothinginthisbookisintendedtoconstituteorreplacemedicalorprofessionaladvice.Consultamedicalprofessionalregardingyourspecificdietary,exercise,andmentalhealthneeds.Thepublisherandauthorspecificallydisclaimallresponsibilityforanyliability,loss,orrisk that is incurredasaconsequenceof theapplicationofanyof thecontentsofthisbook.

Thecupmeasurementusedintherecipesis240mL,thetablespoonis15mL,andtheteaspoonis5mL.Acalorie,asthetermisusedincommonspeechandinthisbook,isequaltoakilocalorieorCalorie[withacapitalC],asthosetermsareusedinscientificresearch.ACalorieis4.2kilojoules.

Contents

Acknowledgements 13

Introduction 15

1.WhytheWeight? 17ALessActiveLifestyle 17TheFatteningFoodEnvironment 18TheSolution 20

2.WhyDietsFail 23

3.EmotionalEating(AndHowtoQuit) 25FocusonthePresent 26RelaxYourMind 27ThinkHealthfully 32InteractSocially 37DoSomethingProductive 38

4.BeatTemptation(WithMinimalWillpower) 41TwoKeystoAvoidingTemptations 41NineWaystoCalmCravings 43HowtoKeepaSlipfromBecomingaBinge 51

SelfTherapyforCravings 51

5.HowItAddsUp 55TheSimpleMathofWeightLoss 55MetabolismMadeEasy 56WhatMakesYourMetabolismUnique? 57

6.EatLess(WithoutGoingHungry) 59EatMoreNaturalWeightlossFoods 60EataSolidBreakfast,Lunch,andDinner 66EatLessJunkFood 67EatJunkFoodOnlywithMeals 72EatMindfully 73LimitRestaurantMeals 74GetEnoughSleep 75WatchLessTelevision 76

7.BeActive(WithoutWastingTime) 79TurnWorkandPlayintoExercise 80GetAwayfromtheScreen 81

8.BoostYourMetabolism(WithoutDrugs) 83

9.Myths 87

10.YourEasiestPath(56WaystoWeighLess) 95AsSimpleas1,2,3 95NaturallyThinHabits 97MeasuringSuccess 99

AppendixA.SimpleVegetableRecipes 101RoastedVegetables 102VegetablesinFriedEggs 102SteamedVegetables 103SteamedGreens 103

DippedVegetables 104Stir‐FriedVegetables 104MintandHoneyCarrots 104FunGreenSalads 105InstantTomatoSoup 106GardenVegetableSoup 106BakedWinterSquash 106

AppendixB.SimpleWholeGrainRecipes 107SeasonedBrownBasmatiRice 108BrownBasmatiRiceforBreakfast 108Oatmeal 109FriedOatmeal 109LightandCrunchyGranola 110HulledMillet 110Bulgur 111

AppendixC.SimpleYogurtRecipes 113EasyHomeMadeYogurt 114GreekYogurt 115Tzatziki(CucumberYogurtSauce) 115Low‐FatYogurtDiporSauce 115Low‐FatYogurtSaladDressing 116QuickLightSaladDressing 116YogurtParfait 116YogurtFruitDiporFruitSalad 116MangoLassi(MangoYogurtDrink) 117YogurtChickenStroganoff 117

References 119

Index 131

Introduction

Thisisnotadietbook.Youcanloseweightonalmostanydiet.Butdietsend,andwhentheydo,theweightreturns.This book is about natural, permanent weight loss. Natural

weightlosssimplyconsistsofchangingthesituations,habits,andthoughtpatternsthathavecausedyoutogainweightinthefirstplace.Ifyoumakethosechangespermanent,yourweightlosswillbepermanentalso.That’sit.Youdon’tneedsupplements,speciallyformulatedshakes,deliveredmeals,drugs,surgery,fancyexerciseequipment,oranyotherweightlossproduct.Youdon’tevenneedtotrackcalories,followdetailedmealplans,orlearncomplexrecipes.Ifyourancestorscouldbethinwithoutfollowingaspecialdietorbuyingthelatestweightlossproduct,youcantoo.Hundreds of scientific studies relevant to naturalweight loss

havebeenconductedoverthepastfewyears.Thisbooktakesthemostusefulinformationfromthosestudiesandpresentsitsimply,cutting through diet hype and weight loss myths to providescientificallysupportedfactsandpracticaladviceforlastingweightloss.Intheshorttimeitwilltakeyoutoreadthisbook,youwilllearn

thinkingandlifestylehabitsthatwillallowyourbodytonaturallyslim down. With this information, you will be able to create apersonalizedweightlossplan—yourowneasiestpathtonaturally

16 NATURALWEIGHTLOSS

thin—in about five minutes. As you follow this path, you willgraduallystopgainingweightandstartlosingit.Andthebestpartis,because of the permanent lifestyle changes you aremaking, theweightwon’tcomeback!

Isthisbookagoodmatchforyou?Itprobablyisif…

o youwanttogettotherootoftheproblemandaddresstherealreasonsforyourweightgain,whetherpoorfoodchoices,slowmetabolism,emotionaleating,out‐of‐controlcravings,orlackofexercise;

o youwanttoloseweightpermanently,evenifittakesawhile;and

o youappreciatebooksthatarebriefandtothepoint.

Thisbookmaynotbeagoodmatchforyouif…

o youarelookingforadietorexerciseplan;o yourmaingoalistoloseweightquickly,eveniftheweight

eventuallycomesback;oro youpreferbookswritteninabreezy,conversationalstyle.

1 WhytheWeight?

Ifthisweretheearly1960sinsteadofthe2010s,youmightnotneedaweightlossbook.Mostpeoplewerethinthen.Notnow.Evenwithallthedietingwedo,morethantwothirdsof

USadultsarenowoverweight,andtherateofobesityhasalmosttripledsince1960.1Theextraweightisn’tnatural,norisithealthy.Itnotonlyaffects

our looks and physical abilities but also increases the risks ofdeveloping diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure,gallbladderdisease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, high cholesterol,complicationsofpregnancy,menstrualirregularities,andcancersoftheuterus,breast,colon,andkidney.1Sowhatisbehindthisweightgainepidemic?

ALessActiveLifestyle

Our bodies were designed for manual labor and long‐distancewalking. Many of us, in contrast, enjoy door‐to‐door motorizedtransportation to and from a desk job, followed by hours oftelevisionorotherpassiveentertainment.Suchalifestylenotonlyburnsfewcaloriesbutcanalsoencourageustoeatmorethanwewouldifkeptbusybyphysicalactivities.


TheFatteningFoodEnvironment

Beforeprocessedfoodsbecamethenorm,ourancestorsfilledtheirdinnerplateswithminimallyprocessedvegetables,fruits,andwholegrains. Meats were unprocessed and lean. These natural foods,combinedwithanactivelifestyle,promotedaslim,healthybody.Incontrasttothehealthyfoodsenjoyedbyourancestors, the

foodsonourgrocerystoreshelvesareoftenhighlyprocessedandhaveaddedfatandsugar.Theseprocessedfoodsarepackedwithcalories,andsoconvenientandtemptingthatit’seasytoeattoomuch of them.2,3 As a result, the average adult today eatsmorecaloriesthaninpastdecades.Mostoftheseextracaloriescomefromcarbohydrates‐rich foods such as sweets, soft drinks, potatoproducts,pizza,bread,pasta,andwhiterice.4,5

The average adult today eats more calories than in past decades.

Therearetenimportantaspectsofourfoodenvironmentthatencourageustoeattoomuch.

FoodsthatDon’tSatisfyFoodprocessingandtheadditionofsugarsproducecalorie‐heavy,low‐nutrient,low‐fiberfoodsthatdigestquickly.Thesefoodsleaveuswith loadsofcalories,soon‐emptystomachs,andcravingsformore.

HighlyPalatableFoodsHighlypalatableisatermusedbyscientistsforfoodsthattastesogoodthatwearetemptedtoeatthemevenwhenourstomachsarefull.Mostoftheseareprocessedfoodshighinfat,sugar,orrefined

1|WHYTHEWEIGHT? 19

flour.Such foodshavebecomemoreabundantandaffordable inrecentdecades,resultingingreatertemptationstoovereat.Weofteneat these foods not because we are hungry but for comfort orpleasure.Highly palatable foods affect the parts of the brain that are

responsible for drug addiction and cravings.6 The authors of ascientific studyof thebrain’s response tohighlypalatable foodsconcluded that “overconsumption of palatable food triggersaddiction‐like…responsesinbrainrewardcircuitsanddrivesthedevelopmentofcompulsiveeating.”7Inotherwords,junkfoodcanbeaddictive.

CalorieHeavyFoodsWhilethevegetables,freshfruits,andwholegrainsourancestorsatewerehighinnutrientsandlowincalories,theprocessedfoodsthat fill our grocery store shelves are just theopposite—high incaloriesandlowinnutrients.Thismeansatypicalmealofmodernprocessedfoodshasmorecaloriesthanweneed,andoftentoofewnutrients.Calorie‐heavyfoodsarebelievedtobeamajorfactorintheweightgainepidemic.8

FoodthatisConspicuousandConvenientThereisinexpensive,ready‐to‐eatfoodalmosteverywherewego.Wehavecandyjarsatworkandcookiejarsathome.Westockourrefrigerators with soft drinks and our pantries with packagedsnacks.Justseeingjunkfoodcanmakeushungry,andfoodwithineasyreachishardertoresistthanfoodthatrequiresalittlemoreefforttoobtain.9,10Eatingtoomuchhasneverbeeneasier.

LargePortionsIntheUS,portionsizesofmanyfoodshaveincreasedtwo‐tofive‐foldsincethe1970s.11Wetendtokeepeatinguntiltheportioninfrontofusisgone,nomatterwhatitssize.Similarly,wetendtoeatmorewheneatingasnackfooddirectlyoutofalargepackage(suchasabagofpotatochips)thanwhenservedindividualportions.10


PassiveEntertainmentTelevision,movies,andreadingburnveryfewcalories.Theyalsoencourageneedlesseating.Ifweeatduringsuchentertainment,ourdistractionwiththestorylinecancauseustocontinueeatingpastthepointatwhichwewouldnormallybesatisfied.10

ConvenientSubstitutesforWaterSugar‐sweetenedandalcoholicbeveragessuchassoftdrinks,sportsdrinks, fruit drinks, juices, and beer are readily available in ourhomesandelsewhere.Thesedrinksquicklyaddcalorieswithoutlasting satisfaction.Their consumption isbelieved tobeamajorfactorintheweightgainepidemic.2,12

DeceptiveLabelsandAdvertisingApictureofaslenderathleteonapackageoffreshfruitmightmakesense.Thesamepictureonan“energybar”consistingmostlyofcornsyrupandpuffedricedoesnot.Advertisementsoftengiveinaccurateperceptionsofthehealthbenefitsoffoodstheyarepromoting.

UnhealthySnackFoodsCommon snack foods tend tobehigher in calories and lower innutrientsthanthekindsoffoodsusuallyeatenwithmeals.12Theyarequicktoaddcaloriesbutslowtosatisfy.

RestaurantsWeeatoutmorenowthanindecadespast.12Restaurantfoodtendsto be higher in calories and served in larger portions than foodcookedathome.Asaresult,onerestaurantmealmighthaveenoughcaloriesforanentireday.

TheSolution

Thinkof fatasacollectionofbadhabits.Lose the fat‐promotinghabits,andyouwilllosethefat.Eachtimeyougiveuponeofthesebadhabits(allotherthingsbeingequal),youwilllosefatuntilyour

1|WHYTHEWEIGHT? 21

bodynaturallysettlesatalowerweight.Atthatpointyouwillneedtogiveupanotherbadhabittolosemoreweightandkeepitoff.

Think of fat as a collection of bad habits.

Permanentweightlossrequirespermanentlifestylechanges.13Theinformationinthisbookwillhelpyoureplacebadhabitswithgoodonesandmakethelifestylechangesrequiredforlastingweightloss. You will learn how small adjustments in your eating andexercisehabitscanresultinabigdifferenceinbodyfatovertime,whymanyofthethingsyouhearaboutgainingorlosingweightarefalse,andwhypopulardietsrarelyproducepermanentweightloss.Youwillalsolearnhowtochangeyourpersonalenvironmentsoit’sno longer fattening, boost your metabolism without drugs orsupplements,giveyourbodytheexerciseitneedswithoutwastingtime,eatfewercalorieswithoutcountingthemorgoinghungry,andbeattemptationwiththewillpoweryoualreadyhave.Often, the hardest part of forming new habits is just getting

started.WatchfortheQuickStart Tipsasyoureadthroughthebook.Theywillpromptyoutopauseandtakesolidstepsdownthepathtoyournaturallythinpotential.

2 WhyDietsFail

Besidesemptyingyourpocketbook,themainproblemwithmostpopulardietsisthattheygiveyouanexcusetoprocrastinatethepermanentchangesinlifestyleandthinkingthatarerequiredforlastingweightloss.1Youcanloseweightwithanydietthatrestrictscalories,andall

youhavetodotokeeptheweightoffisstayonthediet.Inreality,most diets are so unpleasant, inconvenient, boring, confusing,complex,orexpensivethattheyaredifficulttostickwithforverylong.2 As you fall back into old habits, theweight returns. Afterslippingbacktothesameoldweighttwoorthreetimes,youstarttobelievethatitmustbeyour“natural”weight,andyouquittryingaltogether.

Most diets are difficult to stick with for very long.

AgroupofUniversityofCaliforniaresearchersreviewedmanyscientificstudiesofthelong‐termeffectsofdieting.Theyfoundthatmost of theweightdieters lostwas regainedwithin fouror five


years.Infact,inamajorityoftheappropriatestudiestheyanalyzed,ahistoryofdietingappearedtoleadtomoreweightgain,notless,over time.Theyconcluded thatdieterswhomanage tokeep theweightoff “are therareexceptionrather than therule”and that“thereislittlesupportforthenotionthatdietsleadtolastingweightlossorhealthbenefits.”3Tophealthexpertsagreethatlastingweightlossformostpeople

isbestaccomplishedbymakingpermanentchangesineatinghabitsandphysicalactivity.4Changinghabitstakestime,butwithoutreallifestylechanges,anyweightyoulosewillsoonreturn.

3 EmotionalEating

(AndHowtoQuit)

Whenwe eat highlypalatable foods (foodshigh in fat, sugar, orrefinedflour),ourbrain’srewardcircuitryisactivated,producingpleasure and desire.1,2 The pleasure and desire motivated ourancestorstoloaduponhigh‐caloriefoodsintimesofplentyinordertosurvivetimesoffoodscarcity.Thisisthesamerewardcircuitrythatisinvolvedindrugaddiction.3,4Whenwearesurroundedbyhighlypalatablefoods,it’seasyto

overusethisrewardcircuitry.Weusethenaturalhighsthatthesefoodsgiveustocomfortourselveswhenwearestressed,anxious,angry,bored,restless,sad,frustrated,afraid,ordepressed.Weofteneat,notbecausewearehungry,buttoregulateouremotions.Thisiscalled selfmedicating or emotional eating. While using food foremotionalcomfortonceinawhileisnotnecessarilyabadthing,makingahabitoutofitisarecipeforcontinuedweightgain.Finding better ways to regulate your emotions can help you

overcomeahabitofemotionaleating.Inthischapteryouwilllearnfiveways to improveyouremotionalwellbeing: focusingon thepresent,mentalrelaxation,healthythinking,socialinteraction,anddoingsomethingproductive.


FocusonthePresent

Harvardpsychologyresearchersdidastudytofindoutwhatkindsofthoughtsandactivitiesmakepeoplehappy.OvertwothousandiPhoneusersparticipatedinthestudy.TheresearcherscreatedaniPhoneapptoprompttheparticipantsatrandomtimesastheywentabouttheirdailylives.5Eachtimetheywerepromptedbytheapp,the participants were to report about what they were doing,thinking,andfeeling.Participantswhohadbeenmentallyfocusedonwhatevertheyweredoingorexperiencinggenerallyreportedfeelinghappierthanthosewhosemindshadbeenwandering.Evendaydreamingaboutpleasanttopicswaslessoftenassociatedwithhappinessthanwasfocusingonthepresenttaskorexperience.Whetheryouareatyourjob,doinghousework,playingasport,or

taking a walk, focusing your mind on your present activity orexperiencecanhelpelevateyourmood.As you focus on the present, try to keep an accepting,

nonjudgementalattitudetowardwhateveryouareexperiencingatthemoment.Thisiscalledmindfulness.Mindfulnesshasbeentaughtin Eastern traditions for centuries, and is increasingly used inWesternmedicineandtherapyfortreatmentofanxiety,depression,addictions,eatingdisorders,andstress‐relatedconditions.6Youcanpracticepresentfocus,ormindfulness,nowbytakinga

momentto lookaroundandnoticethecolors,sounds,andotherdetails of your environment. As you become caught up in thepresent,youfreeyourmindfromtheworriesandunhealthythoughtpatternsthatdepressyourmood.Here’showtomakepresentfocuspartofyourdailylife:

o Whenyouareactivelyengagedinatask,keepyourmindonthattaskinsteadoflettingyourthoughtswander.

o When you are not actively engaged in a task, focus yourthoughts on whatever you are experiencing or on yoursurroundings.

3|EMOTIONALEATING 27

o Themost difficult part of focusing on the present is justrememberingtodoit.Youcanuseacardlikethesampleoneattheendofthechapterasareminder.Placeitwhereyouwillseeitoften,andmoveitaroundeverydayortwosoitdoesn’tfadeintothebackground.

RelaxYourMind

Whenyouareinastressfulsituation,yourbodyexperiencesastressresponse or “fight or flight” response.Yourheart rate andbloodpressureincrease,yourairpassagesopenup,andglucosepoursintoyourbloodstream.Bloodvesselsthatfeedyourskinanddigestivesystemconstrict,sendingextrabloodtoyourmuscles,heart,andbrain.Yourbodyandmindarepreparedforaction.Youareonedge,readytofightorflee.7Thestressresponseisanaturalpartofyourmakeup.Itenables

you to focus your physical and mental abilities in a suddendangerousorchallengingsituation.Theconstantactivationofthestress response, however, is not natural, and can cause variousmentalandphysicalproblems.8Yourbodyalsohasarelaxationresponsethatopposesthestress

response.Therelaxationresponseoccursnaturallywhenyourmindis at ease, but it can’t occurwhenyou areworrying, judging, oranalyzing.Youcandeliberatelyproducetherelaxationresponsebyfreeingyourmindfromthesekindsofthoughts.Onewaytodothisisbymeditating.Activitiessuchassleeping,loungingaround,andwatchingtelevisionareoftenlesshelpfulbecausetheymaynotfreeyourmindfromdisturbingorarousingthoughts.Regularactivationoftherelaxationresponsecanreducestress,

anxiety,anddepression,andpromotehealingfromstress‐relatedphysical illnesses.8,9 Daily mental relaxation will increase yourabilitytotoleratethestressfuleventsinyourlifeastheyoccur,soyouarelesstemptedtoturntofoodforcomfort.8Thereareseveralwaystoactivatetherelaxationresponse.Three

oftheeasiestandmostpowerfultechniquesaresensoryfocus,basic


meditation, and repetitive physical exercise. These all involvefocusingyourmindonsomethingsimpleandnon‐arousing.Thisgivestheintellectualandemotionalfunctionsofyourbrainabreak,allowingtherelaxationresponsetooccur.Here’showtogetstartedonamorerelaxinglifestyle:

1. Readtherestofthissection,thenchooseamentalrelaxationtechnique (sensory focus, basic meditation, or repetitivephysicalexercise)andmakeitadailyhabit.

2. The most difficult part of daily relaxation may be justrememberingtodoit.Tomakethateasier,chooseasettimeeach day for your relaxation session, such as after yourmorningshowerorduringanafternoonbreak.

3. Toallowtherelaxationresponsetofullyengage,makeyourdailyrelaxationsessionlastforatleasttwelveminutes.9Ifyoudon’thavetimeforatwelve‐minutesession,doatleastafive‐minutesessionsoyoudon’tgetoutofthehabit.

4. Useoneormoreof thesementalrelaxationtechniquestocalmyourselfanytimeyoustarttofeelstressedoranxiousthroughouttheday.

SensoryFocusSensory focus is a way of doing present focus (as discussedpreviously)inwhichyoulimityourfocustoaphysicalsensationorperception.Youarepracticingsensoryfocuswhenyouareengrossedbythe

colors of a sunset, carried away by the sounds of oceanwaves,enjoyingthewarmthofabath,orlisteningtocalminginstrumentalmusicsimplytoenjoyit,withoutanalyzingorjudgingit.Theobjectofyourfocus,however,doesn’tneedtobeasspectacularasasunsetoroceanwaves.Herearesomesimplerwaystodosensoryfocus:

o Closeyoureyesforafewminutesandlistentothesoundsinyourenvironment.


o Lookaround.Noticethecolorsandtexturesoftheobjectsthatsurroundyou.

o Touchwithyourfingertipsthevarioussurfaceswithinyourreach,noticingthetextureandtemperatureofeach.Slideyourfingersalongeachsurfaceandnoticeanychangesinformortexture.Youcandothisasyousitinyourparkedcar,touchingthedashboard,steeringwheel,seatupholstery,anddoor.

o Focusonthesensationsorrhythmofyourbreathing.

Asyoursensoryfocusdisplacesthoughtsofotherthings,youwillbegin to relax. Inevitably, however, yourmindwill wander andthoughts of other matters will intrude, especially as you arebeginning.Insteadofanalyzingortryingtosuppressthesethoughts,simplythink,“Ohwell,”andreturnyourattentiontoyoursensoryfocus.9Don’tworryabouthowwellyouaredoing.Theimportantthingistojustkeepreturningyourattentiontoyoursensoryfocuswheneveryourmindwanders.

Daily mental relaxation will increase your ability to tolerate the stressful events in your life as they occur.

Progressivemusclerelaxationisanotherformofsensoryfocus.Itconsistsoffocusingonthefeelingsoftensionandrelaxationinyourmuscles as you flex and relax differentmuscle groups. Start bytensingthemusclesinyourtoesandfeetforafewseconds.Nowletthemrelax,noticingthereleaseoftension.Dothesamewiththemusclesofyourcalves,thighs,abdomen,hands,arms,shoulders,neck,andface,tensingandthenrelaxingeachsetofmusclesinturn.


BasicMeditationMeditationissustainedmentalfocusonathoughtorsensation.Ifyourmeditationistobementallyrelaxing,thethoughtorsensationshould be neutral or positive. The relaxation response occursnaturallyasyourmeditationclearsyourmindofthethoughtsandworriesthatkeepyouinastressedstate.Basic meditation is simply a particular way of doing sensory

focus:itisusuallydonebyfocusingonyourbreathingwhilesittinginaquietplacewithyoureyesclosed.Before you begin basicmeditation, itmay be helpful to do a

minuteortwoofprogressivemusclerelaxation.Thiswillhelpyougetphysicallycomfortable.Itwillalsohelpyoubreakawayfromyourcurrenttrainofthoughtandtransitionintoyourmeditation.When you are comfortable, begin yourmeditation session by

directingyourattentiontoyourbreathing.Noticeeachbreathasitentersandthenleavesyourbody.Don’ttrytocontrolyourrateofbreathing.Itwillbecomesloweronitsownasyourelax.Wheneveryourmindwanders,think,“Ohwell,”andreturnyourattentiontoyourbreathing.

Meditation is sustained mental focus on a thought or sensation.

Youcanhelpyourselfmaintainfocusduringbasicmeditationbysilentlysayingapositiveorneutralfocusword,suchaspeaceorone,eachtimeyoubreatheout.Drawthefocuswordout(“onnnnne”)tomatchthelengthofthebreath.Afocuswordislikeabroomthatsweepsintrudingthoughtsfromyourmindeachtimeyourepeatit.Continuemeditating for at least twelveminutes, then remain

seatedalittlelongertoenjoythefeelingofrelaxationbeforeyougraduallytransitionintoyournextactivity.


Takeamomentnowandthenthroughoutthedaytodirectyourattentiontoyourbreathingandrecallthefeelingofrelaxationyouexperiencedduringyourmeditationsession.Ifyouarefindingitdifficulttofocusonyourbreathingduringa

meditationsession,tryfocusingontactilesensationsinstead.Placeahandonanarticleofyourclothingandslowlymoveyourfingersoneatatimeinrhythmwithyourbreathing.Asyoumoveeachfinger,noticethetextureofthefabricandrepeatyourfocusword.Whenfirsttryingbasicmeditation,mostpeopleexperienceoneof

threeoutcomes:mentalrelaxation,sleepiness,oranxiety.Mentalrelaxationis,ofcourse,thedesiredoutcome.Yourability

torelaxwhilemeditatingwillimprovewithpractice.Ifyouhavetroublestayingawake,trymeditatingatadifferent

time,andcertainlynotjustbeforebedtime.Situpandkeepyourbackstraight.Youwantapositionthatiscomfortablebutnotonethat signals to your brain that you are preparing for sleep. Bepatient.Itmaytakestrugglingthroughseveralmeditationsessionstogetyourbrainoutofthehabitofenteringsleepmodewheneveryouslowdownandcloseyoureyes.Anxietycanresultfromthethoughtsthatintrudeasyoutryto

meditate:thoughtsofthingsyouforgottodo,thingsyouwishyouhadn’tdone,thingsyouareafraidmighthappen.Everytimesuchthoughtsarise,simplyreturnyourfocustoyourbreathingorothersensoryanchor.Thisisyourtimetorelax;thoughtsofotherthingscanwait.Anxietymay also result fromworrying about howwell your

meditation is going.Don’tworry. Simply sittingdownandgoingthroughthemotionsofmeditationisbeneficial,howeverfrustratingitmaybe.Youareprobablyproducingsomerelaxation,evenifit’snotenoughtonotice.Everytimeyoupracticeyou’llgetalittlebetteratignoringthedistractingthoughtsandstayingfocused.Meditation‐based therapy has been used successfully in the

treatmentof chronicpain, stress, anxiety, anddepression.10 Theeffectsofmeditationonthebrainarerealandpersistbeyondthemeditation session. In a 2010 study, researchers usedmagnetic


resonanceimaging(MRI)tolookatthebrainsof26peoplebeforeand after participation in an eight‐week meditation class.11Participantspracticedmeditationforabouttwentyminutesadayduringtheeight‐weekperiod.Attheendoftheclass,participantsreportedthattheirstresslevelshaddecreasedsubstantially,andMRI images showed actual physical changes in an area of theirbrainsassociatedwithstressandanxiety.

RepetitivePhysicalExerciseThereisgrowingevidencethatexerciseisaneffectivetreatmentforbothdepressionandanxiety,andthatitcanprovideprotectionfromthe harmful consequences of stress12,13 The reasons for thesebenefitsaren’tentirelyclear,14butit’slikelythattheyarepartlyduetotheabilityofexercisetoactivatetherelaxationresponse.Focusing your mind on any simple, repetitive movement or

sensationcanactivatetherelaxationresponse.Withsuchafocus,exercisebecomesmeditationinmotion.Whiledoingalmostanyexercise,youcanfocusyourattentionon

thecontractionsofyourmuscles,themovementsofyourbody,orthe rhythm of your breathing. To help keep your mind free ofdistracting thoughts, repeat a focus word or phrase with eachrepetitionorstrokeofyourexercise.Work activities such as hoeing weeds, mowing a lawn, or

vacuuming a floor can also provide the simple focus needed toactivate the relaxation response. Physical activities that requireintenseconcentrationorburstsofenergy,suchasbasketballandtennis,arenotaseffective.9Formsofexercisethatemphasizemindfulness,suchasyoga,tai

chi,andqigong,maybeespeciallyhelpful.Takingaclassinoneofthesetechniquescanalsogiveyouthebenefitofgroupsupport.

ThinkHealthfully

Negative emotions such as sadness, disappointment, fear, anger,concern,andremorsearenaturalandcanserveusefulfunctionsby


motivatingustotakeaction.Often,however,weexperiencetheseemotionsneedlesslyorexcessivelybecauseofunhealthythinkinghabits.Whennegativeemotionsareextremeorchronic,theyarenothelpfulandcanincreasethetemptationtoself‐medicatewithfood.Thoughtsinfluenceemotions,andirrationalthinkingcanleadto

unhealthyemotionalstates.Whensomethingdoesn’tgoyourway,it’seasytofallintooneofthefollowingirrationalthoughtpatterns:

o Demanding fairness or justice. “That shouldn’t havehappened.”“Itwasn’tfair.”“Whyme?”Lifeoftenisn’tfair.Thingsoftenwon’tgoyourway,andpeoplewhowrongyouwilloftengounpunished,nomatterhowmuchyouseekforjustice.Expectinglifetoalwaysbefairisnotonlyirrational,butalsoaddsdisappointmenttotheinjusticesyousuffer.

o Catastrophizing.“It’sawfulthatthishappened.”Badthingshappen.Somebadthingsthathappenareworsethanothers.Whensomethingunfortunatehappens,focusingonhowbadit is doesn’t help your emotional state or your ability tohandlethesituation.It’sbettertothinkofamisfortuneintermsofshadesofgrayratherthanblackorwhite.Itcouldhavebeenbetter,butitalsocouldhavebeenworse.

o Hopelessness.“Ican’tstandit.”“Ican’thandlethis.”Thetruthis that you have been able to stand everything that hashappenedinyourlifesofar.Youarelivingproofofthat.

o Condemningorblaming.“I’msostupid.”“Whatanidiotheis.”Condemningorassigningblametoyourselforsomeoneelseusuallydoesn’tfixanything.Itneitherchangesthepastnorimproves the future. No matter who is to blame for anunfortunatesituation,youaretheoneresponsibleforyourownemotionalreactiontoit.

Asyoufreeyourselffromtheseirrationalthoughtpatternsandpracticeamorerational,healthywayofthinking,yourmentalstatewillimproveandyouwillbelesscontrolledbyemotions.Therearethreeattitudesthatcanhelpyoudevelopahabitofhealthythinking:


emotionalindependence,perspective,andacceptance.

EmotionalIndependenceYouremotionsarenotdeterminedbywhatothersthink,say,ordo.Youranger,chronicanxiety,anddepressionarenotcreatedbyotherpeopleorevenbyyourcircumstances,butbyhowyouthinkaboutthosepeopleorcircumstances.Youcanfindcomfortandpowerintherealizationthatnoonecanmakeyoufeelanyemotionwithoutyourconsent.Don’ttakethethoughtlessbehaviorofotherspersonally,evenif

youbelieveitwasmeanttobepersonal.Whatsomeoneelsedoesorsaysismoretheirproblemthanyours.Youcantakethingsseriously(i.e.,learnfromthem)withouttakingthempersonally(i.e.,allowingthemtocontrolhowyoufeelaboutyourself).

PerspectiveThisattitudeinvolvesputtinganegativesituationinperspectiveandbeinggratefulforwhatyouhave.Alittlechangeinperspectivecanmakeabigemotionaldifference.Whensomething“bad”happenstoyou,howbadisitreally?Let’s

useananalogyofdamagetoyourphysicalbody.Whatisoneoftheworstthingsthatcouldhappentoyourbody?Losingallfourlimbs?Let’s call that 100%bad.Howabout havingbothhands cut off?Maybe50%bad.Adisfiguringfacialscar?Maybe40%.Twobrokenlegsandacrushedfoot?Maybe20%.Asmashedfinger?Maybe2%.Astubbedtoe?Probablylessthan1%.Nowuse this scale to rate anyundesirable situation you find

yourselfin.What“percentbad”isit?Mostundesirablethingsthathappeninthecourseofaweekwillprobablyratelessthan1%bad.Compared with real tragedies, 1% isn’t that bad, is it? You cancertainlyhandle1%bad.Whensomethinghappensthatisnotyourpreference, ask yourself howbad it really is, and be happy thatthingsarenotworse.Anotherway to quickly gain perspective is to stop and think

aboutthegoodthingsinyourlife.Makealistoftenthingsyouare


thankful for—relationships, freedoms, possessions, andopportunities—andkeepitwhereyoucanrefertoitwhenyouarefeelingdown.Seethesamplecardattheendofthechapter.Thinkofhoweasilyyoucouldlosesomeofthosethings,andhowblessedyouarethatyouhavethem.Choosetoseetheglassashalffullratherthanhalfempty.Askyourself ifwhatyouarestressingoverwillmatterayear

fromnow.

AcceptanceTherearesomethingsyoucan’tchange.Thepastisonethingthatcan’tbechanged,nomatterhowmuchyoudwellonit.Thereareotherthingsthatcouldbechangedbutaren’tworththeeffortorcost.Ifyoucan’torchoosenottochangesomething,acceptitasitis.Nobody’sperfect.Ifyourefusetoacceptimperfectioninpeople,

youwill neverbeable to accept yourself or anyoneelse.Acceptimperfection inyourself, others, andcircumstances, evenasyouwork tomakepositivechanges.Whenyouare feelingbadaboutyourself,repeat,“Iacceptmyself,imperfectthoughIam,fullyandcompletely.”Acceptotherpeopleinthesameway.Acceptancealsomeansacceptingyouremotions.It’sOKtobesad

sometimes, or angry or lonely or frustrated or hungry. Theseemotionsarepartofwhatitmeanstobehuman.Wearen’tmeanttobecomfortableandcontentallofthetime.Whenyoufeelunpleasantemotions, remind yourself that emotions change, and you willprobablyfeelbettersoon.Whenyouhandleasituationpoorly,insteadofdwellingonwhat

youshouldhavesaidordone,acceptthecurrentstateofaffairsasyournewstartingpoint.Trytomakethingsbetterifyoucan,andrehearsewhat youwill say ordonext timeyou are in a similarsituation.

ChangeYourWayofThinkinginEightHoursorLessThe three‐step routine below can help you kick your habit ofirrational thinkingandbecomeahappierperson inasingleday.

StanSpencerisaconsultingbiologistwithabackgroundinresearchscience. He earned a Ph.D. in botany at Claremont GraduateUniversityandhasconductedlaboratoryresearchinbiochemistryatBrighamYoungUniversity,inadaptationandevolutionatClaremontGraduateUniversity,andingeneticsattheSmithsonianInstitution.Hisstudieshavebeenpublishedinvariousscientificjournals.Stanlives in Southern California with his wife, Amy, and a varyingnumberoftheirsevenchildren.Stanwouldlovetohearfromyou.Youcandrophimanoteat

[email protected]/FatLossFactsandtellhimaboutyourprogressorsetbacks,oraskaquestion.VisithisblogatFatLossScience.org.


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