Eat Without Guilt » food

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Dinneen — Thu, 27 May 2010 10:25:20 +0000

As the weather is warming up, I LOVE making quick, easy, and healthy salads. And not just lettuce-based salads. When I lived in France, I saw there were so many types of salads out there that the word “salad” took on a completely different meaning. There were fruit salads, vegetable salads, tabouli, bean salads….the list goes on and on. And food took on a whole new meaning too. Especially during the Summertime when it was too hot to cook (AND there was no air-conditoning!) I saw the abundance of foods available — whole foods. My favorite pastime (besides eating and drinking some wine) was going to the outdoor markets. Walking around, the air was filled with so many amazing smells: I’d catch a whiff of the ripeness of a tomato, the sweetness of a freshly cut melon, the aroma of a strawberry picked just hours before, an organic chicken roasting… Read more

5 Surprising Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight

Dinneen — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:05:15 +0000

Despite doing all of the right things — trading those potato chips for a wholesome snack, cooking and preparing your meals at home, and getting regular exercise — you’re still struggling to shed those last 10 or 20 pounds (or more!). And it seems you’ve been at it for weeks (months, years!) and you can’t get those darn last pounds off. Don’t just assume you can’t reach your goal — you can! Of course, you do need to make sure your weight-loss goal is a realistic one, but all too often I find that even “healthy” habits can get in the way of the scale moving in the right direction. Okay, you think I’ve lost it. You’re thinking, “How can healthy behaviors be getting in my way?” Well oftentimes just some small adjustments can make big payoffs. Here are some surprising reasons why you’re not losing the weight and how… Read more

A Powerful First Step to Ending Comfort Eating

Dinneen — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:45:23 +0000

Many of us at one time or another have eaten for comfort. It’s common to reach for food when we are bored, stressed, unhappy with life, upset, or depressed. So we eat in an attempt to feel better, get rid of the boredom, de-stress, or cheer up. Yet while we reach to the food for comfort, in the end it does the exact opposite. When you eat for comfort you don’t eat for pleasure and savor the taste, smell and texture of the food. Instead, you eat mindlessly and afterwards are more likely to feel miserable and guilty about overeating. In fact, you probably end up feeling worse after the comfort eating than you did before! Most of the time, eating fails to provide you with the comfort you seek. If you have relied too much on comfort eating to get rid of stress or cheer you up, you… Read more

How to Indulge, Without the Bulge, Over the Holidays

Dinneen — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:16:29 +0000

As someone whose job it is to help people lose weight (and keep it off), you might be surprised to hear that, yes, I do indulge a bit during the holidays. Hot chocolate? Pass me a cup. Gingerbread? Mmm, mmm, serve me some. Christmas cookies? Absolutely! And I don’t gain weight. “Impossible,” you say. No, not at all. Now that doesn’t mean I forgo eating my veggies and other healthy foods during the holidays. It just means I relax a bit don’t try to be so vigilant by following a strict regimen. And you should do the same. My philosophy is that there’s no reason not to indulge a bit in something you (or your family) enjoy during the December holidays, provided you: 1) eat with pleasure 2) do it in moderation and 3) get some exercise. Okay, I know. Easier said than done, right? That’s… Read more

The REAL Reason Oprah Has Gained Weight — Again!

Dinneen — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:00:57 +0000

Oprah’s Battle With Weight Gain – and her Missing Link for Permanent Weight Loss It’s hitting the airwaves and news media like a tidal wave. The news about Oprah and her constant struggle with her weight. Once a trim, healthy-for-her-body weight of 160 pounds, Oprah has now reached the dreaded 200 pound mark, a number she (nor many of us) does not want to see on the bathroom scale. In the latest issue of O Magazine (January 2009) Oprah opens up about why she feels she regained the weight, what she’s learned, and how she plans to change. The article is candid, open, honest. She puts it all out there. There’s no excuses, whining, or blaming of anything, or anyone other than herself, for her actions (or lack thereof). Kudos to Oprah for being real, being open, and taking responsibility for her body, her life, and how to go about… Read more

Enjoy Thanksgiving Without the Guilt

Dinneen — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 23:53:11 +0000

Whether you’re trying to lose – or simply maintain – weight, this time of year causes a lot of dread and anxiety. You want to get through the holiday season without putting on extra pounds, without feeling fat, and without the guilt of eating holiday foods. And then we all have the “shoulder angel” and “shoulder devil” talking to us. You know, those voices in our heads, the two that constantly fight with each other about what to do. You’ve probably seen them in cartoons. On one side of the shoulder is an angel, representing good or “our conscience.” On the other shoulder is the devil, representing bad or “tempation.” It seems these two follow us around, especially during the holidays. You’ll be at the Thanksgiving table and all the delicious food is being passed around. You have those two guys on your shoulder. The good one says, “Oh… Read more