FOOD, BODY IMAGE, AND THE WHOLE DIET-AND-EXERCISE DRAMA
There’s a lot more to our struggles with food and our bodies than calories, willpower, or trying harder.
Here, I explore the assumptions behind the traditional diet-and-exercise model, why so many familiar solutions keep us stuck, and what changes when we approach food, exercise, and our bodies from a completely different perspective.
Some posts are personal. Some challenge conventional wisdom. And some might make you laugh.
Browse the articles below. Start wherever you're curious.
Why Your Relationship With Money and Your Body Are More Connected Than You Think
Everyone compares weight loss to balancing a checkbook. But money and weight are connected in a much deeper way than calories in and dollars out. Here's what's really going on beneath the surface — and why it explains why diets have a 97% failure rate.
Why What You See in the Mirror Has Nothing to Do With Reality
The Evil Queen from Snow White wasn't crazy — she was a victim of her mirror. And honestly? So are most of us. Here's why what you see when you look in the mirror is more about your state of mind than your actual reflection.
Why Pregnant Women Trust Their Bodies (And the Rest of Us Don’t)
Pregnant women will eat pickle juice and peanut butter without a second thought — because "the baby wants it." But here's the thing: it's not the baby talking. It's the mother's own body. So why do we only trust our bodies when there's a baby involved?
Why Holiday Eating “Tips and Tricks” Make the Season Harder, Not Easier
Every autumn the same advice floods every media outlet — use a small plate, eat a salad first, send the leftovers home with guests. These are all tricks. And tricks are designed to deceive you. Here's why they backfire every single holiday season.
Why You Eat the Whole Bag of Cookies (It’s Not Lack of Willpower)
Your body whispers that it wants a cookie. You ignore it. It asks again, louder. You ignore it again. By the time you finally listen, the whole bag is gone — and you think you have no willpower. Here's what's actually happening, and why willpower has nothing to do with it.
What a Renaissance Architect Taught Me About Rejection and Starting Over
Brunelleschi lost a competition to design the bronze doors of Florence's Baptistry. So he became an architect instead — and ended up building the most extraordinary dome in history. Here's what that has to do with your relationship with your body.