Friend of Julie: Breaking Up Is Hard to Do

Many of us on the East Coast have encountered slippery roads these past few days, but this doesn't mean our weight loss program has to become a slippery slope too. Steady you course by taking a closer look at what you're eating. It may be time to break up with some of your favorite foods. I know, breaking up is hard to do, but you want to reach our goal size don't you?

Theresa, aka Cheese Slayer, September 2013

Cheese is what gives me the most trouble. For me, cheese is like an old boyfriend: I know my relationship with cheese is unhealthy, so I break up with cheese, but I keep going back. When I'm in my cheese slayer mode, shredded Parmesan is the only cheese I have in the house. There are times when I have to stay away from Parmesan.

Is cheese one of your trouble foods? You too can become a cheese slayer! Say no to cheese for a while (a month or more) and see what happens. Don't bring cheese into you house. If you live with others, treat cheese like other foods that are for them and not for you.

Some of my key-friends gave up ketchup, barbecue sauce, and other condiments. Those condiments were trigger foods for them. Another key friend said she thinks tomato sauce is a trigger. My advice: break up with tomato sauce and see what happens.

What foods keeping you from reaching your goal size? Stop eating them.

Does this seem too hard for you to do? That's how I felt too. Then I realized THAT was THE reason I needed to do it. If it's hard to give up, I decided, it's worth giving up and seeing what happens when I do. A few years ago, I said to one of my key friends "this is so hard." When I said it aloud I realized I must be doing something wrong, because this didn't used to be "hard." I thought about what was different and, sure enough, I was eating foods in the gray area.

Spoiler alert: there are no any gray areas - we're either on program or we're off.

I dropped the "gray area" foods and my weight started dropping again.

It's barely a month into 2015 and millions have already given up their weight loss goals. You can beat the odds: move out of the gray areas and get back on program. Don't beat yourself up for what you did wrong, just start moving forward.

Speaking of moving - do you need help staying motivated to exercise? Me too. For motivation, I go to the Internet. Recently I wrote about Finding Inspiration, after I read an article about an exercise app, and for the past few nights I've been listening to the app. I'm happy say I'm mall walking and using my treadmill once again.

These articles help motivate me to keep exercising:

• Exercise acts as a mood booster:
  11 New Reasons to Exercise (That Aren't About Weight Loss)Oprah Magazine; 12/02/2014
• Use exercise to regulate moods and to fall asleep:
  How To Exercise Out Of Self-Love — Not Due To Fat-ShamingEveryday Feminism Magazine; 02/15/14
• Exercise is a secret weapon to overcoming depression:
  The Remarkable Effects of Exercise on Cognition and Brain Cell Regeneration, Dr Mercola, 01/23/15
• Lunch time walks combat afternoon slumps in enthusiasm and focus:
  The Benefits of a Lunch Hour Walk, NYTimes, 07/21/15