Maria's Last Diet

by Maria's Last Diet

Criticism has its way with success. This is true of weight-loss success as well. Before you know it, you can blow it. Goal weight is then up for grabs. Nothing's sure once criticism gets to you.

Two sources of criticism we all have to deal with is the criticism of others and our own critical voice. But we have a third that's as powerful, feeling critical of others and being critical of others. All criticism involves strong emotional reactions that eat at you. And it is the sting of these strong emotional reactions that have their way with your weight-loss success.

Being able to handle criticism in new and better ways is what will help you keep dieting, keep losing weight, and keep off the weight you've lost. See if you can transform criticism received or criticism given into a more positive communication, one that will be better for all involved.

by Maria's Last Diet

One night, it took every ounce of counterforce she possessed to keep her in bed, to keep her down, when what she wanted was to jump up and go straight to the fridge. She dug her fingers into the side of the mattress and held on.

I have to have something sweet.

So what’s the worst that can happen if I don’t eat the leftover piece of cheesecake? I’ll die.

Die? From what?

From wanting and not having. From being empty.

Is it like I think I’d die from embarrassment if I had to put on a bathing suit?

Back in the same old soup. I’ll have to submit or be broken.

Maybe I’m not thinking the unthinkable.

That’s a paradox. Can’t be done. Can’t think what’s unthinkable.

What now. It’s like I’m wired for this. I am absolutely programmed to go for that cheesecake. What else can I do?

        from the book    Breaking Up With Food: Maria's Last Diet. Symmetry Press LLC. June 2010

by Maria's Last Diet

Maria had forgotten something about dressing rooms.  There is a mirror in front of you, but sometimes one in back of you as well. By mistake she saw in well-lit, graphic detail how she looked from behind. The big line of defense she had been using crumbled here in this charming boutique fitting room. She had broken one of her cardinal rules: avoid seeing how you look from the neck down, especially the rear view. Now that same expert evil eye of hers, that master appraiser of women’s bodies, went to work on her own. She was merciless. She’d never seen such a big fat mess, a woman who let herself go like this. The game had been if she didn’t see it, it wasn’t so. But she looked and she had to admit.  

  from the book    Breaking Up With Food: Maria’s Last Diet. Symmetry Press. June 2010

by Maria's Last Diet


Do you keep your anger in or do you let it out? And what’s this got to do with overeating and being overweight?

Here’s what the psychologists say: people want to feel emotions that bring them closer to their goals. If keeping your anger in gets you that promotion, then keeping anger in is good for you because it’s helped you achieve your goal. Your anger would feel bad to you if you lost out on the promotion because of it.

Can you apply this to your efforts to lose the weight?

Simply put, how do you handle your anger so that it brings you closer to your goal of losing the weight? Why don’t you review your anger and its connection with overeating and keeping the weight on. Here are some familiar ways we have of expressing this connection: swallowing your anger, stuffing it, losing control of it, spitting it out, biting her head off, bottling it up, and being filled with.

Now it’s up to you to make the connection for yourself. Make a list if you have to and connect your anger with your eating habits. Then see what you can do about it. Opening your eyes to the impact of your emotions on your goals is a good first step.