Refuse To Regain

Are You a Dietary Fundamentalist?

by Barbara Berkeley, MD I was struck today by an opinion piece by Dr. Yoni Freedhoff on Medscape, an educational physician website. Dr. Freedhoff, a thoughtful commentator on the diet and obesity scene, contends that the stridency of the Low Carb Community is turning people off. Many Low Carb advocates have gone over the top, he says. They are unable to see any other viewpoint. In fact, they often appear to arrogantly assert that there is no other viewpoint. Perhaps... Read more →

Simplify Your Life: A philosophy that should be applied to weight loss

by Barbara Berkeley, MD (Originally posted on RTR as "Simple Life, Simple Body", 2015) I was intrigued by David Brooks’ column in the New York Times recently. It speaks to a renewed interest in an old idea: simplifying life. Living in a less complicated way is not a new concept (think Walden Pond), but it has gained a greater magnetism in the setting of the hugely complex and acquisitive world in which we now find ourselves. I personally have enjoyed... Read more →

Do I HAVE to Give Up Carbs????????????

by Barbara Berkeley, MD The short answer: it depends. Do you want to lose the extra weight that is bothering you? Do you want to get rid of, or greatly reduce, the medicines you take for blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol? Do you want to finally keep the weight off without having to deal with soul-crushing bouts of regain? If so, an understanding of how your body reacts to carbohydrate is essential. Let's begin here: Weight warriors, I love you.... Read more →

Dr. B's Diet Tips for the New Year

by Barbara Berkeley As you know, I generally prefer to write about issues of weight maintenance. But it would be foolish to ignore the fact that on January 1st, most Americans thoughts turn to dieting. It's well known that our country's top New Year's resolution is weight loss. Diet programs, gyms, personal trainers, and fitness equipment companies all bank on it. But they also know that the boom is short lived. The vast majority of those who toast the New... Read more →

Even Harvard Agrees That Calories Differ

by Barbara Berkeley, MD The huge ship that moved weightily and inevitably toward low fat eating and calorie counting has finally started to change course. This week, the Harvard Health Blog published an article titled, "There's no sugar-coating it: All calories are not created equal." As readers of Refuse to Regain, you already know that calories are simply one attribute of food....and not the most important one. Despite this, we have come to rely on calories as the sum total... Read more →

Alcohol and Holiday Weight Gain

by Barbara Berkeley, MD It's a problem. All those parties. All that wine and beer. Like the carbs we eat, alcohol can co-opt our brain and starting talking for us. Who hasn't had that experience?? A few suggestions: Read more →

The Holidays: Videos to Keep You Thinking and (Maybe?) Away From the Cookies

by Barbara Berkeley, MD In our practice, we try to see our patients every week. It's a lot of personal contact, but we've found over the years that people who are working on healthy weight behaviors need an "island", a place where it's ok to see the world differently from the view of their friends, family and co-workers. And they need to have a moment on that island frequently. More so over the holidays. Our eating behaviors are directly related... Read more →

Weight Loss in America: The Definition of Insanity

by Barbara Berkeley, MD What is the definition of insanity? Albert Einstein put it this way: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." Who are we to disagree with the greatest of mind of the 20th century? This week we were treated to the latest data on the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States. We sure talk a lot about obesity and we sure claim that we... Read more →

What LeBron Can Teach Us About Weight Control

by Barbara Berkeley, MD Whether or not my beloved Cleveland Cavaliers are able to prevail as champions this year, there is no question that they have delivered a gutsy performance in this year's NBA finals. When LeBron was in Cleveland during his first stint, I frequently wrote about him in this blog. I thought, and still think, that there was a lot to be learned from someone who pursued his goals with such single-minded intensity. In my own "sports career"... Read more →

What Should I Weigh? How to Set a Goal Weight

by Barbara Berkeley, MD Those who set out to lose weight view the process as a project and want a goal. Thus, it is rare that a new patient does not conclude our first visit by asking: "What should I weigh?" Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) there is no simple answer to this question. You are a work in progress with no specific ending point. How does an artist know when a painting is done? The understanding of when to put... Read more →