The obvious negative effects of overeating are extra weight and jeopardized health. Most people are well aware of these negative effects. But overeating affects so many other aspects of your life, too. As a psychiatrist who has worked with overeaters for decades, I understand that if you’re an overeater, there is so much more at stake than just your weight.

The hair on the back of my neck bristles when I hear this comment, one I’ve heard countless times, “Oh, you probably stay in shape chasing after those four boys!” or “You’re so busy with your kids you don’t have time to eat, no wonder you’ve lost weight!”

Okay, I think I am finally to the point where I do not want to hear of another diet, ever. I am not sure if you know this or not but I am the self proclaimed “Diet Queen”. So, for “The Queen” to turn her back on her own people, it’s serious people. Serious- as in-seriously aggravating as hell. Why do we continue to think that the next diet is going to be “The One”? Why do we keep believing the lie about the “Diet Magic Formula”

It’s no secret to those of you who are faithful readers that weight, food, and exercise have been issues lately. I’m not obese…yet. I would say I am flirting with “chunky” – but it’s about to get serious. Now, I’ve taken drastic measures of late- even signing up AND attending Boot Camp religiously.

Exercise to give yourself the gift of wellness . Here are 10 plain and simple reasons to exercise consistently-

There are lots of great reasons for taking a hike. Some do it as a form of fitness, others to keep the heart young and the soul inspired. And then there are those like me, who hike as a prelude to wine tasting.

It is hard to find motivation to get to the gym. You can buy new shoes or get a workout buddy. You can try positive public pressure. But for me, no kind of motivation lasts for an extended period of time, so I'm forced to keep coming up with new ones. My newest motivation is financial.

In tough economic times, I thought I had found yet another reason my repeated attempts at losing weight would be dashed: eating healthy costs too much. I had already canceled my gym membership, rationalizing that the twice a week I was using it "wouldn't help anyway" and that if I did want to exercise, a nice long walk is free.

My friend Ilya used to call me periodically to ask about couch time. That was her way of asking whether depression was ruling my life. Frequently it was. Anti-depressants kept the extreme sadness and morbid thoughts at bay, but I was spending days or even weeks barely moving, sitting on the couch.

The weekend of March 13th, Kelly is meeting up with some of her girlfriends that she hasn’t seen most of them in almost two years. This reunion plus a cute reference to her looking in the mirror motivated her to create this challenge.