WHY WE OVEREAT AND HOW TO STOP. Contents. Preface. Part One Unintended Consequences of Modern Life

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1 Contents Preface xi Part One Unintended Consequences of Modern Life 1. The Deep Desire to be Normal 3 2. So Much Eating 5 o Eating as Our Primary Social Activity o Special Occasions All the Time o Eating for Any Reason or No Reason at All o More is Better, Right? o The Loss of Food-Free Space in Our Lives 3. So Little Food 10 o Eating Products Instead of Food o Outsourcing Our Food 4. Still Life 14 o The Loss of Movement in Modern Life o The High Price of Low Activity Levels o A Dangerous New Syndrome 5. Living Longer, Aging Faster The Obvious Question 20 o Why We Keep Eating Destructively o Why We Avoid Exercise When We Know Better o The Critical Inversion Part Two The Deep Origins of Overeating and Why Willpower Can t Save the Day 7. It s All About Your Brain 25 o The Brainstem o The Limbic System o The Cerebral Cortex o Implications 8. The Emotional Brain Revealed 29

2 9. Six Important Things to Know About Your Emotional Brain 32 o It is a Powerful Rapid-Response System o It Prioritizes the Present o It Develops Strong Biases o It Has a Long Memory o It is Poorly Matched to Today s World o It is Still Why Life is Worth Living 10. Unexpected Hazards of Modern Life 38 o The Problem of Too Much o The Powerful, Defenseless Emotional Brain o Self-Management for Life 11. The Key to Living Well in Today s World 41 o We Need to Protect Our Emotional Brain, Too o The Two Yous in Conflict o The Two Yous at Peace o The Power of Inner Unity Part Three Common Psychological Hurdles on the Path Toward Change 12. The Fallacy of Normal 49 o Overeaters o Dieters o Balanced Eaters o How Life Experiences Compare o Beyond Normal 13. All-or-Nothing Thinking Fear of Getting Nutrition Wrong 58 o Nutrition Made Simple o Keeping Nutrition Simple in Modern Life o All You Really Need to Know 15. Critical Misperceptions 62 o Misdefining Food o Misdefining Moderation o Misdefining Exercise, Part One o Misdefining Exercise, Part Two o Adding It All Up 16. Misuse of the Brain in Decision-Making 73 o Matching Your Brain to the Task o Beyond Dieting

3 17. Deep Change Takes Time 81 o The Fast Track o Slow and Steady Wins the Race 18. The Body of Your Dreams vs. the Body in Your Mirror 85 o Aesthetic Issues in Significant Weight Loss o You ve Been Getting Older, You Know o Ongoing Maintenance Challenges o Why It s Still Best to Lose Whatever Weight You Can 19. Maintaining Motivation 90 o Common Motivators That Often Don't Seem to Work o Strong Motivation Comes from the Emotional Brain o Identifying Goals That Matter to You 20. Daring to be Different 97 o Understanding Social Pressure to Keep Overeating o You ve lost too much weight. You should eat more. o Communicating About Change 21. Putting It All Together 104 Part Four Building a Stronger Base for Your Future 22. Our Need for Reward: The Key to It All 109 o Toward a Better Reward System o External Rewards o Internal Rewards o Make Each Day Worthwhile 23. Using Rewards to Drive Results 117 o The Power of Breaking It Down o Breaking Down Health-Related Goals o More Rewards Focusing on Progress o Yet More Rewards The Power of Gratitude o The Day-to-Day Purpose of Your Long-Term Goal 24. Dealing with Unwanted Feelings and Bad Days 131 o Your Life as a Table o Non-Food Strategies for Soothing Your Emotional Brain o It s Non-Food Strategies That Make Your Life Better 25. Taking Care of Yourself When You Least Feel Like It 148

4 26. Thinking More Effectively About Food 153 o Language Substitutions That Help o How to Stop Picking Fights with Your Emotional Brain o Common Thought Traps 27. Planning for Long-Term Success 166 o The Importance of Planning o Elements of Effective Planning o Doing Your Homework o Remembering the Time Element 28. Risk Management: The Zones 173 o Factors That Affect Your Risk o Your Primary Zones and Your Odds of Success o The Dilemma of the Great Cook o Managing Your Zones 29. Being Part of the Solution: Support of Others 188 o Looking Out for Our Loved Ones o The Dilemma of Excess and Unwanted Food 30. Living More, Eating Less 192 o Rewards and Treats o Comfort and Relief o Other Ways to Pass Some Time o Non-Food Gifts o Gifts of Time 31. Moving as if Your Life Depends on It 200 o Show Your Emotional Brain a Good Time o Segment Your Workouts o Take Advantage of Your Ability to Choose o Affordable Indoor and Outdoor Options o Move Enough to Create the Life You Want Part Five Eating with Dignity and Enjoyment for Life 32. Eating to Live 217 o First, Do a Reality Check o Keep a Safe Home Base o Design New Patterns That You Fully Enjoy o Eat in Response to Hunger o Eat Mindfully o Eat Real Food o Do Most of Your Own Cooking o Create More Food-Free Space in Your Life o Cut Portions Back Down to Size

5 33. Keeping It Together in Challenging Situations 234 o Include Treat Foods Only in Life-Affirming Ways o Buy Yourself Some Time When You re Having an Urge to Eat o What to Do When the Urge to Eat Just Won t Stop o Stay on Duty Whenever You re Around Food o Do Occasional System Checks 34. Pros and Cons of Some Familiar Strategies 244 o Accountability o Weigh-Ins o Food Journals/Calorie Counting o Pre-Portioned Servings o Support Groups o Two-Week Jump Starts o Eliminating "the Whites": Refined Sugar and White Flour 35. Beyond Overeating 256 o Nice Surprises About Food o The Gift of Learning Your Limits o It Keeps Getter Better Appendix A: The Challenge of Evenings 261 Appendix B: Considerations for Restaurant Buffets 264 Appendix C: Safer Enjoyment of Special Occasion Meals 266 Appendix D: Hosting Special Occasion Meals 271 Appendix E: Considerations and Strategies for Travel 280 Appendix F: A Word About Bulimia 285 Join the Conversation 287 Acknowledgments 289 Notes 291 Recommended Reading 303 About the Author 307