Recent Articles

Apr

Stop Fat-Shaming Yourself: Lose Weight with Radical Self-Respect

“Hey, I’m not fat. I’m just easy to see.”

 “I’m in shape. Round is a shape.”

 “Every time I lose weight, it finds me again!”

“I’ll have more cake. It’s somebody’s birthday somewhere!”

Yuck. Not funny.

Maybe it’s because I’m a psychotherapist. I hear the painful stories hiding behind the attempt at humor. So when I hear jokes that poke fun at serious health and mental health issues, I cringe.

Our culture is so inundated with this stuff—think how many shame-inducing memes appear in your Facebook feed—that we’re desensitized to how harmful it really is. I want you to see how demeaning jokes undermine your weight-release journey, how you unwittingly join in and how practicing radical self-respect protects you from their harmful effects. (more…)

Mar

The Life-Changing Prayer to Help You Lose Weight

Diane Petrella

“I feel disgusting. I’m so fat.”

“I hate myself for eating all those cookies.”

“I’m a hopeless case. I’ll never lose this weight.”

Sound familiar?

If you can relate, I want to tell you about a life-changing book that will help you release those negative and self-sabotaging thoughts. The thoughts that prevent you from releasing weight.

The Only Little Prayer You Need, by Debra Landwehr Engle, is a gem. Rooted in the teachings of A Course in Miracles, which is a form of spiritual psychotherapy, this book teaches you a simple process to heal your thinking on a deep level. While not specifically about weight loss, The Only Little Prayer You Need helps you create a peaceful mind so you stay strong and confident on your journey. (more…)

Jan

Is Your Life on Hold Til You Lose Weight?

Diane Petrella

Do you skip high school reunions because you feel embarrassed about your weight?

Do you wear only dark-colored clothes to keep attention off your body?

Are you waiting to be thinner before taking that cruise?   

When you feel self-conscious about your body, special occasions and everyday life events can be intimidating.   In the moment, it can feel a whole lot easier to stay hidden or stay home than to be seen carrying those extra pounds.

But think about it. Do you really want to let your weight take your LIFE hostage? Because that is what’s happening when you let it control you. (more…)

Dec

7 Signs You'll Keep Releasing Weight in 2016

Diane Petrella

As you reflect back on 2015, how do you gauge your weight-release progress?
Do you look to your bathroom scale?
Or measure success by how your clothes feel?

Don’t worry if you’re not where you hoped to be by now. Because whatever those visible signs are telling you, they don’t reveal the whole story…

If you’ve yo-yo dieted for years, you know all too well that these progress markers can come and go. While they do measure if your body gained or released weight, I’m far more interested in the signs that mark your emotional growth.

Use the following 7 “softer” signs to gauge your overall progress this past year and as you move into 2016. If you haven’t mastered all of these, that’s okay. Think of them as stepping-stones to guide you. While not as obvious as the number on your scale, achieving these milestones helps you not only release weight… but keep it off forever. And isn’t that what you really want? (more…)

Oct

Thank Yourself Thin

Diane Petrella

No matter how positive a person you are, there are times on your weight-release journey when you’re going to feel demoralized about your progress.

Everyone gets discouraged at times. That’s okay. When you feel stuck and upset about your weight, shift your energy by saying to your body two simple words:

“Thank you.”

Appreciation is one of the most powerful forms of affirmation. Words of appreciation release an energy that strengthens and supports your body. That’s because each cell in your body has an intelligence and awareness of its own. While different from how you and I might process it, the cells in our bodies thrive on the healing energy of appreciation.

While I’ve known about the power of appreciation for a long time, I became a more enlightened believer when I learned the story of Myrtle Fillmore. (more…)

Aug

The 4 Questions: How to Stop a Binge Before it Starts

Diane Petrella

No matter how determined you are to release weight, it’s not always easy to stay committed.

So many situations come up in life that can test your resolve to eat well and in moderation: Attending a party with an abundant buffet, seeing your Aunt Sally’s Decadent Double Fudge brownies at the family barbeque, feeling so stressed at work that you think only a cookie from the lunch room will calm you down.

While you can’t avoid some triggers and food-challenging situations, you can empower yourself to shift your mindset. Action follows thought. When you make a conscious effort to change your thinking, you strengthen your resolve to proactively—and mindfully—take charge of your actions and choices.

These four powerful questions help you do that. Next time you’re triggered and about to take a bite, ask yourself: (more…)

Jul

A Divine Way to Finally Feel Good in Your Summer Clothes

Diane Petrella

Ahhhh. It’s tank top, shorts and bathing suit season. Great, right?

Not for everyone.

When you’re sensitive about your weight, a day at the beach is no picnic. The more revealing clothes of summer can pull body insecurities right to the surface.

It’s hard to enjoy summer activities when your mind is preoccupied with negative thoughts about your body. But with help from your Higher Power you can enjoy that day at the beach feeling cool, confident… and wrapped in love. (more…)

May

Name & Love Your Feelings to End Emotional Eating

Diane Petrella

Think back to the last time you overate—not because you were hungry—but because your feelings got the best of you.

Maybe you impulsively grabbed something from your pantry, binged after work by dashing through the fast food drive-thru or got up in the middle of the night to raid the fridge. Got the image in your mind? Okay, now… ask yourself:

What feeling was I trying to avoid?   

When I ask my clients this question, I typically hear, “I felt overwhelmed,” “I was stressed,” “I felt bad,” or “I’m not sure.” They know they felt something intense but can’t always pinpoint it. When we explore it further they sometimes can name it, but more often than not—at least in our beginning work together—they don’t know how they felt.

That’s because emotional eating—like any compulsive behavior or addiction—comes from the struggle to know and be with what you feel.

What you do know is you’re in distress and want to feel better—fast. (more…)

Apr

3 Ways Clutter Clearing Helps You Lose Weight

Diane Petrella

Is your home filled with too much stuff?

Do you constantly lose important items and spend precious time searching for them?

Does the thought of getting rid of old clothes—even when you haven’t worn them in years—send you into a panic? 

Clearing clutter is one of the easiest things you can do to move your life forward. If you feel stuck in your weight release journey, get rid of your stuff to get back on track.

To become the lighter, slimmer version of yourself, you need to release the old to make way for the new. Have you heard the saying “nature abhors a vacuum?” What that means is as you create space by releasing clutter, the Universe naturally fills that space. Your energy field becomes open to renewed inspiration and expanded self-awareness that helps you live your best—and lighter—life. (more…)

Mar

How to Break the Binge Habit

Diane Petrella

If you compulsively binge-eat to deal with difficult feelings, you know it’s a tough habit to break. You beat yourself up and try to stop… but you can’t. It’s not that you lack willpower. You are strong. But once that urge strikes, it’s like a power overtakes you and your goal to stop the binge habit disappears.

Take heart. Here’s a 3-Step plan that will help: (more…)

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