Is There Life After Therapy?

I just came across an article in the New York Spirit about Jena LaFlamme, a woman who designed her own weight loss program called “Pleasureable Weight Loss”. Her program helps women take the focus off restrictive, punitive diet and exercise regimens that lead to binge eating and teaches them how to find pleasure both in eating healthier foods and in other areas of their lives.

The article inspired me to write a piece about conscious eating  since there are SO many articles and advice columns written about eating that make it sound as if it's just simply about portion control and will power which really minimizes the struggle people go through with food. Simplifying also adds to the shame people may feel if they can't "just make up their mind to lose weight like.." the newest person on the cover of People Magazine's weight loss issue. These simplistic approaches also fail to take into account JUST HOW DIFFERENT each person's body really is. Some people have thyroid problems, some are addicted to sugar which fuels cravings, others have medical issues, some are on medications that slow weight loss... it's way more complex than the way it's portrayed.