As a fan of the biggest Loser I can’t help but be interested in the weight loss craze. Just over two years ago my wife had Lap-Band surgery to reduce the size of her stomach to enable her to lose weight.

Guess what? A tool only works if you use it and it really helps if you learn to use it right.

If you are finding it hard to lose weight while following your diet religiously maybe your ability to lose weight has nothing to do with what you are eating but more about what’s eating you.

As a preparation for Lap-Band surgery, my wife had to see a Behavioral Psychologist where she learned that she is afraid of being hungry. As she has learned to deal with the fear of being hungry she is able to lose more weight.

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Don’t we suffer enough? Personally, I have given up such luxuries as sleep and sitting down while eating since 1999, and I have the feeling I’m not alone.

Mamas should be exempt from this “resolutions” tradition. In fact, we should take it one step further and have some anti-resolutions.

I think two biggies on the list should be:

1) I will not diet.
Sure it’s good to be healthy but there’s nothing unhealthy about the well-earned muffin top. Deal with that later but for now put a sign on your fridge that says “Can you pinch an inch? Do you give a shit?”

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Ok, the fun is over, the decorations are put away, you have returned all the lame presents and got something you really wanted, the year-end sales have ended and it is time to get back to work and step into the new year.

Are you excited about the New Year or dreading it? Will 2009 be a great year for you or just more of the same?

I say make 2009 a great year by learning something new– will-power!

Yes, will is a skill and can be learned.

You can actually learn will-power and master the art of accomplishing goals. One way to do that is to harness the power of distractions. I call it the Law of Distraction! We have all had the experience of driving somewhere and arriving at our destination without remembering how we got there. We were mentally distracted.

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It doesn’t matter whether you’re busily whipping up homemade cookies for the jolly guy in the bright red suit, or whether you’re already in the throes of a carb-fest latke overload, in my opinion, school vacation is the best gift any of us could receive.

Shhhh…did you hear that?  Moms everywhere just breathed a collective sigh of relief!  School vacation translates into freedom…for more than just the kids.  We all get a break from waking up at the crack of dawn, rushing around the house like a crazy (ok, we’re still a bit crazy no matter what) person, getting breakfast on the table without dumping cereal all over the floor, a respite from our position of sandwich maker extraordinaire, and backpack organizer…and most  importantly of all, a break from the gritted teeth and nagging that we all do to our kids, while trying to ensure that they’re doing their homework. 

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We have all seen the phrase ‘results may vary’ so often that it is almost invisible to us.

You see it on any TV commercial or advertisement about diet or fitness programs and there will be plenty of them as we approach the New Year. Companies will use the skinniest and prettiest person they can find to peddle their wares with the disclaimer that ‘results shown are not typical.’

If it is good enough for TV and magazines maybe we should start to use it as well. How about putting it on your resume? Can you imagine a small disclaimer at the bottom indicating that while you have portrayed yourself and the best thing since sliced bread – results shown are not typical!

Or, what about adding it to your profile on MySpace or FaceBook letting everyone know that the picture shown may not be exactly how you look today.

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By Guest Blogger Kirk Wilkinson of The Happiness Factor.

When the ‘Ho ho ho’ turns in to ‘go go go’ and you feel like wearing your black Halloween costume to the office holiday party, it may be time to take a step back and put some joy back into the season.

Here are a few tips to help you stay up-beat and in the mood:

• Make your own merry: Don’t wait for anyone else to make this a great holiday. Make a great holiday being a holiday hero:
• At the drive thru: Pay for the person behind you at the drive through or standing in line for coffee. You will definitely make someone’s day. 
• Do something unexpected: There is nothing like having someone do something nice that is unexpected. Do that for someone today and help make their holiday happier and you will feel happier as well.

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