I wrote You Can Drop It! to help you learn my personal and proven system to drop weight and keep it off—without sacrifice—and it's so simple that you'll love it. This is no joke or infomercial. It really works. This unique approach has become famous thanks to my renowned 2B Mindset program. It has already helped thousands of people lose weight—some more than 100 pounds—while never asking them to go hungry or cut out the foods that they love.

So how exactly can you drop 100 pounds? Here are 7 easy weight loss tips you can start with, right now. And while you're at it, stock up on The 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now.

Make veggies your first bite.

The only way to successfully stay slim long term is to learn to love vegetables. They're easy to make and they improve your gut health. Veggies make you feel full and satisfied (and keep you healthy), so eat lots and lots of them throughout the day. And you can accessorize them with delicious toppings.

Learn to load up on protein.

Proteins keep you full and satisfied and can help you lean down while also helping you build muscle.

Don't be afraid of carbs.

Yes, you can eat carbs! FFCs—"fiber-filled carbs"—take longer than other carbs to break down, providing long-lasting energy. So what's considered FFCs? Whole-grain breads, tortillas, waffles, frozen fruit, and whole fruit. Silly carbs (white breads and pastas, crackers, baked goods, candy and chocolates, deep-fried foods, frozen treats, alcohol) cause your blood sugar to rise naturally, leading to a crash. Enjoy these responsibly.

Drink plenty of water.

Water keeps you full so that you can make better food choices throughout the day. You should drink half your weight in ounces at a minimum each day and try to drink 16 fluid ounces before each meal (even before your morning cup of Joe!). You'll soon see that the more water you drink, the more weight you may lose.

Accessories: use them, eat them, love them!

Their supporting role is clear: Accessories may not be the main feature, but they sure do make things a whole lot more fun. When it comes to nutrition, my "accessories" do that same thing. They have a supporting job—and that is to make your meals and your food pop with flavor, to turn something that could be bland into something that's, well, just awesome. Go ahead and add certain fats, sugars, spices, condiments and boosts to favor your meals. Some examples of accessories are guacamole, bacon, natural nut butters, salad dressings, and sauces such as Alfredo, barbecue, and marinara.

RELATED: Discover exactly how Ilana lost 100 pounds and kept it off in You Can Drop It!

Get tracking.

Tracking is incredibly important. Your tracker will show you what's working for you and what's not. Every day, you'll want to write down what you eat and drink. The more details you put in, the more insights you will get out. And, the scale is your friend, too! I know you may hate it or have been told to avoid it, but you'll soon see that it helps you learn what helps your body lose weight and what doesn't. Get on the scale every morning, without clothes, after using the bathroom, before you eat or drink anything. When the scale goes down, you'll discover what a "weight-loss day" looks like.

Stop the self sabotage.

Excuses are not your friend so why do we self-sabotage? I think people self-sabotage when they are frustrated: they feel like they're eating well and they're not losing weight. Frustration brings on self-sabotage. So does believing you're not worth it—but you are worth it. You're always worth it. The key to stopping self-sabotage is understanding the push and pull between discipline and surrender. It's important to fight it so you can defeat negative self-talk and old habits.

The post This Nutritionist Lost 100 Pounds By Taking These 7 Simple Steps appeared first on Eat This Not That.

In my new book, You Can Drop It!, I describe how I was able to lose weight—100 pounds!—by eating carbs, chocolate, and cocktails, but mainly comfort food. Here's how to get started so you too can lose weight while still eating comfort food.

Redefine What "Comfort" Means

This is what you should be keeping in mind:

• Comfort foods should make you feel satisfied.
• Comfort foods should not make you feel guilty.
• Comfort foods should do your body more good than harm.
• Comfort foods should make you feel like you can go out and see people after.
• Comfort foods should make you happy (and comfortable in your pants!).
• Veggies—when you know how to make them in quick, savory, yummy, and exciting ways—hit all of those checkmarks.

Focus, Focus, Focus

I know that this may not be easy at first. If you're low on veggie consumption, it can be difficult to just flip a switch and change the ratio of your typical meal plate. Maybe it's out of habit, and maybe it's because you don't always have easy access to vegetables. The only way to approach that is through focus. Yes, it takes planning. It takes a commitment to the "Veggies Most" principle, which is a key concept in You Can Drop It!. It takes thinking about your vegetable consumption until it becomes second nature. But it's relatively simple and straightforward: Drink water and fill your plate with vegetables. Win that game, and you'll win the ultimate one.

Find Your Favorites

Green, white, red, yellow, orange. Leafy, crunchy, squishy. Veggies come in all shapes, sizes, flavors and textures—and there's one (or many) for you. As you're working on "Veggies Most," find the few that you really like and make them a staple. It can be broccoli, cauliflower, squash or peppers. Whatever your veggie lovin' (or soon-to-be veggie lovin') heart desires. For ongoing weight loss, it's important not only to have veggies that you can stomach, but also to have a few that you genuinely crave and enjoy. That way, you always know you have something on hand to fill your plate. And remember, these can come in all forms—raw, frozen, canned, grilled, flavored with any hundreds of spices or accessories. Just as long as you have your go-to veggies, you'll never have to guess, scramble or go without.

Try Experimentation with Vegetation

You have dozens of vegetables, dozens of spices, dozens of herbs and dozens of cooking methods. The statistical conclusion: There are thousands of different ways to prepare vegetables. The combinations are endless, and that means the possibilities are, too. So while your lifestyle has to dictate what you're able to do, I do want to encourage you to act like your own mad scientist—try different combinations to come up with whatever your tongue desires (savory, spicy, salty, even sweet?). This ability to make up so many different combinations of flavors will go a long way in helping you redefine veggies as the new comfort food.

Control Your Place, Control Your Plate

Here's the thing about just about every diet plan out there: It all sounds well and good until, well, your significant other suggests a special night out at a new place that everybody is raving about or your friends say it's been a long time since everyone got together and "Hey, how about drinks tonight?" or until the office party or until you're on the road. You get the gist—"Until" has derailed more diets than chips and soda!

So how do you handle it? Oftentimes, it's all about trying to find ways to control the situation. What do I mean? If your group suggests going to the Korean barbecue place, maybe you can suggest going for sushi or Chinese instead (more options for veggies). There's nothing wrong with living and socializing and having foods you love, but make a point to dictate what you want the environment to be (ordering fajitas with lots of veggies at the Mexican place, rather than the triple-burrito special). Tell yourself that no matter what the environment, you can control it.

Ultimately, a "Veggies Most" mindset is the key nutritional principle that will steer your weight loss in the right direction. Plant power is real power.

You Can Drop It!: How I Dropped 100 Pounds Enjoying Carbs, Cocktails & Chocolate–and You Can Too! by Ilana Muhlstein (Galvanized Media). Copyright © 2020.

The post 5 Ways to Lose Weight By Eating Comfort Food appeared first on Eat This Not That.

Well, yeah! We're all emotional eaters. There's no one person who is not an emotional eater. We are emotional beings and feel a host of emotions on any given day and also eat three or more times a day. It's impossible for them not to collide. Anyone who says they're not an emotional eater just doesn't understand what that means. Happy, sad, angry, lonely, stressed, whatever it is—we're not robots, and those are emotions. Food provides comfort. But caring about your body can provide a more lasting comfort. Weight loss gets easier when you go from, "I can't eat that" to "I don't want to because I am focused on my bigger goals." Here are a few ways to get there. Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest foods news delivered straight to your inbox.

Identify Why You're Eating The Way You Are

One thing that leads to big results is to ask yourself: "If I'm not hungry, why am I eating?" Are you eating the cake because you want to eat the cake? Is it a habit? Is it a form of comfort or self-sabotage even though you're not even tasting it? Is it because everyone else is eating? Is it because you have too much going on, and your life is really chaotic right now? That may not be something you can fix at the moment and that can be frustrating—but the cake is not going to solve anything. When you pause to ask yourself why and answer with "I'm just bored and feeling anxious," it can help you better understand your motivation. Here are some other signs you might be eating your feelings.

Surrender Yourself To Something Purposeful

We all crave surrender. Life requires us to be so disciplined and attentive—in so many areas—that we all desire, at times, to throw our hands up, give in and veg out. It's human nature and it's okay, but it's important that you find a more purposeful form of surrender. Get a massage, treat yourself to new shoes, read a book or watch a show that's purely for entertainment, sleep in, say no to an invite or outing, get your nails done, plan a vacation or something else that feels indulgent and pleasurable, yet not harmful. Or consider taking a walk for weight loss.

Ease Up On Yourself

Sometimes it is not others, but our own selves whom we are constantly disappointing. Reevaluate your standards and let go of judgment for yourself. Forgive yourself for the past. We all make mistakes, and we make them more often than we'd like, but we all deserve second (and third and fourth) chances. Treat yourself to forgiveness, and give yourself permission to move on from your past mistakes and take the opportunity to start over. Try these foods that fight depression and boost your mood.

Mentor Yourself

I tell my private clients this all the time. You've got to mentor yourself because you're in your head all day. If you're eating something and saying that you're treating yourself, but the whole time you're thinking:

• "This has so many calories."
• "Yeah, well, this is gluten-free."
• "I'm going to really regret this."
• "Is this even worth it?"
• "My kid is making me crazy."

Meanwhile, your head is getting distracted with:

• "Oh, my God, I've got so many emails coming in."
• "I can't believe I have to go there later."
• "I'm so mad at him, I hate him."
•  "She's such a b*tch."
•  Or … la la la…

Whatever is going on in your head, if it's not "I'm fully enjoying this," if it's not, "This is delicious," I would say drop the fork—just drop the fork. The goal is to treat yourself, not cheat yourself. And make sure you're staying away from "healthy" foods that are actually bad for you.

Get Productive, Not Destructive

Often we eat as a form of reaction. I can't tell you how much of the weight in my client pool can fluctuate around an election. With every debate and political change comes a wave of stress eating after the nightly news. I get that the climate is tense right now and there is always something we wish to improve in our social, political, and professional lives, but emotional eating is never okay. Repeat after me: "Emotional eating is never okay"—because it's destructive, not productive. What happens is, you're anxious and upset, so you start eating. Now you're more anxious, more upset—and guilty and regretful—than you were before. Stress eating increases your overall stress. When it comes to food and our bodies, we have to be more responsible, meaning more able to control our responses. Here are some proven tricks that can help melt away your stress.

Instead: Get productive. Write a blog post. Read a book, watch a funny clip, drink a cup of tea, take a walk with your dog, hug someone or something, take a shower or bath, do something creative. Do something that mitigates or alleviates your stress, puts you more at peace or resolve, and lets you rest up well. It's simple, but it's effective. Keep reminding yourself to be productive, not destructive.

Adapted from You Can Drop It!: How I Dropped 100 Pounds Enjoying Carbs, Cocktails & Chocolate–and You Can Too! by Ilana Muhlstein (Galvanized Media). Copyright © 2020. 

The post 5 Ways to Quit Emotional Eating for Good appeared first on Eat This Not That.

Check out some of the amazing body transformations that allowed readers to melt away the pounds in this video:

Wake Up and Get on the Scale Daily

Weigh yourself every morning and write down your weight. Don't avoid it if you think you were "bad" the night before—it will help you go back to being stronger sooner and can help make the missteps less frequent.

Drink at Least 16 Ounces—That's Two Cups—of Water Right When You Wake Up 

That's the easiest time to drink a lot of water because your body craves it most. Also drink two cups immediately following a workout. Remember #waterfirst.

Eat Two Cups—Think of It as Two Fistfuls—of Veggies by Two P.M.

It will drastically improve your sense of food control and eating behaviors in the afternoon and later at night. I always say #veggiesmost.

If You're Not Tasting or Enjoying Sugary or Fatty Foods, Stop Eating Them

Yes, even if you are in the middle of that piece of banana bread right now: Collapse it in a napkin and chuck it. There is room for weight loss when you follow these steps and still have the occasional indulgence, but there is no wiggle room for eating sweets "just cuz." Drop the fork. Drop the justifications. And you'll drop the pounds.

Keep Your Hands, Mouth and Eyes Busy and Distracted

If you are somewhere with lots of food and temptations, place yourself far from the food table. My Ilanaism "In sight, in stomach" is sad but true—so physically change what you see and how close you are to the food. If you can't move away, look up. 

(Pro tip: Want to keep your hands and mouth busy? Grab water, coffee, tea or zero-calorie beverages to keep in your hands and drink away. If you are getting hungry, find veggies first. Can't drink or eat? Bring gum or mints with you and suck on them discreetly.)

Write Everything Down Post Binges and After Episodes of Overeating

Write down everything you ate following a period of feeling out of control. You can use a pen and the back of a receipt or scrap paper, or my 2B Mindset journal. Benefits of writing this down include:

• Recalling which parts were probably not even worth it. Sometimes seeing that it wasn't nearly as bad as you thought.
• Realizing that you're probably due for a veggie and lean protein as your next meal and that overeating may have occurred because of a lack of either or both of those things before the fact.
• Awareness that these foods aren't good for you to have around. Think about the corrective measures to keep them out of sight, out of mind for the future. Also, it'll make the foods you ate less tempting because now you've created this uncomfortable yet enlightening association.

Set Reasonable Short- and Long-Term Goals

I constantly see that my clients who sync their weight loss goals with their future plans lose more weight and stay more encouraged than those who don't. You always want to have a sense of urgency keeping you consistent and excited. For example, set a goal for maybe eight pounds down from a month from now. Or 30 pounds by four months from now. Think about many occasions and events that mark these times as monumental. Remind yourself of these goals by embedding them within your calendar. 

Exercise is Optional

…but it can be very helpful for strengthening the mindset. Two options here:

• Option 1: Work out! I have seen dozens of people lose tons of weight without exercise, but there's something about the sense of physical accomplishment and empowerment following a workout that propels a greater sense of self-care throughout the day. What's more? It's very, very good for you, even if it's just a walk around the block. And don't make time an excuse. 
• Option 2: Can't work out? Commit to a goal of not treating your body like a trash can. If you keep that mantra in your mind ("I won't treat my body like a trash can"), it can give you the same sense of physical empowerment, especially when you're making the choice to dispose of left-over junk food or politely decline an offer to take home the extra fries.

Registered dietician Ilana Muhlstein lost 100 pounds and shows you how in her new Amazon bestseller, You Can Drop It!—order yours today!

The post 8 Best Weight Loss Tips—By a Nutritionist Who Lost 100 Pounds appeared first on Eat This Not That.

But here's a sampler. Which sound familiar to you?

Anger Eating

When you're mad as hell and you're going to take it out on that poor bowl of egg noodles and butter or cereal and milk.

Avoidance Eating

When you have a deep and latent issue, like the passing of a loved one or a dysfunctional relationship. You're eating rather than facing the deeper problem or insecurity.

Comfort Eating (Of All Kinds)

When you use food to soothe you, because you think you're too old for a pacifier. This can happen under any number of circumstances, including:

• On airplanes: You're a combination of exhausted, homesick and dehydrated and there's comfort in eating whatever the plane or hotel offers.
• PMS: Food is often not as much a biological need as it is a source of comfort when you may be feeling bloated and icky.
• Under the weather: You would think people would lose weight when they're sick because they're either sleeping or filling up on tea and soup. Yet it's common for people to gain weight when sick. You're lying low and not exerting any energy. Friends bring you treats. You find comfort in a large matzo ball in your chicken noodle soup, in a large bagel or pasta.
• Self-Isolation: Who isn't wanting to binge during the coronavirus quarantine?! Spend your time instead reading You Can Drop It!

RELATED: Click here for all of our latest coronavirus coverage.

Companion Eating

When eating together with a friend or spouse is what bonds you, and you continue to engage in unhelpful eating behaviors with this person (or people) because you fear there isn't a relationship without it.

Fear of the Unknown Eating

When you're unsure of an anticipated outcome, e.g., a high school senior waiting to hear back from colleges, or someone waiting for that all-important post-first-date text or a job applicant waiting for an offer—it can make a person mad, as in crazy. This can be a stronger feeling than even hate or anger. One may confuse this unsettling feeling in the stomach with hunger and suppress it with food for lack of a better option.

FOMO Eating

When you're in a group setting and feel as though you need to eat or drink with everyone else so you aren't left out. This happens frequently in the workplace when someone brings donuts. Another example is a bottomless brunch, where you feel you need to drink as much as your girlfriends to avoid their comments.

(P.S. Anyone shaming you for making a good choice for yourself is not a friend at all.)

Forced Eating

When you feel obligated to eat something because someone else made it for you—made worse if they're guilting or pressuring you.

RELATED: Discover exactly how Ilana lost 100 pounds and kept it off in You Can Drop It!

Guilty Eating

When you fear getting thinner will make someone else feel bad. One of my toughest clients, early in my career, was a brilliant psychologist. She was so logically in tune with her self-sabotaging ways and knew precisely what she would have to do to lose the weight and keep it off. So what was the problem? One day she admitted to me that she can't slim down—for the sake of her sister. Her sister is still single while my client has a husband and kids. Her sister is lost in her career, and my client was the director of a department at a highly credible organization.

Staying bigger, she felt, was a way of paying her sister back.

Similarly, I've worked with mother-child duos in which the mom feels guilty if she loses more than the kid. Same has been true with couples. Sometimes the man loses a lot of weight while the wife struggles. At some point, either she is feeding him more or he feels guilty and creeps up to make her feel better.

"Innocent" Eating

When you say "one night of cookies" can't hurt, but you know full well that, for you, it leads to a downward spiral.

In You Can Drop It!, I tell the story of a very innocent-seeming sweet woman I work with wants so badly to believe that "one night of eating fried bar foods isn't so bad," even though she sees how quickly it snowballs her into days and days of overeating, gaining weight and a feeling of "Ugh, I just don't want to eat anything healthy." She does the same thing on Thanksgiving: "One night of pie can't hurt, it's the holidays." But by Sunday, she's finished the pumpkin, the apple, and the mince pies.

Someone like this may also wish to be able to bake with her children and make cupcakes and cookies on a whim. The kids eat two. The mom eats 18 and then says things like, "I'm so mad at myself."

The saddest part of my job is sharing the reality of the person's tendencies. "You must know yourself, not test yourself." If you know that when you buy those chocolates "for the family," you end up eating them and get upset, then stop buying them. Same goes with baking. Kids don't need a mom who bakes; they need a mom with energy, confidence and good health. Kids don't need a perfect mom; they need a happy and, most importantly, healthy mom.

Lonely Eating

When you're seeking companionship and want pleasure from a physical encounter.

Novelty Eating

When you feel like you need to eat something because it's only available to you for a limited time like piña coladas on vacation or pie at Grandma's.

Procrasti-eating

My No. 1. When you know you need to work to meet a deadline or run an essential errand but you justify needing to eat first. (Cigarette smokers do this, as well. Cigarette smokers do a lot of things on this list, actually.)

Self-Sabotage Eating

When you're well aware that you're doing something negative as you continue to eat. You may start to use justification and excuse language like, "It's OK, I'll start Monday" or "It's OK I didn't eat all day or won't eat tomorrow." The example I use is that sometimes your phone falls and your screen cracks. You can either pick it up and get the screen repaired or take a hammer to it and demolish it. (When I used this example with a friend of mine who diets for sport, he said to me that I must not realize how fun it is to smash the phone. Ha!)

Spiritual Eating

When eating is part of your religious custom. Judaism, for example, comes with a host of spiritually connected eating moments. For example, eating challah bread may be symbolic of good fortune. Eating honey on Rosh Hashanah symbolizes a sweet new year. When religion and spirituality are applied to foods, it adds a whole other layer of emotional eating.

Trash Can / Sense of Completion Eating

When you don't want to waste food by throwing it away. If you grew up in a household that made you "clean your plate," you may relate. Often moms will eat off their kids' high chairs or you might be tempted to ask a friend at a restaurant, "Are you going to finish that?" It's important to tell yourself that "it's better in the trash than in my body" and "it's better in the waste than on your waist." Are you the type to keep eating because finishing it gives you a sense of accomplishment or completeness? For instance, you're done with the cookies but you would rather have the last one and be done with it than wrap it up or throw it away.

Enough is enough. You Can Drop It! will help you drop all these negative thoughts, and it has helped my clients. Men and women of every age. Some with 10 pounds to lose, some with 110 pounds to lose. People with emotional eating challenges. People who never thought they could lose weight and learn how to keep it off. It works for them because it's practical. There's no counting calories. No points. No cutting out whole food groups. You don't even need to exercise (but I promise, once you start feeling amazing, you're going to want to move your body). Before long, you'll see that the plan is so easy—and even fun—so you can go on enjoying your food and living your life to the fullest.

Ilana Muhlstein, M.S., R.D.N., is the author of You Can Drop It!, available now on Amazon.

The post 15 Signs You're Eating Your Feelings appeared first on Eat This Not That.

If you and I met, you might think I was naturally lean. Born with a high metabolism. Able to eat whatever I want without gaining a pound. Not gonna lie, that would be amazing. But the truth is…

Growing up, I was always the big kid…

I was never normal. I was never small. The pediatrician's office constantly told my parents, "She's obese. She's over the 100th percentile, she's not even on the chart!"

I was about four years old when my parents got divorced, and every picture of me since then was me holding food. I guess I was using it as a form of comfort, maybe a form of consistency when a lot of things in my life were inconsistent.

Even going to the amusement park, I'd immediately wonder: "What snacks are we packing? Ice cream cones!" "We're going to the circus? Cotton candy!" "We're going to a birthday party? Pizza!" This was my focus. As a kid, this is what I was thinking about.

And I just kept getting bigger…

And bigger…

I was also experiencing blood sugar issues that you would typically see in older men—cholesterol problems, and the potential for worse. My pediatrician finally looked my mom in the face and said, "You have to send her to weight-loss camp. She's going this summer."

So, at eight years old, I went to "Fat Camp." Can you imagine how that felt?

But the truth is, I loved it. I made lots of friends. I was surrounded by people who didn't judge me. I lost 30 pounds. It was amazing.

Then I came back to school… and gained it all back.

This yo-yo-ing went on for years. Every summer, I'd lose 30 pounds. Every school year, I'd gain it all back—and more.

Until I peaked…

RELATED: Discover exactly how Ilana lost 100 pounds and kept it off in You Can Drop It!

At 215 pounds and a size 20—and I was just 13.

Thankfully, something was different that summer, something that gave me extra motivation. I was about to enter high school.

Suddenly, I really wanted not just to lose the weight, but to keep it off. So I asked myself, "What did I do every summer that made it easy for me to lose weight? And what did I do differently during the school year that made me gain the weight back?"

At weight-loss camp, even on a restricted diet, there were certain foods that I could eat as much of as I wanted, and I'd still lose weight.

I also knew that I liked to eat a lot of food. I was a volume eater; I needed to feel full and satisfied. So I decided to try that on my own. I focused on the foods I could eat lots of, that made me feel satisfied, but that didn't cause me to gain weight.

And by the end of my freshman year, I was shocked.

For the first time—all on my own—I'd not only managed to maintain my summer weight loss, I'd actually dropped even more pounds during the school year! I was so excited. I had discovered the formula that worked for me. It wasn't a new diet—it was a new mindset. And once I embraced it, I kept on losing weight, all through high school and when I went to college.

Eventually, I got down to 145 pounds. Finally, for the first time ever, I felt strong and confident enough to post a photo like this:

I was so happy at 145 pounds. I was a size 8—the lowest size I'd been since I was literally eight years old. I was a single digit! And the best part was that I was able to maintain that weight, without denying myself or telling myself "no" all the time.

So I was able to stay a size 8 through the rest of college, when I started my nutrition practice, met my husband, and got married.

And then I got pregnant.

Pregnancy for me was wild. For years, I was in such control of my body. Then suddenly it took a whole different shape.

But instead of fighting, I let the pregnancy be what it wanted to be. Until the third trimester, it was like a switch flipped in my head. It was time to get back to my weight-loss mindset to lose the baby weight.

So I refocused. I thought about the hundreds of clients I'd helped and the principles that had worked not just for them, but for me as well.
So after I delivered my beautiful daughter Olivia, I got right to work. I wasn't just ready, I was excited. I had a new purpose now—my daughter. And I wanted to be the best I could possibly be.

Although I dreaded taking these "before" pics in tight clothes, I had to do it. Because, as I got ready to use all the weight-loss tactics I'd collected over my lifetime, I wanted a detailed record of this journey so I'd know exactly what worked and what didn't in real-time.

And the good news is, it worked better than I could have ever imagined. I not only got back to my 145 mark, I kept going.

I went from post-baby body all the way down to 120 pounds—and I've stayed around that weight for more than two years.

You know what might be the most amazing part? It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I always felt full and satisfied. I never deprived myself. And I never missed a meal.

I just relied on a few simple principles that allowed me to lose weight while still living my life, principles like Water First, Veggies Most, Track Your Progress and Use the Scale. Because that's everyone's ultimate goal, right? To be happy.

That's still my goal as a registered dietitian nutritionist. That's why I took the principles that worked for me and combined them into one convenient, healthy approach to eating called 2B Mindset, and it's all in my new book, You Can Drop It!

You should see how it's helped my clients. Men and women of every age. Some with 10 pounds to lose, some with 110 pounds to lose. People with emotional eating challenges. People who never thought they could lose weight and learn how to keep it off. It works for them because it's practical. There's no counting calories. No points. No cutting out whole food groups. You don't even need to exercise (but I promise, once you start feeling amazing, you're going to want to move your body). Before long, you'll see that the plan is so easy—and even fun, since you get to eat a lot—that it seems like second nature.

Because take it from the former big kid: That's what loving your body should be—second nature—so you can go on enjoying your food and living your life to the fullest.

Ilana Muhlstein, M.S., R.D.N., is the author of You Can Drop It!, available now on Amazon.

The post Here's How I Learned to Love My Body Again appeared first on Eat This Not That.