You need simple measures to live by. — End the searching and scrolling. It’s just another form of consumption. One of the first things I did when I quit dieting was to unfollow and unsubscribe from all the apps, diets, coaches, and workout accounts I’d been subscribing to. I felt an immediate sense of lightness from that decision. …

This is what I know about making your life matter. — It’s still strange to me that I’m a person who’s had cancer. Like many people, my unspoken belief about life was that it would go on and on. Cancer happens to other people. It’s a singular shock when the news becomes your own. …

How do you have sugar without bingeing, deal-making, or battling cravings? Read on. — Use these strategies to safeguard your mental and physical health. Sugar consumption is slippery. That’s by design. The modern world is filled with sugar. It’s in nearly everything and offered everywhere you turn. It’s so ubiquitous that it seems to have altered our collective palates. You might now be accustomed to having sugar in your food without knowing it.

Here are mine. I promise they have little value. — It’s nearly impossible to talk about weight loss without showing before and after photos (look, it worked!). Except, here’s the thing, I think they’re kind of bullshit. I’ve felt pressure to display mine and resisted thus far. …

Wellness culture is out of its depth. — Fit people take medication and need talk therapy, and that’s ok. I like January because everyone is focused on the things that shape my daily life. Eating healthy food and moving as much as possible. I don’t have to fend off trays of cookies or reasons to drink. It’s a brief period of time when everyone’s priorities line up with mine. …

Quit forcing yourself to make ‘good choices’ and engineer a space to do it for you. — What if there’s a room in your house that makes healthy eating automatic? Spoiler, there is. Consistency, consistency, consistency. There isn’t a program, trainer, or coach who doesn’t hammer the idea of doing the healthy thing regularly (me included). And, for good reason, what you do each and every day is incredibly powerful.

If you’re stuck between the apps and steady weight gain, read on. — The method is the reason (and the trap). Is your experience that the weight returns as soon as the app is put away? It’s an ugly cycle with long-term repercussions. Know that you’re not alone. Estimates are that 90% regain and a dropout rate of up to 80% is common. …

I love my work but it means confronting a lot of eye-rolling blather. — Let’s dive in. Calorie-deficit. Ok, that’s two. The problem with this one is that it assumes you’re tracking your calories. Not only is this a completely joyless approach to eating, but there’s also no evidence the practice creates stable weight loss. That’s right. The thing that nearly everyone turns to at…

A restaurateur turned health coach explains. — Here’s why you don’t order the healthy thing, drink more alcohol than you intended, and end up getting dessert. It comes down to two things. 1. The restaurant is tasked with extracting as many sales as possible. Think about your seat as income-producing real estate. You’re renting a spot, most likely at prime time (most restaurants are open for a few hours but make all their money in a 2–3 hour window). …