Obesity is heavily influenced by a toxic food environment... especially during the holidays.  

You can control your weight through strategies focused on the interaction between your brain and your environment, rather than the traditional approach of simply ignoring or fighting food cravings and eating fewer calories than you expend.

A few strategies you can start right now...

• In order to combat food reward, remove high fat foods you crave from personal environments such as in your home and workplace to prevent the activation of the reward circuitry.

• Limit the impact of reward on food choice by shopping with a grocery list or using online grocers.

• Practice stress management techniques since stress promotes overeating and obesity by enhancing food reward processing.  Exercise such as walking is the best stress management technique.

• Avoid situations such as buffets and restaurants that challenge inhibitory control.

• Focus on achieving short-term behavioral goals, such as cooking a healthy dinner on three nights of the week rather than focusing on long-term weight loss goals.