End Emotional Eating for Good

"At the end of the day, weight loss is really about self-esteem," Greene says. "Some philosophical, emotional change has to happen if you're going to be successful long term. Don't think, 'I just have to change my diet and exercise habits, and then the work is over.' It's not. If you simply diet and exercise without making a mental breakthrough, you're just going to be in a vicious circle. I've never seen a person succeed in the long term who didn't first make a core change in the way they felt about themselves."

But what sort of revelation is required before you can finally conquer the weight that's plagued you? "The number one thing you need to understand is this - you are worthy of a better life," Greene says. "To change, you've got to feel these three words: 'I deserve this.' You're not going to get anywhere, long term, until you say to yourself, 'Hey, I'm not a bad person, and I really do deserve this.' The people who succeed at losing weight and keeping it off have said to themselves, 'I am worthy of whatever I am seeking.'"

Of course, even the most committed and self-aware person has days when the treadmill seems too daunting or the brownies are too irresistible. What can change, Greene says, is the way you view your bad days.