My friend is dyingand no one can see I glance at her every daysmallershe withers atevery breeze I never see her smileonly the reflectionof her pale lipsas she shiversat my warmth She disappeared todayfrom my touch toher own circlewithin her family I know she’ll leave soonon her ship toan islandwhere winter is forever. This poem was written about me, October …

I was passing through the grocery store checkout line as the new magazines were being loaded into the racks. One headline, in particular, caught my eye: The Science of Weight Loss. No, I didn’t buy the magazine or even read the article while waiting in line. Instead, I’m writing a post about why – from a Happy Calories Don’t Count …

I get the most random things appearing in my Facebook feed. It often makes me wonder what sort of demographic the little internet robots think I’m part of. Nonetheless, the ads and posts in my feed provide endless inspiration for my YouTube videos and blogs. Case in point: I recently saw an ad for a shapewear company featuring plus size women. These …

Ah Seattle – this place is a mecca for alternative health. I am surrounded by holistic, integrative health therapy practitioners, and a question I am commonly asked is “How is Happy Calories® different than Intuitive/Mindful Eating?” First off, I need “intuitive” and “mindful” eating defined. Those ideas can mean a lot of different things to different people. Once that is …

I often start my keynotes with a story about my first professional acting audition. I totally blew the callback because I couldn’t bring myself to take a bite out of a burrito shell filled with lettuce. I didn’t know how many calories were in a lettuce burrito – and if I didn’t know how many calories I’d just consumed, I …

“So… what’s your story?” I get asked this a lot. I’ve always found sharing “my story” difficult – mostly because I’m never sure what exactly to share or where to begin. I wrote a condensed version of my struggles with diet, exercise, my body and my weight in the first chapter of Happy Calories Don’t Count. I shared it to provide …

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “body positivity?” For most women I’ve met, body positivity means “love your body” or “feel good about your body.” I see this as a problem. While loving your body and feeling good about your body are definitely good ideas, they are not things that can be compelled. You cannot compel yourself …

Grant me the Serenity toAccept the Things I Cannot Change,The Courage to Change the Things I Can,And the Wisdom to Know the Difference. This little gem, written by Reinhold Niebuhr, is known as the Serenity Prayer. And while Happy Calories Don’t Count® is in no way a 12-Step Program, a recent coaching session with a client revealed that the Happy …

“She’s the happiest person I know!” That’s how a radio host introduced me before an interview. “She’s always so happy and energetic.” That’s what a client wrote about me in a testimonial. “She lights up the room,” I overheard one colleague say to another. I would bet money that if you asked one hundred people to describe me, one hundred …

I finally bit the bullet and went to the optometrist today. Apparently you hit “an age” and can’t read anything – including your phone – without “cheaters.” I had been resistant to go in for an eye exam because I don’t like the idea that you simply “hit an age” and things just start “falling apart.” I’m a strong, healthy, …