Media-watching is part of the Eat Sanely mission–how can it help us, and how does it hurt us, in our efforts to eat more sanely, be happier and healthier?  Recently, more good news than usual seems to be emerging.  For some updates, and thoughts on how to use the emerging information in your own personal efforts, see my most recent Thin From Within column at Psychology Today:   https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/thin-within/201405/saner-eating-makes-news-and-four-ways-use-the-news

“For any given person, it’s really a matter of what can they stick with,” says Michael Jensen of the Mayo Clinic, summarizing an extensive review of long-term weight loss studies. In other words, whether a person loses with low-carb, Paleo, Mediterranean, or some other diet, what matters most is not the diet type, but whether or not that person’s still on track beyond the six-month point. Staying on track for a year or two, and then forever, is what promises the best and most lasting results for improved weight and health. This bottom line seems to emerge whenever diets are compared over longer periods: there are no magic bullets, and the best diet is the one you’ll stick with. What will you stick …

Eating out is one of those “non-routine” circumstances the Eat Sanely workbook covers–along with holidays and other times when weight management can falter.  In fact, cooking at home more, preparing foods in advance,  learning how to order well at restaurants:  these are key skills and habits that bolster your ability to maintain a good weight for years. While eating out rarely matches eating in as a weight-smart choice, choosing well does make a difference.  And now, some restaurants have responded to our collective needs by offering better options. The Eat Sanely blog archive contains several entries on how to get more home cooking into your life, and several more on dealing with holidays.  Also, the 4/16/10 post addresses restaurant eating specifically. More recently, the …