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Her new book, "The Scientific American Day in the Life of Your Brain," tracks what's happening in your brain during the average day -- the best food to fuel you through your waking hours (she recommends complex carbohydrates and lean protein; "be wary of fad diets that focus on one food type or group. These can wreak havoc by upsetting your body and brain balance"), when the peak time for exercise is ("Some research shows body temperature may peak around late afternoon or early evening, so that might be the best time to work out" but we are individuals so we'd "do best to keep a kind of daily energy diary" to see when we're at our personal best) and more in the interview below.

That's Fit: How does self-control suck your energy?

Judith Horstman: Like most activities, self-control takes energy, and that requires fuel. And yes, not doing something is an activity. A part of your brain -- usually the reasoning thinking part -- has to expend energy to not react to stimulus such as a luscious piece of calorie-laden pie. As one researcher says in the book, willpower is more than a metaphor: It's an expensive metabolic activity. That seems doubly unfair, doesn't it? You need to take in fuel (eat) to control your urge to eat.

Photo: allanpat, sxu.hu

Hunger is a helpful little signal. It's the body's way of telling us when it needs food. Granted, we find all sorts of ways of short-circuiting that hunger signal. When we're bored or stressed, emotions can make us reach for food even when we don't need it, and if we don't slow down while eating, we can often overeat. So it would stand to reason that, if you ate slowly (giving your body time to feel full) and controlled emotional eating, you would never overeat, right? For some people, it's not as simple as that.

Hyperphagia happens when a person's hunger rages out of control and the body doesn't indicate fullness as it normally should. Associated with rare conditions such as Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), hyperphagia can cause a person to overeat excessively -- even sneaking or stealing food in an attempt to satisfy their unstoppable hunger. About 4,500 Americans are diagnosed with PWS, but experts believe that undiagnosed cases would raise the total to nearly 30,000.

Ghrelin, a natural hormone that plays a role in hunger, has long been suspected as a culprit in hyperphagia. And scientists are continuing to study ghrelin and other possible factors behind hyperphagia. Detangling the complicated mystery that is PWS and hyperphagia could have a positive impact on the greater population as well. While true hyperphagia is relatively rare, understanding the medical causes of the problem could also help researchers in the study of obesity.

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Photo: miky jpeg, Flickr

Day 5: Today was one of "those" days. I missed breakfast due to an early appointment, and I ended up at a fast food restaurant for lunch. I'd love to report I ate a salad, but honestly, lunch looked more like a chicken sandwich and a few stolen fries from my kids.

So by 3 p.m., I'd neither exercised nor eaten any fruits or vegetables. Days like this can be dangerous to people like me -- all-or-nothing thinkers. Old me would say, "Well, I blew it today so I might as well start over tomorrow." But there's no reason why one mistake has to lead to a whole day's worth of overeating.

So dinner was light, mostly fresh fruits and vegetables -- probably not five full servings, but the best I could do. And I was back out on my bike after dinner. And just to make up for that chicken sandwich, I added in 10 minutes of ab work when I got home.

Looking for an easy way to eat less? According to recent research, dieters who ate an apple roughly half an hour before meals ate 15 percent less than those who ate nothing. And considering our own Bethany tried this apple method and found it to be a total piece of cake, maybe this is one slimming secret you should consider.

But eating so many apples might get old in a hurry -- want some other quick ways to curb your appetite before you tuck in? Maybe you should try having ...

• A cup of herbal tea. It's calorie-free and believe me, it can really fill you up.
• Sugarfree gum. Chewing before you eat can trick your brain into thinking you've already had a snack.
• Vegetable juice. A quick serving of V8 will calm a grumbling tummy and help you get your daily fill of veggies.
• Veggies and hummus. The fiber will fill you up for hours.
• Some other fruit. Who says you have to stick to apples? An orange, some blueberries or a mango are all delicious ways to help take the edge off your hunger without doing damage to your waistline.

Welcome to Walking the Walk, a feature that takes a deeper look at commonly shared diet and fitness advice. Every other week, I'll choose one piece of advice and practice it for seven days. Then I'll report back on what I discovered about making it work in real life and how it affected my own personal fitness -- and how it ultimately can affect your own efforts.

A big, crunchy, juicy apple is the perfect snack to fill up on between meals. But did you know that eating an apple before a meal just might help you cut back on calories?

A 2007 study, out of Pennsylvania State University, found that when participants were given either fruit juice, one and a half peeled apples or applesauce 15 minutes before a meal, the people who ate the apple ate -- on average -- 187 fewer calories from their plates.

Apples have been shown to control blood sugar, but that's not the only thing going on here. Researchers believe that it's the volume of food -- whole fruit is more filling than applesauce or juice, for instance -- and the act of eating that helps keep hunger pangs at bay.

I'm going to put this theory to the test this week, eating an apple (with the peel -- more fiber and nutrition that way!) before each lunch and dinner.

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It was researchers out of the State University of Rio de Janeiro who got everyone talking about apples. They found that overweight women who ate three apples or pears every day lost more weight than women who didn't. Not only that, the women in the fruit group also had a decrease in blood glucose levels. Apples have been shown to help control blood sugar, another key factor in keeping hunger at bay.

I ate a half an apple at 11:30 this morning, a half hour before I usually eat lunch -- only half because I wasn't particularly hungry. At noon, I made a salad (and cut the other half of the apple up to put on top). I was definitely satisfied with a smaller, lighter salad than I'd usually make.

A half hour before dinner, I grabbed another apple. Dinner is always my most dangerous meal. I'm hungry, I'm tired, and since it's more of a family style meal (rather than lunch, which I just make for myself), it's easier to go back for seconds. But I didn't feel like I wanted seconds tonight.

Jacki recently shared a new study that links U.S. obesity to one primary cause -- eating too much. Makes sense to me. I've recently dropped a few pounds, and I didn't do it by moving more -- I'm eating less and reaching for more wholesome foods (love your new book, Jillian Michaels). And that means learning to be OK with a little gnawing hunger.

If America is to slim down to the body sizes of the 1970s, we're going to need to accept a bit of hunger. These moments do not require an emergency 9-1-1 call for more carbs. In fact, by sticking with my right caloric level, which upon entering my 40s is definitely under 2,000 calories most days, I've taken off a few pounds. I always eat plenty of fruit, but consistently eating lean protein and more vegetables has helped keep my hunger manageable and those M&M craves away.

Forty-year-old successful dieter Jane Doyle would agree. Currently featured over at USA Today, she went from 223 pounds to 161 by eating 1,700 to 1,900 calories a day and being OK with occasionally going to bed hungry or waking up hungry. She also joined Weight Watchers and a gym to rid herself of nasty eating habits triggered by two pregnancies. Be OK with some hunger, it's not an alarm bell for calories. Sit with it, drink a glass of water and wait for the next meal. Or at the very least, eat something green and leafy.

Can you hang with your hunger?

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Snacking is by far my biggest pitfall when it comes to losing weight. And working from home doesn't help. Rather than having a set schedule for breaks or lunch, I've got 24/7 access to my kitchen.

So when the makers of a new product called Crave-NX contacted me to see if I'd like to try their seven day diet-spray for a week, I was intrigued. According to Generex Biotechnology Corporation, Crave-NX is a "scientifically formulated and clinically tested oral glucose spray designed to fuel the mind and control sweet tooth cravings (i.e. cookies) and carb cravings (i.e. potato chips) resulting in saved calories."

So yes, I was intrigued, but cautious too. I haven't taken so much as a diet pill since I was 16 years old and wasn't about to start now. So I asked for more information. The spray contains two calories of glucose, which is absorbed through the cheeks, causing a small rise in blood sugar to satisfy hunger cravings without the calories. After looking at the ingredients list (water, glucose, glycerin, sodium, glycocholate, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium benzoate, artificial flavors), I thought "Why not?" and gave it a try.

Day 3: According to the Crave-NX packaging, I can use the spray between meals, before meals, before exercising, and really, whenever a craving hits. (But Crave-NX is not to be used as a meal replacement, so don't even think about it.) I'm finding that it's the biggest help in the mornings, but this afternoon it came in handy too.

Out for a bike ride, my girls talked me into stopping in at the ice cream store. I happened to have Crave-NX in my purse and pulled it out. I felt a little silly using it in public, but I learned two things: 1) Don't miss your mouth ... this stuffy is sticky! And 2) I really do have willpower against double scoop waffle cones.

Crave-NX didn't stop me from ordering ice cream (not even magical spray could do that), but I stuck to a baby-sized scoop of a lite sorbet, rather than something far more damaging.

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Day 5: So I've tried using Crave-NX between meals, today I'm going to use it before a meal to see if it helps me control my portion sizes.

I eat a light breakfast and plan a late lunch, just to make sure I'm good and hungry. And I am. About 15 minutes before I plan on eating, I take Crave-NX. Then I go to work making the most delicious looking salad on the planet, with so many goodies on top, I'm not sure it qualifies as a health food anymore.

The Crave-NX kicks in, and I'm less interested in my salad when I dig in. It definitely took the edge off my hunger, so I feel in control and don't feel the need to devour my salad. But I do anyway. Not because I'm hungry, but because it tastes so damn good. Do they make a spray for that?

If Crave-NX sounds like a product that might help you, you can order it easily from their website.

There are also plenty of other ways to combat cravings while you lose weight, too, including:

• Drink plenty of water. Sometimes what feels like hunger is actually thirst.
• Eat! Small meals or snacks every three hours or so will keep blood sugar levels more stable.
• Balance your snacks with protein and fat. Munching on carbs just leads to craving more carbs.
• Brush your teeth. It's distracting, and nobody wants to ruin a minty fresh feeling with a sugary snack.
• Try filling up on a bulky fruit -- apples work great. They'll satisfy your sweet tooth while keeping you full.

Have you ever tried to cut cravings? What kinds of tips and tricks can you share with our readers to make this healthy habit stick?

Got a Walking the Walk idea you'd like to see Bethany try for seven days? Share it with us in comments!

Ever tried to halt before lunging into that bowl of chips? I mean, literally HALT? HALT is a test you can take before heading for a onslaught of calories. Here's how to proceed:

• Ask yourself: Am I hungry? (H)
• Ask yourself: Am I angry? (A)
• Ask yourself: Am I lonely? (L)
• Ask yourself: Am I tense? (T)
  

If it's really hunger, get yourself a healthy snack. If you determine you're angry, lonely or tense, opt for a walk, talk to a friend or find another distraction. Just make sure you don't chow down -- it's not the solution but can very likely become a problem if you choose food to medicate your moods.

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Still have a few hours before dinner, but your tummy is rumbling? Have a healthy snack!

Many people swear off snacking in an attempt to cut calories. But snacking is actually a healthy choice. Small, nutritious snacks prevent you from getting ravenous between meals (and potentially overeating). Also, when you choose your snacks wisely, they can help stabilize your blood sugar.

Real Simple has great ideas for healthy snacks that will tide you over until dinner. For example, the Cashew Strawberry Crunch sounds delish -- just top a Ryvita fruit crunch with a tablespoon of cashew butter (rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats). Then, sliced strawberries are placed on top. Yummy!

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