It makes me happy when research backs the claim that men have an easier time losing weight than women. I like when science tells me it's normal that my husband can drop 40 pounds in a flash while I lose 15 oh so slowly. It makes me feel like I'm not so unsuccessful after all. Nope. I'm just normal. Same goes for the news that women have a harder time resisting favorite foods than men do.

Why do some people overeat and gain weight while others don't, asked a recent research question. Bev has the scoop here. And here's my take on the answer: Because the weight gainers are typically women, and female brains fire away when they see yummy foods (despite techniques to inhibit this response). Male brains don't.

Why must our girlish brains work this way? One thought is that the traditional role of the female is to provide nutrition to children, and our brains are hard-wired to eat when foods are available. Another perspective blames hormones. Regardless of the reason, the fact is that food choices today are more varied than ever before, making temptation a constant force in our lives.

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Your New Year's resolution might be faltering a bit, but Tyler Perry's sure isn't. The actor recently admitted that he's down 17 pounds, and it's all because of a little help from a friend -- Janet Jackson. "She turned me on to her nutritionist and he's fantastic," Tyler recently told Rachael Ray. "The supplements and the food, and the way he goes from high carbs to low carbs and the way he manipulates your metabolism -- it's wonderful."

His diet is going so well, in fact, that he wasn't even tempted by all the delicious backstage foods offered to guests on Rachael's show. Now that's dedication.

You probably won't get the chance to be tempted by Rachael Ray's backstage goodies, but take a lesson from Perry and see if you can survive the next party or gathering you attend with only a few small nibbles in your belly.

(via Fit Celeb)

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Thought peer pressure was just for junior high kids? Dieters face it, too.

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That Thanksgiving spread will soon face you. And what will you do? Stuff your face? Or proceed with caution? I suppose the stuffing-your-face approach is OK if you keep the practice to random days, like this one reserved for giving thanks (for good food, right?). But if you're keen on keeping your cool on the calorie front, you might want to try this trick for navigating your table of temptation. All you'll need is a PDA -- I'm not talking a personal display of affection (save that for the mistletoe). Nope, a personal digital assistant is the tool you need.

So you've got a yummy slice of pumpkin pie in your sight. Here's what you do: Grab that PDA and type in calorieking.com/mobile. When you land at your destination, type in "pumpkin pie" and click "Go." Immediately, some pumpkin pie options will pop up. Just pick your pie and all sorts of nutritional facts will appear before your very eyes. I just tried this quick search and went with a Sara Lee Oven Fresh frozen pumpkin pie. Here's the scoop: One slice has 260 calories, 37 g of carbohydrates, 11 g of fat, 4 g or protein, and 2 g of fiber. No mention of sugar, but believe me, it's in there.

What do you think -- do you grab that pumpkin pie or let the moment pass? It's up to you and Calorie King to decide.

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A girl after my own heart, Cat Lincoln over at Holidash writes about the value of burning scented calories to satisfy that craving for something sweet. It's what I've been doing for a long time, and it serves me well.

With cookie-filled holidays right around the corner and the possibility of a few extra pounds lingering close behind, candles might be the secret to staying slim. My recommendation: Yankee Candle's Christmas Cookie fragrance. It will fill your house with scrumptious scents, convince your guests you've been baking for hours, and allow you to fit into that perfect little party dress. You've got to be able to hack the temptation, though. Think you can do it?

If you're not all that keen on the aroma of baking cookies, check out the gallery below for some other sweet scents.

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Dilemma: A pal or a loved one is heaving around a bit too much weight. You're worried this person is tipping the scales in a dangerous direction and you want to help. Appropriate? Or not so much? Parade magazine says if done the wrong way, approaching the topic can hurt feelings and lead to resentment. But with some tact, a little nudging isn't such a bad idea. Here's how to do it.

• Well, don't nag, that's for sure. No teasing either, no mater how mild. Encouragement is the key.
  
• Stress that you care about your friend or family member's health. Talk benefits – like a lower risk of disease and higher self-esteem.
• Promise you'll be a partner in fitness. Exercise is more fun with a buddy, but it also increases the chance of success. We're all less likely to quit when someone else is in the game with us.
• Trash the temptation. If you live with your special someone, rid the cupboards of diet derailers -- chips, cookies, cupcakes, soda -- and work together to plan healthy meals.
• Motivate. Offer incentives, like compliments or gifts – how about a pedometer, a personal training session, or an offer to watch your pal's kids while he/she works out?
• Lead the way. Be a good role model by practicing good diet and fitness habits. And when roadblocks get in the way -- and they will -- just get back on track, together.

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You know what it's like ... you go through the grocery store, filling up your cart with nutritious foods and turning down most of those treats that will derail your healthy eating plan. But then it happens. You reach the check out lane, the person ahead of you is being ridiculously slow, and you're stuck ... right next to all the candy bars.

According to research published in the Journal of Consumer Research, a little temptation is good for your willpower. They concluded that having "large stocks" of treats in your home may actually help you control your eating.

That may be what their research determined, but based on my own personal experience I say a loud and indignant "yeah, right!" I'm more inclined to believe research that shows when most people are given an option, they opt for the junk.

[via Lemondrop]

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Derail. You know the word. Let's face it, most of us working toward good health through diet and exercise have an intimate relationship with the word. Diet derailers are everywhere -- in your house, in the grocery store, at work, at play, in your head even. Here, we'll address the very things that throw us off course. Together, we'll learn how to avoid our diet traps -- and how to get back on track when we can't.
I am definitely derailed by aisle number three in my local grocery store. It calls my name, jumps out at me, and all but drags me in its direction, where cookies and crackers line its shelves. Cookies are not my issue. Crackers are. My favorite: Wheat Thins, reduced fat usually, because I convince myself these are better than the full-fat version. Ritz crackers come in second. Anything graham cracker-related does the trick too. I'm a sucker for these carb-y snacks and any day I make it out of the supermarket sliding doors without a packaged treat is a day marked by victory.

Aisle three may not be your derailer. Maybe it's the ice cream aisle, the bakery, the cereal shelves. Regardless, grocery stores can be dangerous places for those of us trying to live the nutritious straight and narrow. For one, the most diet-toxic foods are prominently placed to encourage our reach. Even pasta is problematic -- ever noticed that mac and cheese is usually at eye level, while whole wheat pastas line the upper or lower shelves? And what's up with those end-of-aisle displays? Captivating, aren't they? I spotted a Buy One Get One Free deal on one the other day. The prize: Two boxes of Fruit Loops for the price of one. There's also the convenience factor. Neatly packaged bundles of crackers, ham, and cheese and frozen boxes of dinners made for the microwave -- can it get any easier? Or any more unhealthy?

Clearly, shopping for food can lead us down slippery slopes. We can overcome, though. Here's how.

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It can be extremely hard to watch what you're eating when you live with someone who stocks the fridge with all of your favorite unhealthy foods. Janet Jackson is finding this especially true -- her world tour begins in less than a month, and she has reportedly packed on some pounds this summer thanks to Jermaine Dupri's habit of filling her fridge with pizza, fried chicken, chocolate, and ice cream.

Janet's weight has always fluctuated -- back in 2006 she gained quite a bit of weight, but was able to lose it all in just four months. Earlier this year, Janet was looking fit and fabulous, and apparently she's hoping very much to get back to that point before her tour begins.

The singer might yo-yo diet, but it sounds like she's trying to drop the pounds healthily. She is now working with a nutritionist and chef and sticking to a 1700 calorie per day diet. I assume she's working out, too -- you know she has a great song for her playlist!

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It seems blue is the least desirable color when it comes to eating -- so whip out those blue plates if you wish to slim down your appetite.

Other tricks for trimming down, according to E! News, include popping some breath strips before eating -- this will temporarily kill your taste buds -- and snacking on parsley, enjoying a handful of nuts 30 minutes prior to a meal, partaking in a little salad with vinegar on top, and brushing your teeth. Matthew McConaughey reportedly does it 10 times a day. Maybe that's how he keeps his killer bod.

Reader's Digest experts offer a few tips for controlling cravings. Destroy temptation, they say. And they mean destroy. Take the package of cookies you mistakenly bought, dump them in the sink, and douse them in water. Your temptation will be gone, and you'll feel a sense of accomplishment at having licked your binge.

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Here's a tip I figured from reading this post at our sister blog, ParentDish: Hold off on buying your Halloween candy until shortly before the big day, or even better, just before the trick-or-treating starts. Why, you ask? Doesn't it save you money if you buy them early? Well, in theory, yes, but that's only if you don't eat all the treats before Halloween.

Ok, maybe your a master of willpower, and if that's the case, by all means by your treats now. But I know for myself, I wouldn't be able to stave off the temptation. I don't keep sweets in the house normally, so having them taunt me while I'm working might be too much to handle. And don't overdo it by buying way more than you'll need. If you do, make sure the last few kids get an extra-large serving of treats.

What do you think? Can you resist the Halloween candy?

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Dieting requires lots of thought -- you have to carefully plan, count and measure your foods. But what if dieting was easy and required no calorie counting or math skills whatsoever? Maybe no one would have a problem with losing weight -- what do you think?

Women's Health recently came up with 20 dieting tactics to always stick to in order to make dieting easy. Here are a few:

• Always eat dessert. It will tell you brain that the meal is over.
  
• Blot fatty foods with a paper towel before eating it.
• When you're feeling extra-hungry, tighten your belt.
  
• Tell your friends and family that you are dieting -- you'll be too embarrassed to eat in front of them for fear that they will see you fall off the wagon
• Drink your milk -- calcium is an important part off losing weight and it will fill you up too.
  

To learn the rest of the tips, check out the full article.

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If you're trying to lose weight, you pretty much have to go live in under a rock to avoid all temptation. The problem is the food pushers -- that is, those people who are always trying to get you to eat. Grandmothers are notorious for this, but there are some other common culprits, like:

• Your drinking friends: they always want you to have one more margarita, and with your inhibitions down, you're bound to listen. Avoid these get-togethers or don't drink at all
  
• Your partner: if, like me, you have a significant other who could live on a diet of whipped cream and not get fat, you know how hard it is to stay on track when they're coming home with pizza and Chinese food. You can't avoid them, but you can ask them you respect your diet.
  
• The workplace: Work lunches are an easy place to over-do it. Have a snack of veggies beforehand
• Your kids: Pick healthy snacks for them, and try not to give in to the urge to share their food
• Family: You don't want to offend your in-laws by refusing dinner -- offer to bring a dish and make it a healthy one.

Want to know who the other 'food pushers are? Check out the full article from AOL.

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I work in an office ... well, at least I do until Friday, when I walk out that door for one last time to pursue my own path as a freelance writer and photographer. There are things I will really miss about the place -- co-workers, sushi lunches, dental plans and a supply closet that magically replenishes itself -- but there are also things I will not miss. Like? Getting up at 5:45am, recycled air, and the company snack table. Every few days, some kind soul fills the table with goodies and as I walk from desk to desk, office to bathroom, I can't help but stop, especially when there's chocolate. It's sabotage to someone with littler willpower like myself, though it wouldn't be fair to take the snack table away from everyone just because my jeans are a bit tight.

I just had my last bit of snack table chocolate, and though it's sad, it's a relief. I don't keep this kind of stuff in my house, so there's no temptation.

What's my point, you ask? Identify your weaknesses and get rid of temptation. You don't have to quit your job, but perhaps you can look at other times when you're tempted. Say it's the food court at the mall. Avoid it -- stick to the stores. Or maybe it's your own pantry. Stop hitting up the junk aisle. If you're really hungry, snacking on carrots will suffice.

What's your major temptation?

How's your willpower? Mine? Not so good. I can resolve all I want but when those chocolate covered almonds are staring me in the face, I usually cave. But I must be doing something right because I am a healthy weight -- with willpower as bad as mine, you'd think I'd be 300 lbs by now.

But maybe weight loss isn't all about willpower. According to this, it actually has more to do with how you think about food. That would make a lot of sense in my case -- I have a healthy attitude towards food, and I eat healthy almost all the time except in a few cases where my willpower buckles under the weight of temptation. And when I give in, I don't do so without abandon -- I know the difference between allowing myself a small treat and totally gorging on a litre of ice cream.

Read the article and let me know: what's your take on willpower? Is the only successful tool in weight loss, or can you get along with out it?

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