

Together, they've written or reviewed hundreds of studies and treated thousands of patients. I conducted more than 20 interviews with leading diet and nutrition researchers, registered dietitians, physicians, and evidence-based thinkers on weight loss from across North America. Why do dieters succeed or fail? The answers have little to do with food. I don't view these efforts with disdain I accept that they're a necessary part of staying healthy. When the number on the scale goes up - and it still does sometimes - I try to figure out where I'm going wrong and re-focus. And keeping the weight off since then has required daily thought and effort: avoiding sugary drinks and late meals, preparing food at home whenever I can, keeping running calorie counts in my head or iPhone app, and regularly weighing myself. It took about three years to return to my pre-Italian sojourn size. I studied the streets, squares, and galleries of Rome and Florence. Who needed vegetables when you had fresh mozzarella? Dinner usually featured plates of pasta, cheese, and bread. Before school, it was not uncommon to stop at a cafe and gossip over cappuccinos and bomboloni - custard-filed donuts. The reason for my Italian waist expansion was clear: I ate ice cream, bread, and mozzarella di bufala like I'd never see it again.

In six months, in a town near the Adriatic sea, I managed to put on 25 pounds. At 18, in my last year of high school, I moved to Italy. My struggle accelerated as soon as soon as I entered adulthood. If anyone knows how difficult it is to lose weight and keep it off, it’s me.
