As I mentioned in previous articles over the years, I like to focus on key concepts that have helped my patients gain better control of their weight problem.

In the past, we have talked for example, about setting success goals, the “dimmer switch” and in this article I would like to discuss the concept of preventing and coping with a lapse.

A lapse is simply a term for a deviation from your diet plan, a mistake, a slip, etc. If we continue to slip and string together a series of lapses we relapse back to our previous condition. When a relapse is complete and there is little hope of reversing this negative trend, a collapse has occurred.

To put this concept into practical terms, let’s analyze a few common errors in thinking.  (For example, let’s use a day, a weekend, a week and a holiday).

If we slip at breakfast (e.g. eating a donut) and […]