News & Blog by Jill Brown

Read the latest news and bulletins, essays, features, opinions from our bestselling authors. Find out what's being said, debated, and discussed in the world of books and ideas.

Feb 12

All or Nothing.

by Jill Brown on 12 February 2010

What’s the biggest enemy of successful temptation busting? All or nothing thinking. That’s when you think: Blown it now. Why do I even bother trying? In every area of our lives we allow ourselves a margin of error. You don’t expect to get everything right all the time. So, cut yourself some slack when it comes to dealing with temptation. If you see every slip-up as confirmation of your total inability...

Feb 10

Busting temptation in the real world.

by Jill Brown on 10 February 2010

In case it has escaped your attention, we live in a supersized world that is busting its too-tight seams with food. It’s everywhere. It might be a pristine environment on the home front, but sooner or later you’re going to have to venture out to where the confectionery lurks. Or you’ll have to attend a function with a groaning buffet table. How do you BUST TEMPTATION in the real world? Well, if...

Feb 9

Hardwired to eat.

by Jill Brown on 9 February 2010

Face it, we’re hardwired to eat. Our ancient ancestors lived in a harsh world where food was scarce and starvation was a frequent reality. Consequently we have evolved to seek out sustenance and our efficient bodies store every single itty-bitty calorie in the event of another famine. So, it’s not reasonable to expect to rely on willpower alone to deal with temptation. We have thousands of years...

Feb 8

Self-justification.

by Jill Brown on 8 February 2010

So, my friend Paul tells me that he’s getting to the beach extra early every morning for a body surf. And on the way home he drops in to this amazing bakery for a latte and a CROISSANT. ‘Is that bad?’ he asked. His self-justification was that by getting out in the surf he ‘could afford’ the extra calories in the alluring Madamoiselle Croissant. But he was replacing (exceeding?) the energy he had...

Feb 8

Avoiding temptation.

by Jill Brown on 8 February 2010

In the heat of the moment, it’s tough to ignore that little voice whispering I want it, I want it. When temptation has you in its grip, what do you do, dammit? There are two approaches to that killer moment. Number one is: get busy. Disrupt the chain of events that goes from wanting to eat a particular something special to actually eating it. Cravings are rarely about physical hunger, so it makes...