I have been gaining and losing weight for 10 years on various diets and I am tired of my weight being the focus of my life. I would just like one whole day of freedom where I can forget about what I eat and how fat I am. I know if I do this, though, I will start to regain the weight I have lost and the cycle will begin all over again. How can I stop obsessing over my weight? --iVillager thaeda

You're in a tough spot because losing weight and keeping it off requires a lot of effort, energy and self-monitoring. However, you seem overly burdened by the task. It is possible that you are using your obsession with food to help distract you from other emotional issues in your life that you'd prefer to ignore. You also seem to be struggling with problems with self-acceptance. Ask yourself these questions to better understand your emotional relationship with food:

1. What are the payoffs for your obsession with your weight?

2. Can you like yourself at a higher weight?

3. Would you be happier at a higher weight without the worry of constant dieting?

Perhaps you need to talk things over with a good therapist to better understand your emotional relationship with food and your self-image concerns.

You also might benefit from giving yourself that day of freedom to see if that's what you really want. Many people who "legalize" food find that they gradually gravitate toward healthy eating instead of bingeing on fats and sugars -- especially if they resolve their emotional hunger and find better ways to cope.