I have devised sensible plans to change my eating and exercise habits over and over, but the thought of putting the plan into action sends me running for the sofa and my favorite fatty foods. How do I overcome this apparent fear? --iVillager davicsta

Inconsistent motivation often signals the presence of Fattitudes that lead to self-defeating behavior. The big questions for you are:

1. What is scary about losing weight?

2. Do you have hidden payoffs for remaining overweight? If so, what are they?

3. If you lost weight, what else would you lose?

4. Do you deserve to be successful?

Try journaling about these questions to better understand your behavior. The bottom line is: You need to discover and resolve the emotional issues affecting your motivation in order to break the frustrating cycle you're stuck in now.