For the past two years I have been attempting to manage my weight through behavior modification, healthy eating and exercise. After losing 190 pounds with diet and exercise, I can assume that I am very capable of making healthy choices; however, this past weekend illustrated how emotions can contribute to slip-ups in the healthy lifestyle department. I am as human as anyone else and I ended my week with a weight gain. Through each painful experience I have learned much about managing my emotions. Finding my inner balance may always be a struggle for me and many of you as well. The important factor in finding my inner balance is to modify my behavior through discipline and goal setting.

The negative factor in my equation of healthy lifestyle choices are unforeseen events, which by their very nature cannot be planned for. These unforeseen events could be traffic, a stressful day at work, or an argument with a family member. So what’s the plan for people who struggle to make healthy lifestyle choices during stressful events?

Imagine a GPS navigational system that said something like this: “In approximately 30 minutes, you will run into your old boss, who will want to make you feel like a worthless pile of feces. Erect personal boundaries immediately…. I said, Get in your bubble, Woman … Are you listening? She’s approaching you on your left. Lock up all childhood tapes now (the ones that convinced you that were weak, ugly, and pathetic) and DO NOT, I said DO NOT play them for her. Remember, their messages are no longer valid. Proceed carefully. You will speak to her in approximately 3, no 2, no 1 second.”

Me? I would like one of those.

So I made one. In book form.

Eating disorders affect five times as many people as schizophrenia, and twice as many people who have Alzheimer’s disease. And yet Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia …

We’ve long heard about the negative impact of attention …

What constitutes life falling apart? The death of a beloved spouse or family member? A marriage or relationship that has withered away or perhaps ended abruptly? A job loss potentially leading to financial ruin (or so you might think right now)?

Whichever situation is closest to yours, there are some steps that you must go through to come out the other side with your heart — and new life — intact.