The UnAmerican Undiet details how I lost almost 40 pounds practically overnight after a lifelong history of failed efforts. Early on I thought about all the things I had done in the past that had failed. Everything I had ever tried was a temporary attempt to lose weight. I thought I could undo the effects a lifestyle of decades in just a few short months, then go back to eating the way I always had. Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results. That's the definition of insanity.

So I started with another simple, although somewhat drastic, platform for myself. I would not engage in any behavior that I could not keep up for the rest of my life. This meant I had to maintain a reasonable exercise schedule, not 6 hours a day everyday. It also helped me to change how I came to think about food. Instead of trying to forbid myself from eating things like dessert or French fries or soda, I had to learn to dislike them.

For an undieter, the battle against temptation is over.

Americans are addicted to diets. The weight loss industry is worth billions of dollars that get replenished by repeat customers year in and year out. If you want to get serious about losing the weight and keeping it off, you have to look at it in a radically different way. The process doesn't have to be difficult as long as you base the vision of your future on something drastically new and permanent.

Decide what is important to you in life. Is it chocolate? Is it your family? Is it your self-confidence? How important are these? When you weigh what you really want in life, you can determine what you need to do achieve those goals.